The last time Army cavalry charged an enemy on horseback was in the Philippines in January 1942.
For decades though, the service has maintained several horse-mounted ceremonial units across the country to perform at public events like parades and rodeos.
But soon the Army will soon be putting more than 140 horses out to pasture.
On Wednesday, Pentagon officials said they were “streamlining” the management of their military working-horse programs.
Only the mounted units assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as the Old Guard, will remain.
Among those units that will be shut down within a year are the First Cavalry Division Horse Detachment at Fort Hood, Texas, and the horse-drawn Artillery Half Section at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
The move will allow the Army to “align more resources with warfighting capability and readiness,” officials said.
“We believe it will save roughly $2 million per year,” Army spokesperson Steve Warren said.
That wasn’t the only way the Army bade a partial farewell to past Wednesday.
The service also said it plans to close or consolidate some 33 museums at 27 different military posts. Officials said they want to reduce the total to 12 field museums at 12 Army bases.
“In support of Army transformation, the Center of Military History has begun a realignment of Army museums. The process will continue through fiscal year 2029,” Mr. Warren said.
The list of what Army museums will get shuttered hasn’t been finalized, he said.
