Unofficial 1st Infantry Division Magazine of Soldiers and Families | www.riley.army.mil

—Maj. Gen. Mayville Jr. assumes command of 1ID 

—1ID, Fort Riley working to maintain a green environment 

—Soldiers jumping at chance to join outdoorsmen club 

Division teams 

finish in Top 20
 Duty First! June 2011 

|1

Duty First!

The Duty First is an unofficial publication pro-

duced under the provisions of AR 360-1, pub-

lished by Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. 

Editorial views and opinions expressed are not 

necessarily those of the Department of Defense, 

the Army or the 1st Infantry Division. All photos 

are Army photos unless otherwise noted. Circu-

lation is 6,000 per issue, printed monthly. Story 

and photos submissions are welcome and should 

be sent to: 

1st Infantry Division

Public Affairs Office 

ATTN: Editor 

Bldg. 580

RM 313

Fort Riley, KS 66442 

Telephone number

COM 785-239-6821 

 DSN 856-6821 

or visit Duty First online at www.riley.army.mil.

1st Infantry Division Commander

Maj. Gen. William Mayville

1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne

1st Infantry Division PAO

Lt. Col. Sophie Gainey

Editor

Jordan Chapman

Staff Staff Writers Writers

Stephanie Hoff

Mollie Miller

Illustrator

Justin Angeles

Stephanie hoff, duty First! magazine

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

June 2011 | www.riley.army.mil

COVER: Capt. Steven Ackerson, 2nd Bn., 

32nd FA Regt., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., 

moves a mock patient through a simulated battlefield while competing in the 

2011 Best Ranger Competition at Fort 

Benning, Ga.

C ONTENT S

Departments

Features

Danger 6

New 1ID commander 

eager to get started 

Life Outside the Gate

Outdoorsmen group has 

everyone jumping aboard Danger 7

Self-sustenance leads to 

stronger Soldiers, division 

PICTORIAL

Soldiers not only going 

green, but staying green 

Get on the bus, Gus

Van program pools together 

conservation efforts

This land is OUR land

Team strives to create safe 

habitat for Fort Riley creatures Assuming command

Maj. Gen. Mayville Jr. takes 

over the Big Red One

Small steps, giant results

Fort Riley Energy Council leads 

cost-cutting measures

Leading the charge

Sergeant Major leads unit’s 

recycling efforts

Everyone on board

Unit finds universal benefits 

in cause of recycling

Rangers reach new heights

Division teams place in 

top 20 at competition

Soldier ready for more

Purple Heart recipient 

on his way to Afghanistan 

23

18

12864

24

16

14

TEAMWORK is the foundation of the Big Red One. I shall

never fail my team, for I maintain the standard. My conduct and 

self-discipline set the example for others to follow.

HONOR is what I stand for–an American Soldier on duty

for my country. My loyalty is intense. I display care for

my fellow Soldiers and my chain of command through courage, 

respect, integrity and compassion.

I have learned to ENDURE

, to thrive in adversity. 

The harsh reality of combat gives me the enthusiasm for

realistic training. I am physically and mentally strong to

meet the demanding situations my unit encounters.

We are one in the Big Red One. Our BROTHERHOOD

gives us strength to fight on to any objective and accomplish the 

mission as our veterans have done before us. I live the legacy of my division.

READINESS is my priority. To be ready for any mission,

anytime, anywhere. My business is first-class training and living high 

standards of care and equipment, weaponry and tactical and 

technical competence.

My ORGANIZATION is my strength. The BRO is bigger 

than any one individual. It gives me purpose, self-confidence, 

competitive spirit, intestinal fortitude and the desire to fight 

with all my heart.
I

n early January 2010, every Soldier on Fort Riley was given an 

obligation, to make the 1st Infantry Division and the land it sits on bigger, better and always ready.

It goes without saying that this objective has been at the heart of every 

training day we undertake day in and 

day out, but when Maj. Gen. Brooks revealed the Fort Riley–2015 Campaign 

Plan to “Big Red One” and community 

leaders alike, we were given a clear cut 

list of what must be done.

One area the plan focuses on is sustainability and the importance of maintaining the land we occupy, mainly, the 

grasslands our post sits on, as well as 

the prairies surrounding us.

Without the ecosystems providing 

our Soldiers with the 68,000 acres of 

training area we utilize, we wouldn’t be 

the division we are today. 

Outside of Fort Riley, the post manages the tallgrass prairie for both training 

and habitat-threatened endangered and 

rare species. If any species becomes listed 

as threatened, more aggressive management of their habitat would be required, 

which could mean restricted training cycles during nesting seasons and reduced 

flexibility for range projects.

