Posted on Aug 22, 2015
LTC Stephen F.
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When I was young I watched "F Troop" on TV and assumed Troop referred to cavalry units and soldiers. Then I grew interested in military history and learned that soldiers and marines deploying to fight in WWI, WWII and Korea were frequently referred to as troops. After I enlisted in 1974, I learned about cavalry units both ceremonial with real horses and more frequently air and armored cavalry troops which were parts of squadrons.
The air cavalry formations have largely disappeared from the Army formations. There are some ceremonial cavalry formation sin the Old Guard and 1st CAV and a number of armored cavalry formations still in the Army.
Background: by time of the U.S. Civil War the Cavalry troop was equivalent to an infantry company or an artillery battery. The soldiers assigned to a cavalry troop were known as troopers. Modern people tend to call all Civil War soldiers troops but that wasn't the case back in the day.
In the twentieth century being called a troop was much better than being called a grunt [ground replacement usually not trained].
A troop can refer to one person or a unit while trooper is usually reserved for cavalry troopers, paratroopers, etc. :-)
For current military and veterans would you be honored if somebody referred to you as one of the troops.
Posted in these groups: Cf1cbe80 TroopsCavalry collar insignia Cavalry
Edited >1 y ago
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SSgt Senior It Security Analyst
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If you're offended, maybe you need to take a step back and reevaluate yourself. Make a realization that civilians do not understand military titles like we do, then just chill out.
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Sgt Carlos Barrera
Sgt Carlos Barrera
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If you get your feelings hurt by a word; better rethink how is it that you made it past boot camp, and what are you doing in the service. Do you need a"safe space" as to not feel offended?? Grow up Buttercup, this is the real world, if you can't handle a little bit of word play, resign!!!!
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Capt Christian D. Orr
Capt Christian D. Orr
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Amen!
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CPT Manager
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I guess i'm old fashion, I consider it a reference to my service, like you, Sir, I think it is a "term of endearment."
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CPT Manager
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SFC Don Ward and TSgt Frank Shirley sounds like a book that Donald Trump would have written. :-)
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SGT James Belcher
SGT James Belcher
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I love being called a "trooper" usually folks put "para" in front of it...
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SFC Don Ward
SFC Don Ward
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CPT (Join to see) - How so? Trump's one for writing about money, and there sure isn't a lot of that in the Army
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CPT Manager
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SFC Don Ward - They way he gets in trouble by going off point, he sometimes uses the wrong words.
The real problem is that I always understand what he means. Lol!
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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LTC Stephen F. Not a problem with that. I'm know I've been called worse to my face and behind my back. I can live with troop, trooper, or troops any day! It the nature of the beast, but I loved ever minute, every hour, every day, and every year of the military! I know you did too LTC Stephen F.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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LTC Stephen F. That's just part of the learning curve. We all made bad judgment calls when we were young and full of it. We were just "gun-hoe" and ready to defeat the world. It all balanced out over time didn't it?
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Yes, thankfully it did balance out my friend
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Sgt Den OBrien
Sgt Den OBrien
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I don't care what they call me as long as it's not Margaret.
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SGM Chief Executive Officer (Ceo)
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Even my worst day as a Trooper was better than my best day as a civilian! I used to tell my Soldiers that when I turned 18 I found out my parents were civilians, so I ran away from home and joined the Army!
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