December 2014

As has been the case for the past several years, there was a large gathering of Blackhorse veterans at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Veterans Day, November 11. opens in a new windowClick here to view photos of Blackhorse veterans who attended this moving ceremony.

Sergeant Gaston Lima is a 19D in HHT 1/11. Sergeant Lima’s hometown is Houston, Texas, and he is married to Jacqueline Marshall Anita. His short-term goals are to buy a house and attend airborne school. His long-term goals are to win the NCO-of-the-Year competition, attend air assault school, and earn a master’s degree within two years. He currently has a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management.

Specialist Antone Utoaluga was born in American Samoa. He is a logistics specialist in Headquarters Platoon, Supply & Transportation Troop (S&T), Regimental Support Squadron. He works at the S&T Class IV /Allied Fleet yard as a Material Handler Specialist, and he is married to Valerie Petelo of Hawaii. His short-term goals are to complete his Associate Degree in Social Science, as well as continue to improve his Army physical fitness test score. Some of his long-term goals are to become a First Sergeant before he reaches 20 years of service, and to become a homeowner before he retires from the Army.

It is a great honor to ride with the Blackhorse, the best regiment that you will ever see! Just last quarter, we transitioned to new command teams for the Regiment and Squadrons, completed two successful rotations, and conducted a leader’s war-counsel and dining in.

In October, troopers from across the Regiment came together to celebrate our Cavalry heritage at our annual dining-in at the Edgewater Casino and Resort in Laughlin, Nevada. The venue also gave us the opportunity to conduct a war-counsel, which allowed the leaders of the Regiment to get together and develop a shared vision for the future of the Regiment and discuss how to achieve excellence in all we do. Now, I’d like to take this opportunity to share the vision with you, Blackhorse Troopers, Veterans, Family and Friends.

The vision helps us to see who we are as members of the Blackhorse Regiment and what we strive for as an organization. The three pillars of this vision state that we are formidab le, professional, and a team of teams.

We are experts in our craft and masters in maneuver warfare. This means we are experts in all our war-fighting functions, but we achieve mastery in maneuver warfare – a reputation that must be upheld.

We are disciplined members of a profession of arms – our Soldiers do what’s right, they live the Army Values, and they enforce Army standards.

Finally, we are great teammates, first – to each other. We must remember that members of a profession of arms are bound by trust and their relationships with each other that are grounded in dignity and respect for one another. Second – we are great teammates to our partners here at Fort Irwin, particularly Operations Group. Together, Blackhorse and Ops Group are a powerfulteam for the Army. The last level of being a good teammate is to the rest of the Army. This is a great audience, but we focus on U.S. Army Brigades that train here. We are their training partners and with our help, they become stronger and that means we help build a stronger Army and Nation.

This vision serves as our guiding light as we move into the future. With two rotations now under our belt, I have witnessed the speed, agility, and firepower of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Every rotation I challenge the formation by stating: “you will out shoot them, out maneuver them and out decide them on the battlefield.” By doing this, our training partners get the most out of their training here at Fort Irwin.

For November, Blackhorse Troopers take on the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. This is our third training rotation with the Blackhorse Regiment, and it promises to be a great one.

The ride so far has been exciting; again, it is an absolute honor to serve as the 66th Colonel of the Blackhorse Regiment! I look forward to meeting many of you in the future, and remember, you are always welcome to come home. Death rides a Blackhorse!

Allons!

As most of you already know, the cost of moving the 11th ACR Memorial from Fort Knox to Fort Benning has been shared between the 11th Armored Cavalry’s Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia and the Blackhorse Association. To help offset the cost, both organizations have been offering granite memorial bricks. This opportunity to support the move of YOUR memorial will end on December 31–in just three weeks! This is your chance to donate to this important event and also to memorialize your service, or that of someone you know, with the Blackhorse. We have already raised $10,000 for this worthy cause. Please consider buying a paver and supporting this important part of our history.

Anyone can purchase a memorial brick at a cost of $100 each. The bricks are a lasting tribute of your service to our regiment, and they are a special way in which we all can participate and show our support for our fellow Blackhorse troopers whose names are listed on the memorials. The bricks measure 8 x 4 x 2 inches and can accommodate inscription of up to three lines of 15 characters per line. Many choose to have their name, unit, and years of service with the
regiment inscribed on their brick. Others have chosen to put the names of other troopers on a brick. You may purchase bricks along with a group to be placed together at the new monument; for example, a group from K Troop, 3/11 from Bad Hersfeld in the 80’s is purchasing approximately 10 bricks for that purpose.

To purchase a brick, please go to our website at www.blackhorse.org and follow the instructions on the top right of the home page, or, fill out the paver form (at the link below) and send it to Don Wicks at the address on the form along with a check or credit card information.

The Blackhorse Association and the ACVVC thank you for your generosity in supporting this important project.