At Texas A&M, Cavalry Is More

“Fours left about, ho!” The horse cavalry is alive and well at Texas A & M University. The last of the four-year senior ROTC cavalry programs in the nation, the horse cavalry troop is part of the Texas A & M Corps of Cadets. Originally formed in 1919 at Texas A & M as part of the program to commmission Reserve officers into the Cavalry branch, horse drawn artillery instruction was later added. The horse cavalry flourished at A& M from 1919 until the demise of the horse cavalry in the Army in 1943, when A & M was required to disband its cavalry units. At Texas A&M. Cavalry Is More Than a State of Mind by Captain Edwin L. Kennedy, Jr. The cavalry program at A & M commissioned a large number of Reserve officers, many who later served in World War 11. Thirty years passed without the sound of hooves on pavement, the creak of leather and the smell of horse sweat, but in 1973, some men with a love of tradition and imagination helped reorganize amounted unit at Texas A & M. The cavalry troop was formed by a group of interested senior cadets who saw the chance to field a highly visible unit that would promote the school and Corps of Cadets. Since the Army no longer used horses, other than in ceremonial units, the means to mount and equip the unit were left to the cadets. A former armor officer and ardent rider, Jack Fritz, came to their assistance. Now vice-president of the United States Equestrian Team, Fritz purchased some of the original tack and the saddles used by the troop, and donated much of his time to help train the cadets in military equitation. The remainder of the equipment used by the cadets was purchased through an alumni organization, or by the cadets themselves. Initially, the unit was stabled at an old Army Air Corps installation outside of town, but it is now located just outside the main campus. The barn was erected by the cadets in their spare time and the University provided a stable office and tack room. The cadets pay for the upkeep of their horses and must obtain their ‘ I

Texas A&M cadet troop includesa horse artillery half-section. Its 3-inch Model 1902 field gun was found buried on campus and was refurbished by troop rnern bers. 44 ARMOR: The Magazine of Mobile Warfare

Horse artillery half-section is seen enroute t o a campus ceremony drawing field gun and limber. own mounts, either by borrowing or purchasing them. The university partially subsidizes the unit with funds to maintain equipment and to care for a small number of horses which have been donated. The troop’s saddles are English forward seat saddles similar to the officer’s Model 1936 Phillips saddle. The bridles are the Model 1909 single bridle with snaffle bit. The horses of the artillery half-section are equipped with original harness and McClellan artillery saddles. The cadets in the troop wear the same uniform as the Corps of Cadets with minor changes. The junior cadets wear the Model 1917 canvas and leather mounted leggings while all seniors wear the officer’s brown dress boots. The cadets in the cavalry troop also wear the same patches worn by cadets during the 1930s and 1940s. The uniform worn during hot weather consists of the officer’s dark limber, the gun found buried on university land several years ago and refurbished. (The Model 1902 field gun was declared obsolete after WWI when it was replaced by the French ’75.) The field gun unit fires salutes at ceremonies andfoot-ball games on campus, and has been invited to parades and cere-green dress shirt and the Model moniesinthearea. 1912 campaign hat. The troop is organized into a headquarters section, two cavalry platoons and a horse drawn artillery half-section, a relatively new addition. The half-section pulls a Model 1902, 3-inch field gun and Cadet cavalry troopers must provide their own mountsand spend much of their time - like their forebears - on stable call. The barn was also built by the cadets.

NEDY, JR.. graduated from USMA in 1976 and servedas commander, Company C, 1 - 18th Infantry (Mech), 1st Infantry Division. He is a graduate of the Army Infantry Of- ficer Advanced Course and the Armor Advanced Course. He also graduated from the Israeli Armored Corps Commander’s Course (equivalent to the USA Armor Officer Advanced Course) and from CAS3. He served as an antitank platoon leader, 53 (Air), instructor at the Infanxry School in tactics, as project officer, Infantry Doctrine Branch, Infantry School, and as an instructor in the Senior ROTC Program. He has been anactiveriderforgyearsand has five years’ competitive show riding to his credit. He is the Riding Master for the Cadet Cavalry Troop at Texas A&M and instructs the cadets in horsemanship and horsemastership. ARMOR The Magazine of Mobile Warfare 45