From the 70th Colonel of the Regiment
Colonel Timothy J. Ferguson
4th Quarter, 2024
ALLONS! To
the Blackhorse Troopers of the 11th ACVVC, I wanted to take this opportunity to
say thank you for such an amazing two years as the Regimental Commander. You and
all the veterans of the Blackhorse are the reason this unit is so very special.
As I send this note, I have completed a change of command with the 71st Colonel
of the Regiment, COL Kevin T. Black. COL Black is no stranger to our unit as he
previously served in the ranks.
The last several months of command were very busy as the Regiment executed
multiple rotations against units across the Army and as you would expect – the
Regiment never failed in battle. Each of the Squadrons executed a variety of
other training as well to continue preparing Troopers for war. Additionally,
they executed Spur Rides, Squadron Balls, Expert Infantryman, Soldier, and Field
Medical Badge training, and ranges of multiple types.
In May, the National Training Center executed Desert Warrior Week, which is
several days of sports and other competitions, in which the Regiment did very
well. 2/11 “Eaglehorse” brought home the Commanding General’s Trophy for a
second consecutive year. Also, on the competition front, Blackhorse sent teams
to a variety of Army competitions, from Best Ranger, International Sniper, Best
Mortar, Lacerda Cup (Army Combatives), and the Sullivan Cup. Our Sullivan Cup
crew, with only about 3 months of dedicated train-up, placed 4th overall in the
Army, for top tank crew...quite the accomplishment and they definitely
represented the Regiment and all of you exceptionally well at Fort Moore, GA.
The Horse Detachment continued its run of success at the Regional Competitions
in Texas and prepares for the upcoming National Cavalry Competition in the Fall.
They will be pursuing a sixth straight title and Pulaski Trophy as the top
Cavalry unit.
This past 24 months has without a doubt been the most professionally and
personally rewarding of my career. One of my fondest memories will be my wife,
Alex, and I being able to attend the reunion in Grand Rapids and getting to
interact with so many of you. The Regiment honored Glenn Snodgrass by dedicating
the conference room in Starry Hall (the current Regimental HQ) to him and the
RCSM, CSM Chris Shaiko, myself, and the NCO and Trooper of the Year, traveled to
Bastrop, LA to honor the 49th RCO, John Sherman Crow, at his funeral service by
presenting the Regimental colors there.
The Regiment is on a well-deserved and much needed block leave. As I mentioned
earlier, we completed the changes of command of all three Squadrons and the
Regiment, so the new team is ready to go with Rotation 24-09 in July against 2nd
Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Your Regiment continues to serve as the
measuring stick for the Army to assess formation’s combat readiness. It is a
very exciting time here in the high desert of California. This will be another
busy year of rotations and training and if you ever make it out to the desert –
please come by and see the current Troopers in action. You will be proud. You
are our legacy, we are the present, and we each look fondly toward the future of
our Regiment and continuing to serve our nation.
This has been an amazing ride and I consider you my family now. I wish you good
health and much luck moving forward and hope to see you again soon. I am proud
and honored to be now and forever - a BLACKHORSE TROOPER!
FIND THE BASTARDS AND PILE ON!
DEATH RIDES A BLACKHORSE!
Allons!
Sincerely,
COL Timothy J. Ferguson, 70th RCO