11th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Iron Horse"

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Iron Horse"

"Steel Through the Jungle"

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Iron Horse) was activated in 1966 as part of the United States Pacific Expeditionary Command to combat the growing insurgency across Southeast Asia. Unlike conventional armored formations designed for Europe, Iron Horse was specifically organized for jungle warfare, combining fast armored reconnaissance with air-mobile infantry and close air support.

Initially deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, the regiment quickly earned a reputation for operating where tanks were believed impossible to maneuver. Engineers carved supply routes through dense jungle while M113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicles, M48 Patton tanks, and mechanized infantry spearheaded operations against enemy strongholds.

By 1968, the regiment had expanded its operational area beyond Vietnam into neighboring border regions, conducting reconnaissance-in-force missions, convoy security, rapid reaction operations, and search-and-destroy patrols.