The Army Mules are a group of three mule

Mule

A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...

s which serve as the mascots of the United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

 in West Point, New York

West Point, New York

West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...

.

The tradition of mules as mascots for Army dates back to 1899, when an officer at the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot

Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot

The Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, now known as the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, was founded as the Schuylkill Arsenal in 1799.-History:...

 decided that the team needed a mascot to counter the Navy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 goat

Goat

The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...

. Mules were an obvious choice, as they were used as haulers for Army gear for generations. Not much is known about the "official" mules until 1936, when Mr. Jackson (named for Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson), a former Army pack mule, arrived from Front Royal, Virginia

Front Royal, Virginia

Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.-Geography:Front Royal is roughly west of Washington, D.C....

. He served for twelve years, presiding over two national championship teams. Starting with Mr. Jackson, there have been fifteen "official" Army mules, only one, "Buckshot," being female. The current mule corps are:

• Raider (formerly known as Joker): Raider is the senior mule who has been on campus since 1995. He was a gift of the Quincy (IL) Notre Dame High School Foundation, who had originally brought the mule to the school three years prior, and had been "surrogate" owners since then. He is reddish in color and has a "R" tattooed on his hip.

• Ranger II (also known as George): Named, like his predecessor, for the 75th Ranger Regiment and all Rangers past and present, Ranger II came to the Academy in 2002 as a gift of Steve Townes, class of 1975.

• General Scott (also known as Scotty): Like Ranger II, Scotty came to the Academy as a gift from Steve Townes. He is named for Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Willard W. Scott Jr.
  Willard Warren Scott, Jr.
  Willard Warren Scott Jr. was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1948. He was commissioned upon his graduation from West Point and assigned to the artillery...
  
  , a former USMA Superintendent and Army Mule supporter.

The Army Mules are trained by cadet "Mule Riders," a part of the Spirit Support Activity of the U.S. Corps of Cadets. Together they are present at many athletic events, parades, and other ceremonial activities. The day to day care is provided by the soldiers and officers of the Army Veterinary Corps.

Former Army Mules

Name	Years	Donor	Notes
Mr. Jackson	1936-1948	Remount Station, Front Royal, Virginia	First "official" mule
Pancho	1939-1958	Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...	Also known as "Skippy", a gift of Colon Alfaro, the Ecuadorian Ambassador Ambassador An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....  to the US and father to two members of the class of 1939
Hannibal I	1948-1964	U.S. Army (a six-year veteran)	Originally named "Bud" and renamed by the Corps of Cadets, Hannibal I died in 1964 after being kicked by another mule
K.C. MO	1957-1969	Mr. James M. Parker of Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...	Known to throw his riders; retired early
Trotter	1957-1972	U.S. Army 35th Quartermaster Pack Unit, Fort Carson, Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...	Named for his ability to trot long distances
Hannibal II	1964-1980	The Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...  Chamber of Commerce	Originally named "Jack"
Buckshot	1964-1986	A gift of the United States Air Force Academy United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...	Exchanged for a ceremonial sword
Spartacus	1973-1994	Governor Warren E. Hearnes Warren E. Hearnes Warren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat...  of Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...	Nicknamed "Frosty" for his white muzzle
Ranger I	1978-1995	Ranger United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...  Association of World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...	Son of a Purcheon draft mare and a Spanish jack
Black Jack	1985-1989	Senator Albert Gore, Sr. Albert Gore, Sr. Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Sr. was an American politician, serving as a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party from Tennessee....  of Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...	Died of cancer two days before the 1989 Army-Navy Game
Traveler	1990-2002	Anonymous	Also known as "Dan," known for his ability to do fancy steps
Trooper	1990-2002	Mr. Bob Griffin of Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...	Also known as "Ernie," known for his advanced training