Army deactivates unit with ties to the Buffalo Soldiers

One of the cavalry units with ties to the renowned Buffalo Soldiers will deactivate on Wednesday.

Members of the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, honored the squadron’s 160-year legacy during Project Convergence-Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, Calif., on Tuesday, according to an Army statement.

“We honor 160 years of service, sacrifice and excellence that began with the very first Buffalo Soldiers and continued through every trooper that followed in their footsteps,” Lt. Col. Shawn Scott, commander of 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, said in a statement. “While this chapter comes to a close, the values and traditions of the Buffalo Soldiers will continue to live on in every trooper who served in this extraordinary unit.”

The squadron traces its lineage to the aftermath of the Civil War when Congress authorized six all-Black Army regiments in 1866.

African-Americans have served in the military since the American Revolution and more than 180,000 were part of the Union army during the Civil War.

The regiments were tasked with maintaining peace in the South during Reconstruction, building roads and telegraph lines, escorting U.S. mail carriers, and protecting homesteaders and, at times, Native Americans on their lands, according to the National Park Service.

Native American tribes, including the Cheyenne, Comanche and Apache, who fought against these Black cavalry troops called them “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their dark, curly hair, which resembled a buffalo’s coat, and out of respect for their fierce fighting ability.

Military historians and the National Park Service have generally recognized 23 Buffalo Soldiers, including Black Seminole scouts, as Medal of Honor recipients for fighting on the frontier and in the Spanish-American War. The Army puts the number at 30, accounting for soldiers who served in units with historic Buffalo Soldier lineages in later conflicts.

The Army observes Buffalo Soldiers Day each year on July 28 to honor the soldiers’ military contributions.

Since its activation with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., in 2007, 4-10 Cav has provided reconnaissance and security capabilities in support of brigade operations while preparing for large-scale combat operations, the Army said.