106 years old and still growing

FORT IRWIN - One hundred and six years makes for a strong drink.

As the 11th Armored Cavalry celebrated its 106th birthday on Friday at Fort Irwin, soldiers dressed in historic uniforms added bottle after bottle of alcohol to a punch bowl to commemorate specific events in the regiment's history. It started with a bottle of whiskey and a tobacco leaf to symbolize the regiment's founding in Virginia in 1901. Then soldiers added tequila to remember the regiment's mission to Mexico in 1916, champagne to remember fighting in France during World War II, rice wine for the jungles of Vietnam, and many other forms of alcohol symbolic of the theaters across the world in which the regiment has served. For the regiment's service in the Gulf War, a bottle of non-alcoholic beer was added, the strongest stuff our Arab allies could provide, Capt. Thomas Tarantino said as he read the history.

Tarantino also unveiled a painted by James Dietz, entitled "A Good Night's Work." The painting refers to the regiment's recent deployment to Iraq and depicts a scene the morning after a night-time during which soldiers from the 11th ACR found a weapons cache.

"The regiment started its history with a counter-insurgent fight," Tarantino said in reference to the regiment's first deployment to the Philippines in 1901.

He said it was fitting to unveil the painting which shows the 11th ACR fighting another counter-insurgency battle 106 years later.

"Birthdays are a great time to reflect on the year that was," Gen. Robert Cone said on Friday. "For the 11th ACR, it's been a good one."

Cone added that for the National Training Center has for the first time in its history, soldiers who have fought the enemy they are training for. The 11th ACR has a unique dual mission. Not only is the regiment expected to be prepared for deployment to the war zone at anytime but it also trains regiments bound for Iraq in the desert of Fort Irwin.

Much time was spent reflecting on the history of the 11th ACR, both ancient and recent. The names of the 21 soldiers from the regiment who died during its recent deployment to Iraq were read and a moment of silence was observed for all soldiers who died in conflicts past and present.

The 11th ACR's future

Even at 106-years-old, the 11th ACR, the Blackhorse regiment, will not be put out to pasture. With the fight continuing in Iraq, Gen. Cone reminded soldiers on Friday that they should be prepared for deployment. Engineers from the 58th Engineering Company will re-deploy to Iraq this summer, and the 11th ACR recently received notice from the United States Force Command to prepare two Troops for deployment to the Arabian Gulf.

In the near future, Col. Mark Calvert said the regiment is poised for a "re-birth." Next year, Calvert said, the regiment should add additional troops as they pick up police, medical and signal units. A signal unit manages information systems for the regiment.

In 2009, the regiment will expand even more. Approximately 600 active duty soldiers will join the already 2,700 troopers of the 11th ACR at Fort Irwin when the regiment picks up the 1st Battalion of the 144th Field Artillery of the California Army National Guard out of Burbank. The 1st Squadron of the 221st Cavalry of the Nevada Army National Guard will also integrate more into the regiment.

The 221st Cavalry is currently a member of the regiment. When the 11th ACR deployed for Iraq in 2005, soldiers from the 221st took over their training duties at Fort Irwin. The addition of the two units will make the 11th ACR unique.

"We will be the only active component re giment that also has a reserve regiment," Calvert said.

The additional units will also added fire power and recognizance capabilities that the 11th ACR has lacked since it left Fulda, Germany in 1994. Later that year, the 11th ACR came to its new home, Fort Irwin. Calvert thinks the regiment will stay.