Our Baby and Spur Ride

Grace and I at the Ball

Yesterday was a big day for Grace and I. Grace had a doctor's appointment and this was the first visit where we really could find out what's going on with the baby. Grace was able to hear the heartbeat, and they did an ultrasound. The baby had a heartbeat of 170 bpm, and Grace said it sounds like galloping horses. Our baby is now almost two inches long and has arms and legs. Grace's favorite part of the baby is seeing its newly developed legs/feet. The tail is pretty much gone, which was kind of disappointing for me, as that was going to be my favorite part. Grace and I are so excited...and we found out the due date is now looking like October 1st ish. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the appointment because I had a Spur Ride.

Our Little Baby Without a Tail


A Spur Ride is a big tradition in Cavalry units. It has its roots in the Old West cavalry days when young cavarlymen weren't given spurs due to their inexperience. Inexperienced riders didn't know how to properly use spurs and would do damage to the horses and couldn't control them properly. To prevent problems, new recruits were not allowed to wear spurs. These new recruits also had their horses' tails cut short so that they were easily identified as novices. They were not allowed to grow their tail hairs out until they had earned their spurs. From this, they received the nickname of "Shavetails". After the recruits had shown their skill with a horse, they were finally given their spurs. This was a big deal for the new recruits, as it identified them as a skilled cavalryman. This tradition has been carried on, and Cavalry units now conduct Spur Rides to build esprit de corps and to make skilled Cavalrymen readily identifiable. Only Non-commissioned Officers and Officers are eligible to participate in Spur Rides, and they don't happen very often. Although the Cavalry no longer uses horses, they have kept the tradition of spurs and Stetson hats in order to make the Cavalry distinct in appearance to match its unique mission. Spur Rides no longer include horses, but are a test of a Cavalryman's ability to use his reconnaissance and scout skills.

Our Spur Ride started with a six-mile run with our body armor, full gear, and rifle. It was a pretty challenging run, as the body armor doesn't allow your body to breathe well, and it's pretty heavy. It was used to wear us all out before we really started. After the run, we broke off into teams of 8, picked up our ruck sacks, and had to march a couple miles to our first test site.

At the first test site, we had a 5-ton truck that had broken down. We had to run up a hill, grab a tow bar for it, carry it down the hill (it took 6 people to carry it and was still heavy), and hook it up to the truck and to another 5-ton truck that would tow it. We also had to disengage the brakes on the truck, which required some mechanical work. There were also Iraqi role players that were moving around the whole time trying to steal parts from the truck and even tried to steal the truck a couple times. We had to keep the Iraqis away from our stuff and keep them still while we were also doing the vehicle maintenance...even though none of us could speak Arabic to try and control them. Then we had to go about a half a mile over a big hill to our next site.

At the second site, we had to link up with some Iraqi Security Force soldiers and go and investigate an IED (improvised explosive device...roadside bomb) explosion. As we were walking out to investigate, another IED went off and injured one of the Iraqis. We then had to perform first aid on him, arrange for a helicopter to come pick him up, and MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) him. We had to carry him on a stretcher up the big hill to a spot where the helicopter could land. Then, we had to walk about 1 1/2 miles to the next site.

At the next site, we had to go in and clear a building with a High Value Target (someone that needs to be captured) inside that had a warrant out for his arrest. When we got in the building, we had to grab four individuals before they could shoot us, handcuff them, and search them and the building they were in. We had to find several pieces of evidence that were hidden throughout the building. After this, we had to hike another 1 1/2 miles up another big hill for our last site.

At the last site, we had to disassemble and assemble an M2 .50 cal machine gun, a MK19 grenade launcher, and a M240B machine gun. After that, we had to deal with some Iraqis and try and find some information on terrorists in the area. While we were interrogating the Iraqis, some of them opened fire on us and we had to capture/kill those individuals. Then we had to walk another 1 1/2 miles to end the Spur Ride.

We were released after everybody was back and after we sang "Fiddler's Green" (the official Cavalry Song). Then, we went and got cleaned up and then went to the Spur Ceremony and we had a ball for all of the 10th Cavalry Regiment (which includes all three Cavalry squadrons on post). At the Spur Ceremony, they called off the names of everyone who had earned their spurs and we were given a certificate. Then, they had us all get down in the front leaning rest position (the position you are in when you do a push-up). They then walked around and put our spurs on all of us and we became official Spur Holders. (Throughout the day, we had to address everyone who had already earned their spurs as "Spur Holder", and they called us "Spur Candidate".) After that, we had the Ball, with all the toasts and stuff that go with it.

Another tradition at the balls is the Grog. (They don't do it at the major West Point functions, but it's done at almost every other Army ball.) The Grog is a collection of alcohol that is poured into a punch. Different alcohols are poured in for different reasons (i.e. Sake and Jagermeister are done for our victory over Japan and Germany. Whiskey is done because it was a popular drink on the plains during the old cavalry days. Coors beer is done for our current home in the Rockies. Maker's Mark bourbon is done because Fort Knox, KY is the home of armor and cavalry...etc.) It's pretty cool to see all the symbolism behind the drinks even though we don't drink.

All in all, Grace and I had a tiring, but fun day.

I've attached some pictures, and I'm writing what was written on my certificate and the lyrics to "Fiddler's Green" below. I've also included a song that I really like about the Cavalry (from YouTube).

My Certificate
THE ORDER OF THE SPUR
To All Who Shall See These Presents, Greetings
Be It Known That
2LT Abe L. Payne
Is Hereby Dubbed a Knight and Entered on the Rolls of the Grand
and Noble Order of the Spur. Having been Elevated to this Lofty
Station by Virtue of a Stalwart Display of Skill, Dash, Tenacity,
Possession of an Air of Superiority and a Demonstrated
Dedication to
The Fourth Squadron, Tenth U.S. Cavalry
That Adventurous Band of Heroes, Who with Sabre in Hand
have Followed That Cavalry Guidon to the Frontier of the Free
World. May You Always Know the Taste of Dust upon Your
Lips, the Weight of Steel in Your Hand, the Jangle of a Spur and
the Gleam of a Buffalo in Your Eye.
Ready and Forward!
To be Worn at all Formal Cavalry Functions
Ordered this 11th day of March, 2010 by
4th Squadron, 10th U.S. Cavalry

(The Cavalry Regiment that I'm assigned to was the original Buffalo Soldiers. That's where the Buffalo comes from.)

Fiddler's Green
(Here's a link to Wikipedia about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler's_Green)

Halfway down the trail to Hell,
In a shady meadow green
Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped,
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell
The Infantry are seen.
Accompanied by the Engineers,
Artillery and Marines,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Fiddlers' Green.

Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene.
No trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he's emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers' Green.

And so when man and horse go down
Beneath a saber keen,
Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee
You stop a bullet clean,
And the hostiles come to get your scalp,
Just empty your canteen,
And put your pistol to your head
And go to Fiddlers' Green.


I Wanna Be in the Cavalry



Ryan Peacock and I Getting Ready to Receive Our Spurs


Ryan and I in the Front Leaning Rest

Ryan and I Showing Off Our Spurs


I Think David Fink, Ryan, and John Nikiforakis Look Ridiculous


All of Us With Our Dates Wearing Our Stetsons