▁Division . ▁ ▁West ▁Point ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁March ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Military ▁Academy ▁Det achment ▁of ▁Caval ry ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁a ▁" color ed " ▁unit . ▁This ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁coming . ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁proposed ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁at ▁the ▁" C aval ry ▁and ▁Light ▁Art illery ▁School " ▁at ▁Fort ▁R iley , ▁Kansas ▁that ▁West ▁Point ▁cad ets ▁learn ▁their ▁r iding ▁skills ▁from ▁the ▁black ▁non - comm ission ed ▁officers ▁who ▁were ▁considered ▁among ▁the ▁best . ▁The ▁one ▁hundred ▁man ▁det achment ▁from ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Caval ry ▁served ▁to ▁teach ▁future ▁officers ▁at ▁West ▁Point ▁r iding ▁instruction , ▁mounted ▁dr ill ▁and ▁caval ry ▁tact ics ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁ ▁The ▁ 9 th ▁Caval ry ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁ 1 0 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁from ▁its ▁assignment ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁Caval ry ▁Division ▁and ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Caval ry ▁Division ▁for ▁deployment ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁However , ▁the ▁regiment ▁did ▁not ▁serve ▁in ▁that ▁war ▁as ▁a ▁unit . ▁It ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁to ▁supply ▁soldiers ▁for ▁other ▁units . ▁It ▁was ▁therefore ▁in activ ated ▁on ▁ 7 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁in ▁North ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Cold ▁War ▁ ▁The ▁regiment ▁was ▁red es ign ated ▁as ▁the ▁ 5