Texas National Guardsmen Earn Order of the Spur

Soldiers assigned to the Texas Army National Guard's 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment, completed the squadron's Spur Ride to earn their place in the Order of the Spur. The ride dates back more than 200 years to the early U.S. Cavalry, when new troopers had to demonstrate they could handle a horse and survive in the field before a unit would trust them with spurs.

The candidates had to work in small teams through graded lanes in which they were evaluated on their land navigation skills, weapons handling, tactical combat casualty care, vehicle identification and knowledge of squadron history. Their every move was carefully evaluated by spur holders, who who applied enough pressure to test the candidates.