CAV Week kicks off at Fort Hood to celebrate 104th year of 1st Cavalry Division
FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) - Soldiers in the First Cavalry Division on post at Fort Hood are taking the week to celebrate the history of the division.
America’s First Team is celebrating 104 years of fighting for our nation and activities on post are heating up.
Since 1921, the 1st Cavalry Division has dawned the big yellow patch as they defend America and its Allies.
The division’s storied history celebrated annually with Cav Week.
“Cav Week is a celebration of tradition of 104-years as the 1st Cavalry Division,” said Cpt. Shawn Griffon with 2-7 CAV, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team.
“It’s a great time for the soldiers to compete against each other, share a spirit or core, and showcase their many different talents across the Division.”
It’s also a chance to step out of the day-to-day.
“It’s a chance to not only wind down and share this time together but also, to break that daily routine and have a good experience,” said Cpt. Griffon.
“In true warrior fashion, it’s a little healthy competition through sports like basketball, combative sports like grappling, even boxing happening on the first day of CAV Week.”
“I won my first fight and then lost my second fight,” said Sgt. Dillon Kalkhorst, 2-7 Cav soldier competing in combative sports. “It’s alright, the guy was just faster than me.”
For soldiers like Sgt. Kalkhorst, it’s not about winning. It’s about being there for your battle buddies.
“This was a time to celebrate our unit,” said Sgt. Kalkhorst. “Where we can cheer on our fellow teammates and kind of have pride in our battalion and, show that 27 is the best cavalry unit in the division.”
Battle buddies he plans to cheer for all week.
This is just day one of Cav Week celebrating more than a century of the big yellow patch letting everyone know that the 1st Cavalry Division is ready to go when the Nation calls.
The week will end with a ceremony honoring the history of the Cav complete with a traditional cavalry charge and fly over.
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