Vilseck, Germany. (June 1, 2025): In this photo by Specialist Elijah Magana, Soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and their families begin the family color run on the final day of Dragoon Week at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria. The run is part of a weeklong annual observance celebrating the heritage of the Army’s longest continuously serving cavalry regiment, also known as the Second Dragoons. Dragoon Week includes physical competitions, tactical challenges, and plenty of community engagement.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment was founded in 1836 and saw their first combat action during the Seminole Indian Wars in Florida. In 1846, the 2nd Cavalry was ambushed by Mexican troops in a battle that was known as the Thornton Affair. The assault against American troops gave then President Polk the justification for invading Mexico. In declaring war, Polk called the attack "American blood shed on American soil.”
Later during the Civil War, the 2nd Dragoons participated in the Siege of Yorktown, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. During World War I, General “Blackjack” Pershing and the U.S. Expeditionary Force arrived in France escorted by troopers from the 2nd Cavalry. These were the first American troops to land on the European continent in the first world war.
In July 1944, the 2nd Dragoons landed in Normandy as part of General Patton's Third Army. Their cavalry scouts performed such daring reconnaissance missions that their German foes gave them the nickname, "Ghosts of Patton's Army."
More recently, the Dragoons deployed to the Gulf in 2003 and they participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In Iraq, the 2nd Cavalry took part in the fierce urban fighting during the Siege of Sadr City. The Dragoons and thousands of Muqtada al-Sadr's militiamen, the Mahdi Army, clashed in a violent battle that cost 8 US and 300 enemy deaths. The unit also deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in volatile Kandahar Province.
As America’s longest serving Cavalry unit, the 2nd Dragoons are rough and ready to defend America in any future conflict.