Sharpening Recon Skills with Buffalo Cavalry

Photo By Ryan Campbell | Soldiers assigned to Charlie Troop, 2nd Battalion, 101st Cavalry regiment of the New York Army National Guard from Buffalo, enter the woods at Beaver Hollow, N.Y., to begin a weekend of training on various types of day and nighttime reconnaissance, March 13, 2020. The Soldiers set-out on a series of mission essential tasks and troop level tasks to enhance proficiency of facing unfamiliar terrain and opposing forces at day and at night, with night and thermal vision, that will enhance their abilities should they be deployed. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Ryan Campbell)  

BEAVER HOLLOW, NY, UNITED STATES

03.13.2020

Story by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell  

New York National Guard

BEAVER HOLLOW, N.Y. (March 20, 2020) — More than 40 Soldiers from New York National Guard’s Charlie Troop, 2nd Battalion, 101st Cavalry Regiment spent the weekend training at a private campground, Beaver Hollow, March 13 and 14, 2020.

The heavily wooded area provided the setting for teams of dismounted cavalrymen to conduct patrols in the face of a simulated enemy. Fellow C Troop members acted as opposing force, waiting to be encountered during the day as well as at night with the use of thermal vision.

“We’re going to be conducting zone reconnaissance and screen to meet squadron mission essential tasks,” said Capt. Patrick Cassidy, commander of C Troop. “Beaver Hollow is privately held and they have been so good to us to allow us to train out here.”

Cassidy continued by explaining the importance of finding new training areas for his unit to train it as different terrain will always provide new and different training scenarios they can utilize.

“Once you’ve seen the ground before and used it once or twice it becomes second nature,” Cassidy said. “So in order to maintain proficiency on our reconnaissance tasks we need to see different terrain.”

When C Troop doesn’t need to be at their home station at the Mastin Avenue armory in Buffalo, Cassidy said they are always looking to get out for field training as much as possible.

“We try not to stay at home station too much,” Cassidy said.

Over the course of the weekend, there will be daytime and nighttime tasks for C Troop to complete. What might seem simple during the day can suddenly seem daunting at night.

“You can go through a scenario during the day but then at night it will seem completely different,” Cassidy said. “So we will be really focusing on those tasks.”

Some of those tasks Cassidy explained, are area and route reconnaissance. At night they train with their night and thermal vision equipment. Proficiency gained here will payoff should C Troop be deployed, Cassidy said.

“Big picture, the squadron is the eyes and ears of the brigade commander,” Cassidy said. “We can go to areas where the mounted troops can’t, primarily restrictive terrain, urban terrain and we can get in there and learn about the area and be undetected.”

Most of the 101st Cavalry is mounted, meaning they conduct their operations in the Humvee vehicles assigned to them. However, C Troop is dismounted and gets by on foot, requiring this extra training, Cassidy said.

“It’s awesome being part of charlie troop,” Cassidy said. “It’s every officers dream to be in a command position and I’m more than ecstatic to be here.”

• Date Taken: 03.13.2020
• Date Posted: 03.23.2020 13:46
• Story ID: 365708
• Location: BEAVER HOLLOW, NY, US