National Training Center and 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

About the National Training Center and 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

The story of Fort Irwin begins with Father Francisco Garces 1796 and the Old Spanish trail; Captain John C. Fremont with his guide Kit Carson surveying water-to-water; 1st Dragoons, Co. K that ran patrols out of Camp Cady 1860-66 and it was the first military camp established in the region; and the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range that became Camp/Fort Irwin. 1940--Present. In 1940 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range (MAAR), a military reservation of approximately 1000 square miles, known today as the National Training Center.

11th ACR's first established and deployed from Fort Myers, Virginia and was sent to the Philippine Islands in June 1901 for the Philippine Insurrection, then to Cuba for the Cuban Pacification from 1906-09; But when the revolutionary "Poncho" Villa raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico and the Regiment was deployed to Mexico and the Punitive Expedition of 1916 began; and the "Last Charge" in the US Army’s history was conducted on the 5 May 1916.

As WW II developed the guarding of the Mexico-American border was no longer necessary the Regiment was sent to Europe and deployed to the Ardennes for the "Battle of the Bulge". From 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945 "the largest battle by the United States and was the largest land battle of World War II was fought. The "Border Legion" was the name given to the troops in Germany after the war, and the "Cold War Heats Up" from March 1957-1964.

The Regiment was in Vietnam from 7 September 1966--March 1972 where the nickname of the "Blackhorse" became a legend and with three Medal of Honor recipients.

The Warsaw Pact and the legitimacy of the Eastern Europe's Communist military ended with the infamous Berlin Wall came down on the 9 November 1989.

The unexpected Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 triggered the Gulf Crisis that gripped the world's attention. The Regiment serve as the fresh troops that would go in if a counter offensive attack came, none developed so they return to Germany.

On 16 October 1994 the Regiment reflagged and "The Best of the Best" now trains Today’s Army, at Fort Irwin, California. The Regiment now serves as the Opposing Force (OPFOR), using Russian Doctrine as a learning tool.

From January 2005—17 March 2006 the Regiment was deployed to Iraqi Freedom -War on Terrorism. Returning to Fort Irwin to reorganize as a deployable Heavy Brigade Combat Team while they are continuing to serve in rotational support for the military, today. We "Lead, Train, Win" is the motto of Fort Irwin.