Historic black-and-white photo of a U.S. Army tank near a thatched-roof building.

“Whoever Saw Cavalry?” Recommendations for Post-ARSTRUC R&S Formations

By MAJ David Devine and CPT Zachary Newman

Read Time: < 26 mins

MAJ David Devine and CPT Zachary Newman (ARMOR, Summer 2026) revisit MG James Gavin's 1954 "Whoever saw cavalry?" critique, arguing post-ARSTRUC cavalry squadrons must fix tactical mobility, organizational agility, and mindset to restore relevant R&S capability in LSCO.

Read Time: < 9 mins

The Illusion of Transparency

Large-scale combat operations demand more than pervasive sensing and drone surveillance. Success in the first fight depends on cavalry scouts, counter-reconnaissance, masking, and creating temporary battlefield opacity to achieve surprise and seize the initiative.

By LTC Scott Dawe and LTC Alan Hastings

A massive billowing cloud of orange fire and pale smoke erupts across a desert landscape under a clear blue sky. In the lower right, a sand-colored military launcher vehicle sits on the scrubland, dwarfed by the towering blast. Sparse desert brush dots the foreground and distant mountains line the horizon.

Read Time: < 11 mins

DINOCAVE: Train Forms of Contact to Build Combined Arms and Multi-Domain Warfighters

LTC Gary Klein presents the nine forms of contact (DINOCAVE) as a practical framework for designing and assessing combined arms and multi-domain training at battalion level and below, helping commanders build warfighting readiness through deliberate ...

By LTG Gary M Klein

Illustrated cavalry soldier on horseback holding a rifle, set against a dramatic stormy sky with lightning.

Read Time: < 22 mins

Inform, Protect, and Fight: A Cavalry Prospectus

LTC Schardt examines U.S. cavalry formations' historical purposes, current limitations, and recommends rebalancing reconnaissance with security and combat roles to remain effective in an era of autonomous systems.

By LTC Matthew B. Schardt

Historical cavalry reenactors in period uniforms charge on horseback across a field, firing pistols and carrying guidon flags, with smoke in the background.

Read Time: < 19 mins

To Infinity and Beyond: A Future For The U.S. Army Cavalry

MAJ R. Atticus Blair argues the U.S. Army should establish a new Cavalry Branch merging reconnaissance and unmanned systems—citing Ukraine's drone warfare success, ARSTRUC squadron cuts, and precedents from Aviation, Cyber, and Special Forces branch ...

By MAJ R. Atticus Blair

How to Fight the Cavalry Squadron and Win!
Cavalry squadrons keep losing at NTC. LTC Albert draws on NTC Rotation 26-02 to argue that smarter mission selection, unmanned-first contact, narrower frontages, and massed armor at the probable line of contact can reverse the trend.

By LTC John Albert
U.S. Army Cavalry Leader’s Course: A Report on My Experience as a German Soldier
A German Army officer candidate's firsthand account of attending the U.S. Army Cavalry Leader's Course at Fort Benning, comparing German Heeresaufklärungstruppe and U.S. cavalry reconnaissance doctrine, structure, MDMP planning, and the future of arm...

By Mastersergeant (Officer Candidate) Jobst Hinrich Sielaff, German Army
The Cav Forever: Reconnaissance and Security for Emerging Formations
Examines gaps created by cavalry squadron inactivation under the Army Transformation Initiative and proposes lines of effort for MBCTs and SBCTs to conduct effective reconnaissance and security operations with emerging formations.

By CPT Christopher Jordan
Unleashing the Leviathan: Transforming the ABCT to Win in LSCO
Army officers propose restructuring the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) with enhanced maneuver forces, organic indirect firepower, autonomous systems integration, and mesh network communications to dominate large-scale combat operations.

By LTC Christopher Hanes, LTC Larry Kay
TC 3-20.31-120 Gunnery: Heavy Tank: Gunnery Branch – C92
Overview of TC 3-20.31-120 Gunnery: Heavy Tank, detailing key 2025 updates to Abrams tank gunnery tables, LFAST procedures, boresighting standards, four-target engagements, and conduct-of-fire techniques for large-scale combat operations.

By Weapons and Gunnery Branch
Book Reviews and SGT Fred Benning: Tank Gun Systems: The First Thirty Years, 1916-1945 and Blitzkrieg in the West: Then and Now
Two military book reviews: a technical examination of tank gun systems from 1916–1945, and a narrative and pictorial chronicle of the 1940 German campaign in the West.

By Retired Col D. J. Judge; Stan Kaplan
Chief of Armor's Hatch: ATP 3-20.96, Cavalry Squadron, is Changing the Fight
BG Chalfont introduces the revised ATP 3-20.96 Cavalry Squadron doctrine, shifting focus from reconnaissance and security to informing, protecting, and fighting for the main body in modern near-peer operational environments.

By BG Chad C. Chalfont 55th Chief of Armor
From The Gunner’s Seat: Taking Charge of Your Career
Command Sergeant Major Ryan W. Roush offers guidance for U.S. Army Armor NCOs on career development, highlighting key tools, resources, and the importance of leadership performance.

By CSM Ryan W. Roush
Ukrainian Combat Employment of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle
Ukraine's AFU rewrote Bradley Fighting Vehicle doctrine out of necessity — dismounting farther, fighting dispersed, and ambushing with TOW missiles — offering NATO a combat-proven case for decentralized initiative over synchronized combined arms.

By 1LT Jack Lynch
The Army’s New Maintenance Skills Test Program in the ABCT
The Armor community has developed the Maintenance Skills Test (MST) program to establish standardized maintenance training for maneuver companies, enabling crews to operate more effectively and reducing reliance on dedicated maintainers in LSCO envir...

By CPT Gabriel Liranzo
‌From Contact to Overmatch: Redefining Armor Fundamentals Through Transformation in Contact
An examination of how the 1st ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division is transforming armored warfare execution through the Isolation-Exploitation-Regeneration framework, integrating unmanned systems, persistent sensors, and network-enabled operations while main...

By COL Bryan Bonnema, MAJ Aram Hatfield, and MAJ David Sturm
Creative Maintenance Solutions in a Fiscally Constrained Environment
1-64 AR developed cost-effective maintenance solutions using 3D printing, allied partnerships, and preventative measures to repair dead-lining vehicle faults with long lead times while deployed as NATO Battlegroup Poland in 2025.

By MAJ Jordan L. Woodburn, 1LT Trevor N. Stanley, and 1LT James A. Puls
A Rapidly Changing Operational Environment: Cavalry Scouts Need to be Painfully Light and Disportionately Lethal
Analysis of modern battlefield dynamics from Russo-Ukrainian War observations and Combat Training Center data, examining how cavalry scouts must adapt to unprecedented battlefield transparency through signature management and enhanced lethality capab...

By SSG Matthew Watson
Data-Enabled Assessments: What Factors Correlate with Gunnery Excellence in ABCTs?
Statistical analysis of tank and Bradley crew gunnery performance identifies key factors including cognitive aptitude, experience, NCO availability, and unit culture that significantly correlate with qualification success, enabling data-driven traini...

By LTC Brain Bifulco
From the Boresight Line: The Z-Pattern
Analysis of coaxial machine gun engagement techniques for armored vehicle crews, focusing on the z-pattern tactical maneuver used to effectively engage troop arrays and enhance combat effectiveness on the battlefield.

By 1SG Michael D. Stephens