Black Jack Brigade Cases Colors for Upcoming European Rotation

FORT HOOD, Texas — The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division “Black Jack” cased its colors Friday in a ceremony marking the unit's upcoming rotation to Europe. The casing of the colors formally signifies the brigade's transition to a forward-deployed unit.

The brigade and its nearly 4,000 soldiers and associated equipment will deploy to Eastern Europe over the coming months to support Operation Atlantic Resolve. Units will be positioned across NATO’s eastern flank to deter aggression and build readiness alongside allies and partners.

“Make no mistake — our adversaries are paying attention,” Maj. Gen. Tom Feltey, 1st Cavalry Division commander, said during the ceremony. “When an armored brigade combat team deploys forward, it sends a clear and unmistakable signal. The ABCT is the embodiment of American ground combat power.”

Col. Jose Reyes, the brigade commander, highlighted the extensive preparations for the mission, including two National Training Center rotations. One of those rotations served as the Army’s first "Transformation in Contact" trial for an armored brigade.

“The Black Jack Troopers are CAV Ready to answer the call,” Reyes said. The brigade last deployed to Europe in 2023. Black Jack will replace the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, which is concluding its own nine-month rotation.

The 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, is a combined arms division tasked with transforming how armored divisions fight and win on the battlefield. It is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army and serves as a vital component of the U.S. military's ground forces.