The 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division’s Special Designation as Dragoon Raiders exemplifies the versatility and capabilities of the Stryker Brigade Combat Team while at the same time linking the Brigade to the history and traditions of the United States Army.

The designation as dragoons illustrates the mobility and adaptability of the Stryker Soldier.  In eighteenth century Europe, dragoons were mounted infantrymen.  Their great strength arose from their superior mobility prior to the fight and their ability to dismount and engage the enemy with musket fire once the fight began.  In early America, mounted forces were typically organized as dragoons and their mobility allowed them to operate over large areas that would have been impossible for traditional infantry forces.  This capability was essential during the American Revolution, particularly in the Carolinas and Georgia, and in the policing of the new Republics frontier.

In addition to their superior mobility, dragoons of the American Revolution and fledgling United States Army could function effectively as multi-purposed forces.  American dragoons might be armed with short carbines, pistols, and sabers.  They could perform as mounted infantry but could also accomplish the scouting, screening, and foraging duties of light cavalry.  If shock action was called for to turn the tide of battle, American dragoons could also be called upon to deliver a charge in the tradition of European heavy cavalry as elements of the 2nd United States Dragoons under Captain Charles May demonstrated at the Battle of Resaca del la Palma during the Mexican War.  Like the American Dragoons of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, today’s Stryker Soldiers possess superior mobility and the versatility to successfully accomplish a wide range of divergent missions.

The dragoon designation has additional special meaning for the Soldiers of the 4th BDE, 2d ID given that the Brigade was formed at Fort Lewis, Washington from the Soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2nd Dragoons) on 01 June 2006.  During the history of the United States Army when new units have been forged from the Soldiers of existing units, it has been common for those Soldiers to maintain some piece of the heritage of their former unit and incorporate those traditions into the new unit.  In addition to high standards of discipline and adherence to the warrior ethos, as the 2nd Cavalry Regiment became the 4th BDE, 2d ID the Soldiers brought with them the moniker of dragoons and the eight-pointed dragoon star as part of their distinctive insignia.

The designation as raiders demonstrates the self sufficiency of the Stryker Brigade and its ability to utilize speed and agility to strike the enemy where he least expects it.  Throughout the American military tradition, the most capable and respected units have been those that have been able to operate independently, with minimal logistical support, and drive deep into the enemy rear area to conduct reconnaissance, and raids against enemy strong points and logistics.  In the American Revolution, combined arms teams known as legions acted as highly effective raiding parties. 

Organizations like Colonel Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee’s Legion were compact, and mobile and operated separately from the main army.  Their mobility allowed them to appear suddenly where the enemy least expected to cause maximum disruption and inflict maximum casualties.  These formations were some of the first effective uses of combined arms in America as their commanders were able to effectively synchronize dragoons and light infantry forces.  In 1792, Major General “Mad” Anthony Wayne redesigned the United States Army around the Legion concept creating four separate combined arms teams of infantry, riflemen, dragoons and artillery.  He used this force to drive deep into the Ohio wilderness to decisively defeat the Miami and Shawnee Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.  Like these light, independent formations of the past, the Stryker Brigade is capable of conducting operations of short duration beyond the support of other Army forces with agility and the synchronization of combat power to achieve victory on the battlefield.