The 1st Volunteer ACR is made up almost entirely of what used to be the 1st Praxis ACR of the AFFS.  The 1st Praxis, 2nd Crucis, and 3rd Sirus ACRs were formed in 3015 by Hanse Davion in an early attempt to evaluate the integration and effectiveness of regimental combined-arms units within his regular forces...a project which would influence the later development of Davion's Regimental Combat Teams.

From 3015 to 3022 the 1st Praxis was stationed in the Capellan March, where it's squadrons performed their roles of regimental and divisional screening, reconaissance, and security well above the expectations of Davion's generals.  Another, not totally unexpected discovery was that the squadrons of the 1st Praxis were ideally suited to the roles of planetary raiding and fast assault.
    Unfortunately however, the 1st, as well as the 2nd and 3rd Federated Suns ACR's would soon fall victim to their own success. In early 3022 it was decided that all three ACR's would be deactivated by 3024 because the very flexible nature of these units simply did not conform with the highly centralized and compartmentalized Regimental Combat Team doctrin being adopted by the AFFS.
    The 1st Praxis ACR, however, would ultimately be spared this fate by a little known, last minute concession between Katrina Steiner and Hanse Davion during their negotiations leading up to the 3022 signing of the F-C Document.  Knowing that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ACR's would eventually be deactivated, Hanse offered the 1st Praxis to Katrina indefinately both as a gesture of trust, and as a means to supplement the Lyran Commonwealth's ponderously heavy mech forces with a highly mobile re-enforced regiment.
    Though it was not believed that anyone would be completely fooled for long, the 1st Praxis' re-deployment was handled, if not in totaly secrecy, then with a great deal of obfuscation and slight of hand.  This was to avoid the legal and diplomatic problems involved with the breaking of several treaties.  Upon confirmation of the signing of the F-C Document in June of 3022, all but a small handfull of the troopers of the 1st Praxis resigned their commissions, and along with all their families and equipment shipped off to Donegal in the Lyran Commonwealth.
    In order to play it safe, and possibly as a slap in the First Circuit's collective faces, Agristar Inc, a modest agricultural equipment and chemical corporation based in the Federated Suns but with holdings in the Lyran Commonwealth, was used as the middle-man to facilitate the re-deployment rather than ComStar.  It wasn't until a previously unheard of mercenary unit, The 1st Volunteer ACR, arrived on Donegal, and submitted their Mercenary Review Board registration to the local Precentor, that ComStar began to suspect that they'd been had.       
    In the four years that the Pale Riders have been in existence, they have been exclusively under the employ of the Lyran Commonwealth.  They have essentially been relegated to "regular" status because;  A.  The fact that they are usually attached to regular LCAF forces; B. They are extremely flexible in their deployability; and C.  They more or less actually are a regular unit...though no-one freely admits it.
    The regiment has been stationed, for the most part, along the Steiner/Kurita boarder.  During their tenure with House Steiner, The Pale Riders have taken part in the defense of several worlds along the boarder, including planet Severn where they severely blunted a major Kurita assault.    The regiment has not, however, taken part in any offensive operations.  This may be about to change as all of the Pegusi of the Pale Rider's nine Scout Troops have recently been replaced with brand new Steiner Nimrod cavalry fighting vehicles.
    Currently the 1st Volunteer's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Squadrons (each with elements of the 4th Air Cav and 5th Support Squadrons) are serving as Brigade screening elements on Meacham, Sevren and Hesperous II respectively.

Although certainly not as old as some units, the cavalry roots of the 1st Volunteer ACR stretch back for millennia. This lends a certain esprit de corps to the Pale Riders that is on par with units such as the Eridani Light Horse and the Northwind Highlanders. This sense of tradition also embodies its self in things such as the regiment's uniforms, it's nomenclature (company = troop, Battalion = Squadron, etc.), as well as several other quirks and traditions.