4th "Long Knife" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division cased its colors in an inactivation ceremony Thursday, 17 Oct. 2013, at Fort Hood's Cooper Field.

The Twelfth Cavalry was assigned to the Leyte-Samar Campaign and helped liberate those islands from Japanese control in spite of stubborn resistance.

Continuing the attack onto the island of Luzon, Regimental history was highlighted on 3 February 1945 when a flying column of Cavalrymen cut a 100-mile path through enemy-held territory to be the "First in Manila".

The 1st Battalion's work during this exercise was a further extension of work done by the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry with other units of the 1st Brigade during Air Cavalry Combat Brigade Tests 1 and 2 to evaluate the TRICAP organization of armor, air assault, assault helicopter and mechanized infantry as a combined arms force operating against Soviet style ground forces.

The 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry was deployed to Camp McGovern, Bosnia from March to September 1999 in support of Operation Joint Forge Stabilization Force (SFOR) 5B.

In March 2004, 1st Battalion deployed as part of 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division to East Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

Organized as a task force with attached infantry and engineer companies and operating from Camp Eagle outside Sadr City, 1–12 CAV battled the Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr throughout 2004.

Task Force 1–12 Cavalry was commanded by LTC Tim Meredith, with senior NCO CSM Donald Battle.

The battalion deployed again in December 2008 to the volatile Ninewa Province, Iraq, this time, under the command of LTC Michael Fadden and CSM Eddie Delvalle.

From February–December 2011, 1st Battalion was deployed to southern Iraq with 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation New Dawn under LTC Andrew Poznick and CSM Darryl Gill.

Although the main effort was situated in Basrah, the Soldiers of Delta Company were tasked to man a remote Combat Outpost named COP Minden near the Iraq-Iran border which was a key target for insurgent fighters in the region.

[citation needed][5] February 2014 1st Battalion deployed about 800 "combat-ready" soldiers to Camps Hovey and Stanley, Republic of Korea, for nine months.

Late in 1940, the battalion returned to Fort Bliss and trained for war as part of the 1st Cavalry Division's Second Brigade and participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers.

Landing on Leyte on 20 October 1944, the regiment was assigned the most difficult terrain in the central mountain ranges and faced fierce fighting.

On 26 March 1971, the battalion stood down after five and a half years in Vietnam and returned to the United States at Fort Hood, Texas for permanent duty for the first time since 1943.

For the next several years, 2-12 Cav (Mech) was thoroughly engaged in the peacetime training and preparation of its officers, NCOs, and enlisted soldiers in the eventuality of a combat deployment to Europe during the Cold War against Warsaw Pact forces.

In the summer of 1995, Alpha company was called out with Task Force 1–5 CAV on a contingency response to hostilities in the Persian Gulf.

A year later, from September to December 1996, Bravo and Charlie company deployed with Task Force 1–5 Cavalry again, this time as a part of 3rd Brigade for Operation Desert Strike.

Despite not being on an alert status, Bravo and Charlie companies mustered, deployed, drew propositioned equipment and occupied defensive battle positions in 96 hours.

In June 1997 the entire task force deployed to Kuwait, drew propositioned equipment, and initiated a rigorous two and a half-month training cycle known as Intrinsic Action 97-02.

The Chargers battled blowing sand, 130-plus degree temperatures, and 50-mile an hour winds, all while maintaining an above 90% operational readiness rate and a high quality of life for the soldiers.

The battalion conducted a relief in place with 2–70 Armor and assumed responsibility for a portion of western Baghdad including the Abu Ghraib district.

In October 2006, 2nd Battalion deployed as part of 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry Division out of Ft. Bliss Texas to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

[1] In October and November 2014, 2nd Battalion mobilized to Germany with the rest of 1st Brigade Combat Team and participated in Operation Atlantic Combined Resolve III.

Their mission was to reinforce multinational partnerships while gaining experience working directly with allied forces in simulated combat exercises.