The 3rd Squadron 108th Cavalry Regiment: 2008-2016

By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

The 3rd Squadron 108th Cavalry Regiment was organized in Atlanta September 1, 2008 as part of the 560^th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.[1] Headquarters and Troop C were based in Atlanta while Troops A and B were stationed in Douglasville. The Army granted federal recognition to all units of 3-108 June 2, 2010.[2] Shortly after achieving federal recognition, Soldiers of the 3-108^th made an impressive showing at Leapfest where the 3-108^th parachute team finished third out of 53 teams.[3]

Soldiers of the 3-108 compete at Leapfest 2010. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Soldiers of 3-108 mobilized to Uganda in April 2011 in support of Atlas Drop 2011. The Guardsmen trained and lived with the 27^th Infantry Battalion, Uganda Peoples Defense Force.[4]

Georgia National Guardsmen of the 3-108th participate in a riot training exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany
Nov. 17, 2011. Photo by Spc. Stephen Solomon

On October 2, 2011, Soldiers of 3-108 deployed to Kosovo as part of the U.N. Peacekeeping mission.[5] Stationed at Camp Bondsteel, the Soldiers served as part of Kosovo Force 15 before returning September 27, 2012. During the deployment, Company H, 121^st Infantry Long Range Surveillance was consolidated with Troop C.[6]

OGLETHORPE ARMORY, Ellenwood Ga., Sep. 27, 2012 – Soldiers from the 3-108th  prepare to reunite with their families for the first time
since completing their yearlong deployment to Kosovo. Photo by Maj. Will Cox,

Soldiers of the 3-108 were among those who commemorated the 70^th anniversary of Operation Market Garden with an airborne jump from a Georgia Air National Guard C-130 in the skies over Groesbeek, Netherlands September 18, 2014.[7] It was the first airborne operation on the drop zone since World War II.

GROESBEEK, Netherlands, Sept. 18, 2014 - Soldiers of the 3-108 join U.S., Dutch, Brotish and Polish paratroopers to commemorate the 70th anniversary
of Operation Market Garden. Photo by MSgt. Charles Delano.

On August 7, 2015 the Atlanta Readiness Center was dedicated and became the home of 3-108 with the exception of Troop C which remained stationed at Fulton County Airport.[8] That year, the U.S. Army reorganized all Battlefield Surveillance Brigades. As a result, the 560^th BfSB was inactivated along with the 3-108^th.

ATLANTA, August 7, 2015 - Following remarks by Brig Gen. Joe Jarrard, Georgia's Adjutant General and Lt. Col. Michael Lipper, commander of the
3rd Squadron 108th Cavalry, the Atlanta Readiness Center was officially dedicated. Joining the Guardsmen during the ribbon cutting
ceremony were State Representative Roger Bruce and Kent Henson, project manager with Burns & McDonnell. Georgia Photo by Sgt. Ashley Sutz

Following its March 5, 2016 inactivation, the units of the 3-108 formed the core of the 3^rd Battalion 121^st Infantry Regiment with the exception of Troop C, which was redesignated Company H, 121^st LRS.[9]

 

ATLANTA, March 5, 2016 – Georgia Army National Guard Lieutenant Col. Mike Lipper and Command Sgt. Major
Thomas Grisham command team of the 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry, case the squadron colors
during the inactivation ceremony of the 3-108th. Photo by Capt. William Carraway.

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[1] OA 132-08 June 17, 2008 effective September 1, 2008.

[2] OA 245-10 Aug 11, 2010.

[3] John Kinnaman. “3^rd Squadron Soldiers Take Third at Leapfest. The Georgia Guardsman. August 2010, 12.

[4] Brock Jones. “Georgia Guardsmen Work With Ugandan Troops During Atlas Drop 11” The Georgia Guardsman. May 2011, 11.

[5] Roy Henry. Av Scouts Leave For More Training Before Kosovo Deployment.” The Georgia Guardsman. October 2011, 8.

[6] OA 434-11 January 23, 2012 effective December 1, 2011

[7] Charles Delano. “Operation Market Garden.” The Georgia Guardsman. September 2014, 5.

[8] OA 474-14 November 20, 2014 effective October 1, 2014

[9] OA 545-15 Jan 8, 2016 effective September 1, 2016.