Email   Print   Share By Heather Graham, Sentinel News Editor

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Lieutenant Col. D.J. Jones accepts the 2-38 Cav. Regt. guidon from Col. Gary Johnston, commander, 504th BfSB, during the activation ceremony for 2-38 Cav. Regt. June 24 at West Fort Hood. Heather Graham, Sentinel News Editor

Lt. Col. D.J. Jones salutes during the 2-38 Cav. Regt. activation ceremony.

Jones (right) and Col. Gary Johnston, commander, 504th BfSB, view the troops during the activation ceremony on West Fort Hood.

Fort Hood’s Battlefield Surveillance Brigade has a new reconnaissance and surveillance asset to augment its military intelligence mission.

The installation officially welcomed Phantom Trackers from 2nd Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment June 24 during an activation ceremony at Always Ready Field on West Fort Hood.

The new unit adds reconnaissance and surveillance assets to Fort Hood’s 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and is the first of its kind at the installation.

“We’ve never had this before,” Fort Hood acting senior commander Maj. Gen. Will Grimsley said. “This gives them a pretty significant ground component.”

The squadron includes 323 cavalry troopers from diverse military occupational specialties including cavalry scouts, infantrymen, forward observers and communications specialists. They join the Long Range Surveillance Team in the 38th Cav. Regt. to add ground reconnaissance assets to the brigade.

Phantom Trackers will operate similarly to LRST, only in smaller multi-functional military intelligence teams, where they can provide surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering with an economy of force.

Known as the “Lucky 38,” 2-38 Cav. Regt. has a distinguished record in combat that dates back to World War II. Originally activated Nov. 15, 1942, at Fort Bliss to fight the Germans in Europe, the unit was deactivated following completion of its mission. After undergoing various re-designations, the Lucky 38th was reactivated with the LRST at Fort Hood in 2008.

As the Soldiers assigned to the unit continue to arrive at Fort Hood, the squadron already has hit the ground running, conducting a field training exercise and testing a new generation of mine-resistant armor-protected vehicle on post for the next 30 days.

Already hard at work, Phantom Tracker Soldiers have already made their mark with the 504th BfSB. Soldiers of the 504th BfSB have welcomed the enhanced capabilities the new squadron brings to the fight.

“This is new and exciting,” Col. Gary Johnston, commander, 504th BfSB, said. “I am proud to be part of it. This represents a significant milestone in the 504th BfSB.”

Though newly activated, there is little time to ease into the squadron. The unit has been asked to man, equip, train, certify and deploy within the next 12 months.

“That takes aggressive self-confidence,” Johnston said.

The man who leads the Phantom Trackers, Lt. Col. D.J. Jones is ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

“These are the heroes of our time,” Jones said. “(Command Sgt. Maj. Craig) Simpson and I are both proud and humbled to assume our posts as their leaders.”

As Jones and Simpson work to build, equip and train their squadron, Jones made a vow to his troops.

“To my troopers, I promise to do the best I can,” he said.