3rd Squadron, 7th U.S. Cavalry has a long and distinguished history. The squadron was constituted as Company C, 7th Cavalry on 28 July 1866 and was organized at Fort Riley, Kansas on 10 September 1866. During this time the unit was involved in the Indian Wars and conducted operations during the following campaigns: Comanche, Little Big Horn, Nez Perces, Pine Ridge, Montana (1873) and Dakota (1874). In 1883, the companies were officially designated as troops. The unit participated in the Mexican Expedition Campaign between 1916 and 1917 but on 01 February 1928 Troop C, 7th Cavalry was inactivated.

Troop C, 7th Cavalry was again activated at Fort Bliss, Texas on 01 August 1940. The 7th Cavalry dismounted on 28 February 1943 and re-organized under part cavalry and infantry tables of organization on 04 December 1943. On 20 July 1945, the 7th Cavalry re-organized wholly as infantry but retained its cavalry designation. The unit participated in campaigns in the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace. On 25 March 1949, Troop C, 7th Cavalry was redesignated as Company C, 7th Cavalry.

On 01 July 1957 the unit was reorganized and re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Cavalry and was assigned to the 10th Infantry Division.

On 14 June 1958 the troop was relieved from the 10th Infantry Division and assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division. During the Korean War the unit participated in the UN Defensive, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, and the Second and Third Korean Winter Campaigns. On 25 January 1963, the troop was re-designated as 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry.

The Squadron was inactivated again at Fort Benning, Georgia on 20 February 1963 and concurrently relieved of assignment to the 2nd Infantry Division. On 18 April 1963, the Squadron was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division and activated in Germany on 05 June 1963. The Squadron served the 3rd Infantry Division for 23 years. While serving with the 3rd Infantry Division, the unit participated in several campaigns in Vietnam including: Defensive, Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phases II, III, IV, V, VI and VII, Tet Counteroffensive, Tet 69 Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, and the Sanctuary Counteroffensive. On 16 October 1986, the unit was again inactivated and was subsequently assigned to the 8th Infantry Division and activated on 16 December 1986 in Germany. On 16 November 1992, the Squadron was inactivated in Germany and relieved of assignment to the 8th Infantry Division. The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop consolidated on 16 December 1992 with the 3rd Reconnaissance Company and designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry. On 16 February 1996, the squadron was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division and activated at Fort Stewart, Georgia as the Division Cavalry Squadron and became the "Eyes and Ears" of the Marne Division, the "Iron Fist" of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The Squadron has been involved in several deployments since then including Operation Desert Spring in Kuwait, Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom began on March 20th when the squadron crossed into Iraq as the lead element of the 3ID. The Squadron attacked to Baghdad fighting both the Republican Guard and the Sadam Fedayeen. It was the longest cavalry charge in the history of the world and it ended in the capture of Baghdad.

With the capture of Baghdad, the Division and the Squadron transitioned to stabilization operations. By the time the Squadron had redeployed it had killed 2,200 Iraqi personnel, 64 tanks, 41 armored vehicles, numerous active air defense systems, as well as trucks and civilian vehicles used as suicide bombers.

The Squadron was reassigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division in 2004 and as the Brigade's Armored Reconnaissance Squadron. Combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom III began on February 4, 2005 when the Squadron arrived at Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah located in southeast Baghdad. Immediately upon arrival, the Squadron began patrolling the area east of the Tigris River in the Rusafa and New Baghdad districts as well as securing Route Pluto North, one of the primary supply routes for the Division.

The Squadron played a major role in the success of the Mada'in Province. The Squadron was first assigned to this area in April 2005 after the police station in Salman Pak had been destroyed by insurgents and many police officers had been killed. The Squadron immediately brought security to the area and facilitated the local governance to flourish.

When the Squadron redeployed in January 2006, it had conducted over 5,500 combat patrols throughout southeastern Baghdad in an area of operations that covered 500 square kilometers. The Squadron also detained over 150 insurgents making the streets safer for the people of Iraq.

Unit commendations include eight Presidential Unit Citations, a Valorous Unit Award, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, the Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece), three Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantries with Palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal (First Class). 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry stands vigilant to answer any call the Marne Division or the XVIII Airborne Corps requests of it.