A group of soldiers in the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Division, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (“4-10 Cav”) participate in exercises near Fort Irwin, California, in July 2026. The unit was formally deactivated on Wednesday. (US Army/Sgt. Rebecca Watkins)

Army Sunsets Famed ‘Buffalo Soldier’ Unit After 160 Years

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The 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment—informally known as “4-10 Cav”—was originally founded as an all-Black unit in 1866, immediately after the Civil War.

Tuesday, July 28, marked the 160th anniversary of the US Congress’ passage of the Army Organization Act, which created the first regular (but segregated) all-Black regiment in the United States Army. The act led to the formation of six units, including the 9th and 10th Cavalry, and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry regiments, before the latter infantry units were reorganized into the 24th and 25th Infantry regiments.

These units went on to see action in numerous conflicts. However, they were most identified with their early service across the Great Plains and Southwest to protect settlers, to build roads, and manage telegraph lines. In that role, the troops became known as the “Buffalo Soldiers.” 

It is not entirely clear how the Black soldiers earned the name. The conventional explanation is that it came from Indigenous........

© The National Interest