The additional mission was to provide a flexible strike capability that could deploy worldwide on short notice without declaration of an emergency.

[2][3] The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment returned to the United States from Germany in February 1958, and was once again stationed at Fort Meade.

Alerted for movement on 10 October, although scattered at different training sites along the Eastern Seaboard, the regiment arrived at its new duty stations of Baumholder and Kaiserslautern exactly thirty days later.

[4] STRAC and the XVIII Airborne Corps provided the Army forces to the Navy's CINCLANT as unified commander during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Without the declaration of a national emergency, the required lift assets would not be released to support a STRAC deployment.

[6] STRAC is Army slang term for "a well organized, squared away soldier, (starched uniform, polished brass and spit-shined boots)"—a proud, competent trooper who can be depended on for good performance in any circumstance.