1st Battalion
| 1st Battalion | |
| |
| Staff | |
| CO | COL Rip Tharen |
|---|---|
| XO | COL Mike Lacombe |
| SGM | SGM Austin Schmidt |
| Hierarchy | |
| Superior Unit | Regimental HQ |
| Reporting Units | Alpha Company A/1-7 Bravo Troop 1-7 Charlie Company C/1-7 |
| Esprit De Corps | |
| Unit Motto | "The Seventh First" |
1st Battalion is a unit-level organisation of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. It is administratively known as 1–7, which is the abbreviation used in MILPACs and the Forums. 1-7 is the home of Arma 3 in the 7th Cavalry Regiment, and is currently comprised of three Companies that perform different roles and have different Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). Although the 1st Battalion emulates a real Army Cavalry Squadron, due to the combined-arms nature, it is designated as a Battalion. It is sometimes referred to as the "Combined Arms Battalion", or CAB, although it is officially only designated the 1st Battalion. The Battalion has three companies with distinct responsibilities.
Alpha Company is tasked with providing Aviation support to the Battalion, both rotary and fixed wing. Members of Alpha Company are primarily MOS 153 and 155 (Rotary and Fixed Wing Aviators), supported by Army Aircrew. The Company operates a wide range of aircraft Rotary aircraft include the UH-60M Medium Lift Helicopter, CH-47F Heavy Lift Helicopter, AH-6M and MH-6M Mission Enhanced Littlebird (MELB) and AH-64D "Apache" Attack Helicopter. Fixed wing aircraft include the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft, A-10C "Warthog" Close-Air Support attack aircraft, and multi-role fighter aircraft.
Bravo Troop is a multi-role Armored Troop which provides direct firepower to the Battalion through Armor, Mechanized Infantry, Cavalry and also provides Combat Service Support (CSS) and Health Service Support (HSS). The Troop operates a variety of armored fighting vehicles, including the M1A2 SEP V1 "Abrams" Main Battle Tank, M2A3 "Bradley" Infantry Fighting Vehicle, M1126 "Stryker" Infantry Carrier Vehicle, and a fleet of Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The Troop also maintains stores of Crew Served Weapons, Logistics vehicles, and ambulances. Members of Bravo Troop are 19K Armored Crewmen, 19D Cavalry Scouts, or 68W Combat Medics.
Charlie Company is a Light Infantry Company, which provides rapid reaction and complex terrain operating capability to the 1st Battalion. The Company is also tasked with a Parachute role, and members of Charlie Company are authorized to wear the Maroon Beret with Regimental Flash if they have completed Airborne School. Because Charlie Company is routinely inserted in enemy lines to disrupt rear area activities, Company members enthusiastically describe their Company as the "Tip of the Spear". In Counter-Insurgency (COIN) environments, Charlie Company trains to utilize vehicles, such as the Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected M1240 "M-ATV". Charlie Company Soldiers are 11B Infantrymen.
1st Battalion's Area of Operation (AO) is currently Arma 3.
Policies and Standard Operating Procedures
| Document Number | Policy Letters |
| 7CAV-BATT1-001 | 1BN Battalion-Level Guide to Processing AWOLs |
| 7CAV-BATT1-002 | 1BN Battalion-Level Guide to Processing Discharges |
| 7CAV-BATT1-003 | 1BN Battalion-Level Guide to Processing ELOA's |
| 7CAV-BATT1-004 | 1BN Reporting Deadlines |
| 7CAV-BATT1-005 | 1BN - Company Operation/FTX Policy |
| 7CAV-BATT1-007 | 1BN Loadout SOP |
| 7CAV-BATT1-008 | 1BN - Use of OPFOR Weapons in Official Operations |
| 7CAV-BATT1-009 | 1BN Accountability SOP |
| 7CAV-BATT1-010 | 1BN Platoon & Company Staff Roles at an SP |
| 7CAV-BATT1-011 | 1BN Arma 3 Units Page |
| 7CAV-BATT1-012 | 1BN Trooper Transfer Process |
| 7CAV-BATT1-013 | 1BN Section Practice Makeup Policy |
| 7CAV-R-031 | Event Scheduling Guidance |
Sub-Units
1st Battalion has 3 Sub-units with distinct roles and responsibilities.