Though we often don’t think of it, 

we are tied to the land and its many underfoot processes that sustain our rigorous training schedules.

We have already come a long way in 

ensuring Fort Riley remains self-sustainable. In the past two years, we have 

added alternative fuel vehicles to our 

roadways, given van pool options to 

Soldiers and DoD Civilians who don’t 

live close by, set up flexible work schedules and established the Fort Riley Energy Council. Things are on the right 

track, but it shouldn’t stop there. 

The Army says it’s “Going Green,” 

now we should remain vigilant in 

“Staying Green” in every way we can to 

keep your training strong, that which 

matters most for consistent success. 

If all you can do to help is recycle, do 

it! In this instance, resiliency in the land 

and resiliency in you go hand in hand.

It is our duty to make this division 

the best it has ever been, and each day 

our nation’s flag rises above the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters building, 

I smile, and know you are all doing 

great things to protect our nation.

We must keep looking forward and 

keep taking care of the land we occupy. 

Stay vigilant in this, and whatever challenge comes our way, I’m glad to know 

I have the Soldiers of the Big Red One 

to count on.

Now ... get after it!

My Family and I are proud to 

be part of the Fort Riley 

Community and to begin 

our assignment in the 1st Infantry Division. We wish to extend our deepest 

gratitude for our warm reception to 

this magnificent community and to acknowledge the generous spirit that we 

have encountered since our arrival. In 

the coming days and weeks, we look 

forward to meeting you and discussing 

the issues and activities that are important to you. 

This Division is very, very good at 

what it does. It is that way because of 

the exceptional skills and professionalism of the Soldiers and leaders who 

serve in the Division as well as the extraordinary support from those that enable it. I know that many within our 

ranks are currently deployed, have just 

returned from a deployment or are preparing to deploy. Clearly, we are a Division and a military community at war. 

To that end, I want to assure you of my 

commitment to sustain our Soldiers and 

Families, address the needs of our 

wounded, prepare Soldiers for success 

in the current conflict, and reset them effectively when they return while we 

prepare for an uncertain future.

Know that our accomplishments reflect admirably upon the great history of 

the “Big Red One” and remember that it 

is our fighting spirit and will to win that 

distinguishes us and continues to make 

us great. It is an honor to be among your 

ranks as Danger 6. Continue to be great 

and remain focused on the fundamentals 

of our profession: courage, commitment, 

fitness, discipline, adherence to our Creed 

and our nation’s values and ideals. 

No Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great ... 

Duty First!

2| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! June 2011 |3

Commanding General DANGER 6 Command Sergeant Major DANGER 7

Ready to maintain excellence Benefits of ‘staying green’

Maj. Gen. William C. Mayville Jr. Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne
4| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |5

By 1st Infantry Division PAO

He knows leadership, and he knows how to step out in front when danger 

is close. He inspires Soldiers and when morale is low, everyone knows who to turn 

to ... Attention! Major General present!

Soldiers, Families, Fort Riley personnel 

and surrounding community leaders formally welcomed Maj. Gen. William Mayville Jr., as the new commanding general 

for the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley 

on May 25.

Outgoing Commander Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks couldn’t be more proud to 

pass his leadership on to Mayville, becoming the division’s 75th commanding 

general, who promises to take the “Big 

Red One” to new heights.

Last serving as the Deputy Chief of 

Staff for Operations to Gen. (Ret.) Stanley 

McChrystal in support of the International Security Assistance Force, Operation 

Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, Mayville knows what it means to undertake 

responsibility and to stand strong wherever the road may lead, doubtlessly 

gained from his 29 year service record in 

the United States Army.

Joining the ranks of our nation’s best in 

1982, Mayville has attended the Infantry 

Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the 

United States Army Command and General Staff College. He holds a B.S. from the 

United States Military Academy, an M.S. 

in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Technical Institute and an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from 

the U.S. Naval War College.

Mayville’s leadership under McChrystal 

was not his first time supporting Operation 

Enduring Freedom. He spent 2004 to 2006 

as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army South 

European Task Force (Airborne), Italy with 

duty as the Chief of Staff for the Combined 

Joint Task Force-76 in Afghanistan.

He was later assigned as the Deputy 

Commanding General for support for the 

82d Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, 

N.C., from Aug. 2008 to May 2009 after 

acting as Deputy Director for the U.S. European Command, Germany from 2006 to 

2008. He later spent time as the Deputy 

Commanding General for Combined 

Joint Task Force-82 in Afghanistan from 

May to August, 2009.

Mayville rose to his current rank in 

2009 and is eager to make his first foray 

leading the ranks of the Big Red One, 

where he is bound to see, first-hand, that 

the Soldiers on Fort Riley truly are the first 

to thirst for a fight.

