Central Oregon’s Army National Guard 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, holds unit deactivation ceremony

As summer faded into its final golden days, the Oregon Army National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, part of the 81st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, held a poignant Casing of Colors during the unit's deactivation ceremony and a grand Regimental Ball in Bend, Oregon, on September 19, 2026, marking the end of an era.

The Casing of Colors is a formal U.S. Army tradition in which a unit’s symbolic flags, known as colors, are lowered, furled, and placed in a protective sheath. The ritual marks the end of a unit’s active status while honoring its legacy. The 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, whose streamers commemorate service in World War II, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, completed its final mobilization in support of the European Deterrence Initiative under Operation Atlantic Resolve, beginning in April 2021. Two waves of soldiers from the 1-82nd deployed to Poland, culminating in a final demobilization ceremony on February 4, 2023.

The official ceremony featured Col. Andrew W. Vidourek, Commander of the 82nd Brigade Troop Command, alongside Lt. Col. Richard Nicolas, Commander of the 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, and Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Wilson, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry. The event included a reading of the unit’s lineage and honors, the issuance of the Deactivation Order, and the casing of colors, held at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater. Later that evening, the unit held its formal “One Last Ride” Regimental Ball at the Riverhouse Convention Center.

“Today we mark the deactivation of this distinguished military unit and trace its roots back to the 1st Infantry Regiment, organized in the late 1860’s, from communities across the state in Portland, Salem, Astoria, Oregon City, Albany, and The Dalles,” said Maj. Christopher Perrotti, who served as the event narrator, while addressing the unit formation, their family members, and retired soldiers from the unit as they made this historic moment. “Beyond combat, the squadron has been a shield for the citizens of Oregon and regularly has responded to wildfires, floods, and civil unrest with speed and precision inherent to the Cavalry.”

The regiment fought in the Spanish-American War and took part in battles in the Philippines between February 1899 and July 1902. The unit saw action in World War I and received a streamer for its combat service. In World War II, the heredity included service with the 41st Infantry Division, including the lineage of A Troop and B Troop, participating in the growing campaigns of the Pacific Theatre and earning decorations for service in New Guinea, Luzon, and the Southern Philippines, and receiving the Presidential Unit Citation for exceptional meritorious service. In 2005, the unit was formally designated the 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2009 to 2010 and to Afghanistan in 2014-2015.

As Perroitt read the official order issued by the Secretary of the Army deactivating the unit, Soldiers stood ready to case the colors. “The Casing of the colors is a ceremony of heritage and respect. The colors represent the spirit of the unit. As they are placed in their protective cover, it signifies the unit’s mission is complete and forever engraved in the U.S. Army Cavalry history.”

On stage, the unit flag, which features yellow as the traditional color of Armor and Cavalry and symbolizes the unit’s cavalry heritage and reconnaissance role, was cased in a ceremony. The seven individual troop guidons and subsequent unit flags were also cased in sequence with meticulous care.

“Today’s ceremony marks the deactivation of 1stSquadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, and as mission shifts and new requirements emerge, the Army adapts,” Vidourek said. “And every so often, it reminds us that no organizational chart survives contact with the Pentagon staff officer – today’s ceremony reflects that reality.”

As Vidourek reflected on the unit’s long history and how the force structure has changed over the years, he noted it has always been defined by the men and women willing to step forward whenever Oregon and the nation needed them.

“The Squadron’s colors carry honor earned by generations of troopers. Long before any of us arrived, those soldiers established standards that later generations have worked hard to uphold,” he said. “While today’s ceremony closes an important chapter, it should not be viewed as the end of the story. The Army will keep moving forward. New formations will stand up.”

Looking ahead, Vidourek stated that the new reserve center in Redmond will help the National Guard maintain a strong presence in Oregon. With the Cavalry mission departing Bend, the armory will now house soldiers from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry.

“What gives me confidence is that while the 1stSquadron, 82ndCavalry Regiment is deactivating, the Oregon National Guard’s presence in Central Oregon remains strong,” he said. “When the National Guard looks for a place with strong community support, exceptional training opportunities, and citizens willing to raise their right hand and serve, Central Oregon makes a compelling argument.”

In concluding his remarks, Vidourek said the unit's legacy and its place in military history will live on in each soldier.

“To the trooper standing in the formation, the Squadron’s guidon may be retired, but what was built here will endure. The friendships, the lessons, the standards established, over a century of service, now belong to you to carry forward,” Vidourek said.

Lt. Col. Nicolas echoed that spirit of continued service in his remarks, noting that each soldier’s willingness to serve and their expertise are transferable skills.

“Whether you move to a new formation within the Oregon Guard, or continue to serve in another capacity, you carry the Cavalry legacy forward,” he said. “The culture that makes the 1-82 CAV special did not happen by accident. It happened because you invested in it; that investment lives on in every soldier who served under the colors. With that, thank you – Scouts Out!”

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