The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas[1] and originally inactivated 26 September 1921 at the Presidio of Monterey, California.

The 17th Cavalry Regiment was organized under the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1916 at Fort Bliss, Texas on 30 June 1916 and constituted on 1 July 1916.

Brigadier General John J. Pershing had taken his columns into Mexico only a short time before and the need of cavalry troops was pressing.

Many of these were recalled from the Mexican Punitive Expedition and since all were experienced troopers, little time was spent in whipping the organization into shape.

Their uniforms contained green facings in honor of the 3d Cavalry's first engagement at Vera Cruz, and its contribution throughout the campaign of 1847 to the capture of Mexico City.

[2] On 14 May 1917, over five weeks after the American entry into World War I, the regiment received orders for a change of station due to disturbances along the border of Arizona.

On 5 July 1917 a provisional squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel White, marched north to Globe, Arizona, for strike duty.

The massive demobilization following the end of World War I, would leave the 17th Cavalry manning the garrison at Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks until the fall of 1920.

Still, the problem remained of covering approximately one hundred miles of rugged coast line with one regiment of cavalry to effectively repel any attempted landing of troops from transports and hold them off until the arrival of reinforcements.

With the exception of the sector in and around the city of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, the entire coast line of the island was left to the 17th Cavalry Regiment.

The regiment developed an intricate system of shielded lights and telephone lines for command and control as well as reporting, with camps placed in locations that provided cover and concealment from the air or sea.

The 17th Cavalry left Schofield Barracks by truck for Honolulu on 16 September and embarked on the USAT Buford for Monterey, California.

It was reorganized and redesignated the 17th Cavalry Regiment (Horse and Mechanized) (Corps Reconnaissance) on 1 July 1940, and inactivated in January 1941 at Portland by relief of Reserve personnel.

Troop A, 7th Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry Regiment arrived in Vietnam on 18 February 1968 and departed to Ft Bragg, NC, on 18 April 1972.

The entire squadron was involved in intense aerial combat during the Operation Lam Son 719 invasion of Laos, when the helicopters supported the Army of the Republic of Vietnam's drive and retreat directly.

In 1965 Troop A, 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division was given a Valorous Unit Award for Operation Harrison Tuy Hoa Vietnam, Meritorious Unit Citation, and later after being employed for recon scout patrols in the Toumoroung battle to defend a Special Forces outpost and the Vietnamese company on the edge of complete destruction.

Troop A deployed under the command of Captain Bill Carpenter, who called in napalm air strikes on his own position as it was being overrun.

The 80 men of Troop A were at that time deployed in reconnaissance efforts along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and throughout the Dak To Province.

[clarification needed] The unit was also awarded, as attached reinforcements under the command of Lieutenant Colonel David Hackworth, the South Vietnamese Presidential Citation.

Troop C was reactivated for a short period (16 March 1962 to 16 January 1963) at Fort Knox, KY, before the lineage was redesignated on 1 February 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 17th Cavalry, and remained assigned to the 11th Air Assault Division (Test)(organic elements concurrently constituted).

Troop D, 17th Cavalry was initially in Vietnam as the ground reconnaissance element of the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light), arriving on 13 December 1966 and departing on 12 October 1970.

Finally, the unit was activated again on 30 April 1972 using the assets of Troop D, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry to serve the 11th Aviation Group at Da Nang.

Troop F, 17th Cavalry was the ground reconnaissance element of the 196th Infantry Brigade (Light), arriving in Vietnam from Fort Devens, MA, on 26 August 1965.

In September 1969 the squadron was relocated to Kontum, moved to Dragon Mountain in November, and in January 1970 the unit returned to Pleiku.

Troop H, 17th Cavalry was initially the ground reconnaissance element of the 198th Infantry Brigade (Light), arriving in Da Nang aboard Military Sea Transports on 22 October 1967 from Fort Hood, TX, where it has been formed from units of the 1st and 2d Armored Divisions.

The 5th Squadron 17th Regiment Air Cavalry was one of the front line units stationed throughout the region in South Korea northwest of Seoul commonly referred to as the western corridor.

The 5th Squadron Headquarters (HHT) and two Armor Cavalry Alpha (A) and Bravo (B) Troops were stationed at Camp Garry Owen in 1988.

Following a move to Fort Drum's Wheeler Sack Army Airfield, the Squadron deployed to Florida as part of the relief efforts following Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

In 2007, the Squadron deployed as part of the Presidential Surge, serving with the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade in securing the “Southern Belts” of Baghdad.