With the use of horse cavalry no longer practical on the modern, mechanized battlefield, the 1st Cavalry Division began converting to infantry in February 1943 and trained to deploy to the Pacific Theater over the following months. The 2nd Cavalry Division also dismounted and turned in their horses to begin training as infantry for transfer to North Africa. Officials in the War Department did not favor committing another black infantry division claiming that African Americans did not perform well in battle. After protests from black leaders and the black press, the War Department deployed the 2nd Cavalry to Oran in North Africa on March 9, 1944. It was deactivated the next day and its soldiers reassigned to construct airfields for the Tuskegee Airmen and perform garrison and supply duties in North Africa. The division also provided replacement troops for the all-black 92nd Infantry Division that was fighting in Italy.