Military Horses & Mules in Afghanistan
http://olive-drab.com/od_army-horses-mules_afghanistan.php

http://www.veteransmagazine.com/membersarea/
MagazineIssues/06thmag/hayburners.pdf

excerpt:
The man who re-wrote the book- "We've come full circle with the Cavalry
of old," says retired Master Sergeant Larry Jones, the man who literally re-wrote
the book on today's military usage of horses, mules, llamas and even
camels. His unit was one of the first into Afghanistan. One of his early
assignments on coming back to the States was to rewrite and update the
old FM25-7 manual to modernize it for packing the newer, sophisticated
weapon systems. The previous guidebook was the old pack mortar platoon
manual that had been in use since the early 1900s.
The Army Chiefs issued the updated manual, "Special Forces Use

excerpt:

But today, the horse is back. With the U.S. military combining

the latest in high tech weaponry with 19th Century Cavalry

skills, the noble horse is helping America hunt down enemies

worldwide, once again serving with distinction

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OHHH

The military still issues bayonets too.