Maj. Gen. 

Mayville’s 

U.S. AWARDS

Defense Superior Service Medal (with Oak 

Leaf Cluster)

Legion of Merit 

Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device 

Bronze Star Medal 

Defense Meritorious Service Medal 

Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf 

Clusters)

Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf 

Cluster)

Army Achievement Medal 

Combat Infantryman Badge (with Star)

Expert Infantryman Badge 

Master Parachutist Badge (with 2 Bronze 

Stars)

Pathfinder Badge 

Parachutist Badge 

Ranger Tab 

andy massanet, usag

Gen. James Thurman, FORSCOM commanding general (left), hands the 1st Inf. Div.’s colors to Maj. Gen. William Mayville, incoming 1st Inf. Div. 

and Fort Riley commanding general (right), from Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, the 1st Inf. Div’s and Fort Riley’s former commander. 
6| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! June 2011 |7

Items Recycled

on Fort Riley 

during FY 2010

Cardboard - 1,622,799 pounds

Newspaper— 77,426 pounds

White Paper— 142,851 pounds

Aluminum— 13,814 pounds

Steel— 39,288 pounds

Plastic— 72,710 pounds

Glass— 46,658 pounds

Pallets— 129,000 pounds

Mixed Paper— 110,651 pounds

Toner Cartridges— 2,215 pounds

Items Accepted

at Fort Riley 

Recycling

Cardboard

Newspaper/packing paper

Mixed paper (colored, magazines, catalogs, 

phonebooks, manila folders, envelopes, 

etc.)

Plastics (numbers 1 through 7)

Steel cans

Aluminum (cans, foil, pie pans)

Glass (clear, brown, green)

Styrofoam 

Toner Cartridges

White Printer paper

Wooden pallets

*Containers originally holding food or 

drink products must have the lids removed 

and products rinsed out. 

OPPOSITE PAGE: The computer’s monitor has been determined to consume a big majority of the 

unit’s electricity. The Fort Riley Energy Council urges the post’s work force to turn off their monitors when they leave their office for a meeting and at the end of the day. TOP LEFT: Tasks such as 

turning off the lights to a conference room following a meeting or when leaving the office can 

reduce the post’s energy consumption immensely. TOP RIGHT: The Fort Riley Energy Council advises the post’s work force to connect their monitors, desktop printers and chargers into power 

strips and turn the power strip off while they are away for a meeting or leaving at the end of the 

work day. 

I

n a society that generally advocates 

‘bigger is better,’ post officials are 

trying to promote the exact opposite. In fact, smaller energy bills today 

not only help the environment but can 

lead to bigger and better projects in the 

post’s future. 

Under Presidential Executive Order 

13423, the post is expected to reduce energy consumption by 3 percent annually 

or 30 percent overall by September 2015. 

Monitoring of the post’s energy usage began in 2007. 

“We made great improvements from 

fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010 and 

actually exceeded the goal set for 2010,” 

said Norman Zuercher, the post’s new 

energy manager. The total energy consumed during fiscal year 2003 was determined as the post’s baseline to evaluate future years, he said. “In fiscal year 

2010, we achieved a 22.2 percent reduction in total energy usage compared to 

the baseline. The goal was 15 percent.” 

Nearly $18 million is spent annually 

for the post’s energy consumption. Reducing Fort Riley’s energy usage by 3 

percent each year would generate a savings of nearly $540,000 per year and a 

savings of $5.4 million over 10 years. 

“The post basically saves half a million 

dollars a year just by going down 3 percent in energy usage,” said David 

Scruggs, Fort Riley’s chief of the Engineering Services Division for Public 

Works. “I think it’s obtainable. It just 

takes a little effort on everybody’s part.” 

This past January, Zuercher and two 

new technicians were hired to fill the vacant positions reserved by Public Works’ 

energy office. The positions had previously been unoccupied for an extended 

period of time, while awaiting funds. 

Zuercher and his team have since been 

diligently implementing and restarting 

programs that were previously neglected due to the shortage of staff members. 

“We are working to reactivate the Energy Monitoring Program,” Zuercher said. 

“Similarly, the (Fort Riley) Energy Council 

has been inactive for several years and we 

are working to get it reactivated.” 

The Fort Riley Energy Council is an 

organization designed to ensure the post 

actively participates in the Army’s ‘Triple 

Bottom Line-Plus.’ The program promotes identifying alternative technologies and the maximization of limited resources without causing disruption to the 

mission. Topics such as ways to reduce 

the post’s energy consumption and identifying alternative energy sources will be 

discussed by the group, Zuercher added. 

