11th Airborne reflagged last active airborne cavalry squadron at JBER

The Army reflagged its last active airborne cavalry squadron on July 16, redesignating the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment as the 1st Battalion, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, part of a push to reshape Alaska-based forces for Arctic and Indo-Pacific operations. The soldiers, combat experience and legacy of the 1-40th Cavalry continue under the new battalion designation.

Activated at JBER in 2005, the 1-40th Cavalry served through Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom's Sentinel and Joint Guardian. Seventeen soldiers died during the Global War on Terror. The day before the ceremony, the unit completed its final airborne operation onto Malemute Drop Zone, closing out more than two decades of service.

The 511th had been inactive since 1957. Its World War II record includes the Raid at Los Baños, where paratroopers freed more than 2,100 civilian internees from a Japanese prison camp, along with two Medals of Honor and hundreds of decorations earned across the Pacific Theater. The Army framed the reflagging as part of its ongoing transformation efforts, restoring the 511th lineage while aligning formations with future operational requirements.

"The 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment earned its place in history through extraordinary courage in some of the most difficult fighting of World War II. Today, that legacy is entrusted to a new generation of Arctic paratroopers. This reflagging is not about looking back. It is about carrying forward a proud lineage while building an even stronger, more lethal formation prepared to fight and win wherever our nation calls," said Maj. Gen. John P. Cogbill, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division.

11th Airborne historian Jeremy Holm addressed the soldiers directly: "Angels, You are at a crossroad. The unmatched history of this unit was created by those who came before, but its future is in your hands. I challenge you to live up to the legacy that the early Angels forged through their courage, dedication and sacrifices."