3rd Squadron 73rd Cavalry Regiment

The 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, known as the Thunderbolts, served with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. Its cavalry chapter began during the Army's conversion to modular brigade combat teams.

A New Reconnaissance Organization

Army reporting dates the squadron's activation to August 2006. The organization brought reconnaissance capabilities into the Devil Brigade, combining the skills of scouts, vehicle crews, communications personnel, and the Soldiers supporting them.

The squadron drew on the heritage of the earlier 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor, associated with the M551 Sheridan and the airborne-armor mission. That inheritance connects generations of Soldiers, but it does not make the modern cavalry squadron a tank battalion or place it under its later designation in earlier conflicts.

Reconnaissance Skills and Cavalry Traditions

A 2009 Army account describes squadron Soldiers competing in the Excellence in Armor program. The evaluation included vehicle identification, map work, equipment knowledge, and other skills needed by reconnaissance personnel.

Another report from that year documents a Thunderbolts spur ride, bringing cavalry traditions into the airborne brigade. The event tested Soldiers' endurance, knowledge, and ability to work together. These accounts give concrete examples of squadron life beyond a generic list of reconnaissance tasks.

The 2024 Ceremony

The 82nd Airborne Division's official photo archive documents the squadron's inactivation ceremony in August 2024 at Fort Bragg (Fort Liberty at the time).

AAC's collection recognizes both the Thunderbolts' cavalry service and the older armored heritage from which the squadron developed. Specific battalion campaigns and honors remain tied to the organizations and dates documented in their records.

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