The First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, commanded by Theodore Roosevelt, was known as the "Rough Riders," making them the most well-known of all the forces engaged in combat in Cuba. In order to enlist in the volunteer cavalry, Roosevelt gave up his position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in May 1898. This battalion was initially intended to be manned by troops from Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and the Indian Territory. Roosevelt soon changed that, though, and the organization soon included a variety of soldiers, from Texas Rangers and Indians to Ivy League athletes and glee club singers.
In contrast to many other volunteer companies, the Rough Riders were permitted into the fight because Roosevelt and the unit's commander Colonel Leonard Wood provided the troops with such excellent training and supplies at their base in San Antonio, Texas. They traveled to Tampa at the end of May, and on June 13 they set sail for Santiago de Cuba. They joined the Fifth Corps there, which was made up of great regular army personnel as well as volunteers and was another highly trained, well-equipped, and energetic unit.