1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment

The 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, known as Falcon Recon, served as the reconnaissance squadron of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Its story connects an older armored lineage with the mounted and dismounted reconnaissance work of the modular airborne brigade.

From Armor to Cavalry

The Army's account of the squadron's history traces its antecedents to the 756th Tank Battalion and the later 73rd Armor. The modern cavalry organization joined the Falcon Brigade in 2006. Its role was to help commanders understand terrain, routes, and opposing forces while providing security for the larger formation.

That change in organization matters when reading older records. Tank-battalion operations belong to the armored chapter; they should not be described as missions performed by an identically organized airborne cavalry squadron.

Iraq Service

Army reporting from 2011 documents A and B Troop Soldiers working with Iraqi Army personnel near Baghdad. Their activities included patrols and security for routes used during the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

In January 2017, official imagery places 1-73 personnel at Qayyarah West Airfield in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. This was a later Iraq mission, separate from Operation Iraqi Freedom and the 2011 withdrawal period.

Casing the Colors

The squadron held its inactivation ceremony on July 31, 2024, at Fort Bragg (Fort Liberty at the time). The ceremony recognized the service of Falcon Recon Soldiers as the Army changed its reconnaissance organizations.

The squadron's legacy includes scouts, vehicle crews, headquarters personnel, and supporting Soldiers. AAC's collection preserves their unit identity without presenting a former troop structure or deployment assignment as an unchanged current organization.

Airborne Apparel Company honors this heritage through reproductions and original designs for the people who served and those who remember them.