The 17th Cavalry Regiment was first organized under the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1916 at Fort Bliss, TX on 30 June 1916 and constituted on 1 July 1916. At that time, General Pershing had taken U.S. Military formations into Mexico only a short time earlier and the need for Cavalry troops was pressing.

Troop B, 17th Cavalry was reconstituted on 25 April 1957 in the Regular Army and consolidated with the 101st Airborne Reconnaissance Troop and the consolidated unit designated as Troop B, 17th Cavalry, an element of the 101st Airborne Division. It was reorganized and redesignated on 3 February 1964 as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated as elements of the 101st Airborne Division) at Fort Campbell, KY. The 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry was originally deployed to Vietnam on 12 December 1967 as the ground cavalry squadron of the 101st Airborne Division, but as the division changed to an airmobile mode the squadron was converted to an air cavalry status during the period December 1968 - June 1969. Troops A, B and C (airmobile aviation) thus joined the squadron in March 1969 to complete the conversion. The previous Troop A (ground reconnaissance) had been serving the 1st Brigade of the division since 29 July 1965. The entire squadron was involved in intense aerial combat during the Operation Lam Son 719 invasion of Laos, when the helicopters supported the Army of the Republic of Vietnam's drive and retreat directly. This action took place between February and April 1971. In 1970-71 the squadron raised provisional air cavalry Troops E and F. The squadron departed Vietnam on 8 February 1972.