| Alpha Company 1-7 CAV | Bravo Troop 1-7 CAV | Charlie Company 1-7 CAV |
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| Alpha Company is the Aviation Company in the 1st Battalion. It provides both fixed wing and rotary wing Army Aviators. They operate a wide range of aircraft, including the UH-60M Helicopter, AH-64D Attack Helicopter, MH-6 Littlebird Helicopter, CH-47F Heavy Lift Helicopter, as well as a wide range of fixed-wing platforms including the C-130J and A-10. | Bravo Troop is a composite Troop comprised of Armored, Cavalry Scout, and Health Service Support/Combat Service Support. It has 2 Platoons: 1 Armored and HHS/CSS Platoon; and 1 Cavalry Scout Platoon. Bravo Troop Soldiers primarily operate the M1A2 Main Battle Tank, M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and M1126/M1127 Stryker. | Charlie Company is a Light Infantry Company that specializes in Airborne and Air Assault Operations. It is tasked to provide a high readiness force to the 1st Battalion through operational mobility. It has 2 Platoons of Light Infantry. |
1st Battalion Leadership
| Battalion Commanding Officer | Battalion Executive Officer | Battalion Sergeant Major |
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| Rip Tharen | Mike Lacombe | Austin Schmidt |
| Colonel Rip Tharen enlisted into the 7th Cavalry in March 2017 as a 19K Armor Crewman, and was assigned to 1/B/1-7 CAV as an M1A2 Driver and Gunner. He was subsequently promoted to Specialist, Corporal and Sergeant and was assigned as a M1A2 Tank Commander. In April 2018, Colonel Tharen accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in Armor. He has served in a number of command and staff positions including Company Commander, Company Executive Officer, and S3. He was assigned 1-7 CAV Battalion Commander in November 2019. He was promoted to his current rank in October, 2020. He has also served with distinction as the Officer in Charge of the S7 department, which he founded himself, and is the lead instructor for our Officer Development School. He holds multiple end-pathway certifications including the Ranger Tab and multiple course badges. He also holds two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, and two Purple Hearts. He is the longest tenured Battalion Commander in the Unit's history, earning the James "Krazee" Foster Lifetime Achievement Medal in 2021, as well as being named 1-7 Officer of the Year in 2018. | Colonel Mike LaCombe joined the 7th Cavalry in November 2013 under the Battlefield 4 company of D/2-7 where he served as a squad leader before transferring to 1st Battalion in 2014. Since then, he has served in multiple leadership roles including Armor Platoon Leader, Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader, Executive Officer and later Troop Commander of Bravo Troop, and Company Commander of Charlie Company, where he held his longest command from January 2020 until his promotion to Battalion Executive Officer in March 2022. He has served the S1 department as Officer in Charge and continues to train future officers as an ODS instructor. He holds multiple end-pathway certifications including the Ranger Tab, Sapper Tab, and multiple course badges. He also holds a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, as well as two Defense Distinguished Service Medals. He was named 1-7 Officer of the Year in 2020 and C/1-7 Officer of the Year in 2021. | Sergeant Major Austin Schmidt joined the 7th Cavalry in July 2012 and has served his entire career as an infantryman within Charlie Company prior to being assigned as the Battalion Sergeant Major in 2021. While in Charlie Company, he served with distinction as their longest tenured platoon sergeant from April 2019 to October 2021, earning multiple combat and service awards over the years, including NCO of the Year in 2018, two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars, and three Defense Distinguished Service Medals. |
Traditions and History
Previous Battalion Commanders
| Rank | Name | Dates of Service |
| Colonel | Rip Tharen | 01 Nov 2019–Present |
| Lieutenant Colonel | David Walsh | 08 Sep 2019 - 01 Nov 2019 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Ben Tully | 08 Apr 2019 - 02 Sep 2019 |
| Colonel | Stefan Baeder | 14 Apr 2018 - 08 Apr 2019 |
| Colonel | Alexander Grgich | 15 Feb 2016 - 08 Apr 2018 |
| Colonel | Cameron Burgundy | 29 Aug 2013 - 14 Feb 2016 |
| Major | Brian Crossfit | 30 Jun 2013 - 30 Aug 2013 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Michael Grimshaw | 04 Dec 2012 - 30 Aug 2013 |
| Colonel | James Rogue | 26 Oct 2011 - 04 Dec 2012 |
| Colonel | Harm Kleinman | 17 Nov 2010 - 26 Oct 2011 |
| Colonel | John Chance | 30 Sep 2010 - 17 Nov 2010 |
| Major | John _P_ | 04 Aug 2010 - 30 Sep 2010 |
| Major | Stephen Carter | 16 Jan 2010 - 06 Mar 2010 |
| Colonel | Mack Whitey | 19 Sep 2009 - 15 Jan 2010 |
| Colonel | Mack Whitey | 03 Jul 2009 - 24 Aug 2009 |
| Colonel | Marion Francis | 27 Jan 2008 - 19 Dec 2008 |
