CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
FORT LEWIS — It has waged war in nearly every U.S. military conflict, from fighting Indians on the Western plains to assisting the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
But the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the longest-serving regiment in the U.S. Army, isn’t resting on its storied laurels as it’s welcomed back to Fort Lewis on Thursday. It was stationed at the Army post for a year in 1992-93.
A month before its 169th birthday, the unit is preparing to essentially rebuild itself from top to bottom. The Army post will serve as home for the regiment’s 3,900 soldiers during its conversion into a Stryker brigade, the Army’s newest combat unit.
The regiment clings to its rich history, but members readily accept their roles as trailblazers of the nation’s future fighting force, said Col. Jon Lehr, its commander. ”We are a far cry from our horse-mounted brethren back in 1836, but we still carry on with that lineage and we remember those who went before us in life and death,” he said.
“I stress to each and every new Dragoon in the organization that they are about to make history as we progress through this transformation and then ultimately get deployed somewhere, that they will become part of the unit’s history, and it’s a powerful legacy that just continues to live on.”
That pedigree hasn’t diminished the logistical problems of leaving Louisiana and squeezing onto an Army post that already houses two other Stryker brigades and is experiencing rapid growth. In addition, the regiment is short on officers and non-commissioned officers as it waits for its ranks to fill. And many of those soldiers will be fresh from basic training.
The area housing market and schools are bracing for an influx of family members, although the initial estimates of arrivals might have been too high.
And the regiment’s conversion occurs at a time when its namesake vehicle is taking renewed criticism.
“It is rewarding and exciting to be part of building something from the very ground floor,” Lehr said. “We do have challenges like everyone else in the Army, but there’s no showstoppers. We’re heading down the road to our initial operating capability, and we’ll get there.”
