Mounted soldiers in the US Army Caisson Detachment support one of the military’s most sacred missions: transporting fallen service members to their final resting places inside Arlington National Cemetery. The casket is placed on a wagon, known as a caisson, and conveyed through the cemetery by three soldiers. Each soldier rides one horse and controls another with their right hand.
Many of these soldiers start off with little to no experience with horses. After being selected based on their composure, discipline, and physical fitness, they must complete an 12-week basic horsemanship course, followed by six weeks of advanced instruction.
The Caisson Detachment returned from a nearly two-year suspension in 2025 after an investigation revealed that the deaths of multiple horses were connected to unsanitary living conditions.
The Army hired equestrian champion Chester Weber, an heir to the Campbell’s Soup fortune, to revamp the training. Weber assembled a team of world-class equestrian professionals and provided his Florida stud farm as a location for the advanced training program, which culminates with a validation test that all soldiers must pass before they can ride in funeral missions.
Chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan went inside training to find out what it takes to be a mounted soldier in the US Army Caisson Detachment.
00:00 – The Military’s Most Sacred Mission
01:13 – Advanced Training in Ocala, Florida
02:07 – Meet Inga: the German Riding Instructor
02:42 – Soldier Qualifications
03:13 – The Squad’s Only Woman
04:31 – From Motor Transport Operator to Horse Soldier
05:27 – Wagon Training with the Royal Family’s Former Coachman
06:24 – The Postillion Riding Style
07:45 – The $256,000 Caisson Wagon
08:05 – The Suspension and Return of the Caisson Program
09:25 – Taking Care of the Horses
10:32 – The Percheron Breed
10:58 – Desensitizing the Horses
13:16 – The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Sentinel Joins Caisson
13:57 – The Section Worker’s Dirty Job
14:30 – $160,000 Worth of Tack
14:48 – The Validation Test
16:27 – Test Results
18:10 – Funeral Mission
19:23 – Real-World Stakes
20:13 – Credits
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#USarmy #CaissonDetachment #horses #bootcamp
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