Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsc!cbfsb!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: rollhaus@dtoa3.dt.navy.mil (Rollhauser)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Definitions please?
Message-ID: <1990Nov19.000846.7821@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 19 Nov 90 00:08:46 GMT
References: <1990Nov16.052239.21890@cbnews.att.com>
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From: rollhaus@dtoa3.dt.navy.mil (Rollhauser)

In article <1990Nov16.052239.21890@cbnews.att.com> richk@tera.com (Richard Korry) writes:
>From: richk@tera.com (Richard Korry)
>Just a quick question. How do the following unit types differ?
>Cavalry and Armored Cavalry?
>Armored Cavalry and (just plain) Armor
>Airborne and Airborne (Air Assault)
>And also, does the 1st Air Cavalry that fought in VietNam still operate as
>"Air Cavalry" or is it now just "Cavalry". And will they get to ride camels
>this time (:-))?
>        rich

     Some answers.  "Cavalry" is pretty much gone, although it exists
as a concept of high mobility on the battlefield and as a general term
combining both air and armored cavalry or in reference to the old horse
cavalry.  Armored Cavalry uses the M3 "Bradley" Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
or a scout-version HMMWV to perform reconnaissance and security tasks.
Some units also use motorcyles.
    (Just plain) armor is actual offensive firepower, using tanks -usually
in conjunction with both armored cavalry and mechanized infantry- in
the attack.
    Airborne units parachute into combat, although they are usually
trained to use helicopters.  Current US airborne forces include the
82nd Abn Division and the three battalions of the 75th Rangers, as well
as a few units serving with the 6th Light Infantry Division and the
193rd Brigade (in Panama).  Air Assault means the use of helicopters
in the attack, without parachutists.  Sometimes referred to as "Dopes
on a Rope", the only actual air assault unit in our Army (and the world)
is the 101st Abn Division (Air Assault) of WWII and Vietnam fame.
Other light infantry formations and the 82nd also utilize air assault
tactics on occaision. The 101 retains the "Airborne" title as a historical
honor and includes nine infantry battalions and eleven aviation battalions,
in addition to artillery and support units.
    The 1st Air Cavalry of Vietnam is no longer so named.  It is now
a two brigade armored force (with a round out brigade, the 155th, of
the Mississippi Army National Guard, which has not yet been activated)
and deployed to the middle east reinforced by the Tiger Brigade of the
2nd Armored Division.  I very much doubt that they will ride camels
on a regular basis, although some elements of the French Foriegn Legion
often use them for patrol.


					 Chuck