The 104th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1921. Troop A, 1st Squadron is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812.
History
As a mounted regiment
The 104th Cavalry Regiment was not actually organized as such until 1921, although some of its subordinate troops can trace their lineage back to the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. For example, Troop A, 1st Squadron, also known as the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, is the oldest active mounted unit in the United States Army. Troop B, 1st Squadron, is also known as the "State Fencibles" while Troop C, 1st Squadron, is also known as the "Governor's Troop."
The 104th Cavalry has gone through many configurations, its elements serving as the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry and the 8th Pennsylvania Infantry in Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War.
On 6 July 1916, subordinate units of the regiment were mustered into Federal service for the Mexican border and stationed at El Paso, TX. The unit was mustered out on 22 January 1917.
On 15 July 1917, the regiment was drafted and mustered into Federal service for World War I as the 103d Headquarters Troop, 28th Division; and on 9 December 1917, as 103d Trench Mortar Battery, 53d Field Artillery, 28th Division. It served in both France and Belgium and was mustered out on 12 April 1919, returning to state service with its headquarters at Harrisburg.
The 104th Cavalry Regiment was formed as a unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard on 1 June 1921 via conversion of the 8th Infantry Regiment. The regiment eventually commanded three squadrons located at Tyrone, Carlisle, and Harrisburg, and was subordinated to the 21st Cavalry Division. The regiment confronted striking coal miners from July through September 1922 at Ebensburg and Cokeburg. The 104th Cavalry provided relief assistance during floods in 1936. The regiment was relieved from the 21st Cavalry Division and assigned to the 22nd Cavalry Division in January 1939.
As a "horse-mechanized" regiment
On 23 September 1940, the regiment was reorganized by combining it with elements of the 103rd Cavalry Regiment (which was concurrently converted into the 190th Field Artillery Regiment) and 28th Division and redesignating it the 104th Cavalry Regiment (Horse-Mechanized). It was relieved from assignment to the 22nd Cavalry Division the following month. The regiment now consisted of one mounted squadron and one mechanized (armored car) squadron.
On 17 February 1941, the regiment was inducted into federal service. After transfer to Salem, Oregon, the units of the regiment were retitled in this manner: Headquarters and Headquarters Troop became HHT, 104th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) 1st Squadron became the 104th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized) 2nd Squadron became the 119th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized)
The 104th Cavalry Group was not sent overseas. The group headquarters and the 119th C.R.S. were inactivated on 15 August 1944 at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. The 104th C.R.S. was subordinated to the 115th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) and served in combat with the VI Corps in Germany in 1945. The 104th C.R.S. returned to the U.S. and was inactivated at Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts, on 22 October 1945.
On 25 August 1952, the regiment was redesignated the 104th Armored Cavalry Regiment; on 1 June 1959, it was redesignated as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 103rd Armor; on 1 April 1963, the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 223rd Cavalry; and finally, on 1 1 April 1975, as the 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.
In 1980, elements of the 104th Cavalry were used as extras in the George C. Scott film Taps (film).
On 28 May 2002, elements of the 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment were mustered into Federal service as Task Force Saber. TF Saber deployed to Bosnia Herzegovina as a part of SFOR 12 for a NATO peacekeeping mission earning the Governor's Unit Citation (Permeant Orders 97-2 dated 25 October 2006).
On 4 January 2005, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry, augmented with platoons from Troops A and C, and teams from the 104th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance) were mustered into federal service as part of the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division. The HBCT was responsible for its own battle space as part of Ramadi under U.S. military occupation from July 2005 to July 2006 attached to the 2d Marine Division and then the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, earning the Navy Unit Commendation twice (DA Memorandums AHRC-PDP-A, dated 20 July 2009 and 5 March 2010).