Participants for the council are still being 

determined but most likely will be comprised of brigade commanders, garrison 

staff and chaired by the commanding 

general, he said. 

“The plan is to meet quarterly to review and discuss our energy conservation plans, actions and results.” 

With the establishment of the Energy 

Monitoring Program, Zuercher and his 

team hope to raise the work force’s awareness of such ways to reduce the post’s energy consumption. Under the program, 

each building on Fort Riley will be appointed an Energy Monitor, who would 

be trained in energy conservation and responsible for distributing energy awareness information to the personnel in their 

building.

Tasks such as turning off lights when 

they leave their office or a conference 

room, and utilizing power strips for their 

monitors, desktop printers and charges 

for items such as cell phones and iPods 

are simple tasks that can reduce the post’s 

energy consumption immensely, Scruggs 

said. 

“At the end of the day or even when 

you leave the office for a meeting, if you 

just hit that power strip and turn it off, a 

lot of energy is saved. If I did that and 

then the next person does that, the power 

strips pay for themselves in less than two 

months,” Scruggs said. Another repeat 

offender that can be costly to the post’s 

energy bill is that morning ‘Cup of Joe,’ 

he added. 

“A big energy consumer is coffee pots. 

A lot of people will leave that coffee pot 

on all afternoon, long after they’ve finished their coffee.”

Construction of new energy efficient 

buildings and remodeling the post’s 

aging facilities are some procedures 

currently taking place on Fort Riley to 

assist in reducing the post’s energy 

consumption as well as its carbon footprint. Installing solar water heating 

systems in barracks, and ground source 

heat pumps into buildings as well as 

improving existing heating, ventilation 

and air conditioning systems are just 

some of the projects the post currently 

has in the works, Zuercher said. 

Whether it’s turning off a power strip 

or a conference room light following a 

meeting, these small changes to one’s 

habits can create big savings for the Fort 

Riley habitat. 

Editor’s Note: Some information from 

this article previously appeared in the July 

2010 issue of the Duty First! Magazine. 

Post looks to small changes for big savings 

Story & photos by Stephanie Hoff
8| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |9

Story & photos by Mollie Miller IT IS A DAVID AND GOLIATH 

story for the ages—a two-pound 

greater prairie chicken vs. an almost 

150,000-pound M1 tank. 

In theory, the feathers and beak of 

the chicken are no match for the 

guns and armor of the tank but, just 

as a small boy killed a giant with a 

sling shot, if the conditions are right, 

the chicken will stop the tank every 

time. (see story on page 10)

Team strives to create habitat suitable for Fort Riley creatures

Brian Monser, DPW-Environmental Conservation Technician, monitors 

a prescribed burn April 12 near Camp Funston.
10| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! June 2011 |11

Where does the tiny chicken get so much power? 

The answer is a simple one—there is power in numbers ... or, in the case of the Greater Prairie Chicken, 

there is power in low numbers. 

 “Throughout the Great Plains, the numbers of greater prairie chickens have been declining but the numbers 

are holding steady at Fort Riley,” Alan Hynek, Directorate of Public Works-Environmental Division Conservation Branch Chief, said. “If their population numbers 

fell here, it would be difficult for us. We would likely 

have to train differently than we do now because of the 

restrictions that may have to be put in place.” 

Every day, Hynek and his team at DPW-Environmental participate in a delicate balancing act as they 

strive to create an environment that not only benefits 

the people and animals who call Fort Riley home but 

also ensures this central Kansas post will remain one 

of the Army’s premier training sites for years to come. 

Whether “managing” local animal populations, setting 

fires to preserve the tall grass prairie ecosystem or 

forming partnerships with surrounding landowners, 

the Fort Riley team is actively addressing environmental challenges that could adversely affect the training 

mission. 

“Fort Riley is one of the best places to train heavy 

mechanized equipment and we want to keep it that 

way,” Hynek said. “Things are in good shape right now 

but we must be vigilant in order to keep it that way.”

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT 

A key component of keeping Fort Riley’s land open to 

training for years to come is ensuring that no animal living on the property ends up on a threatened or endangered list. Animals considered threatened or endangered receive special protections to stabilize and grow 

population numbers. At Fort Riley, these restrictions 

could place extra stress on the training mission as areas 

become off limits to protect things like habitats and 

breeding grounds. 

Currently, Fort Riley has three animals living 

within post boundaries considered “endangered” but only one 

has any impact on the training 

area. The Topeka shiner is a 

small, silver colored fish that 

lives in the training area along 

Wildcat Creek. To preserve the 

Shiner’s habitat, restrictions are 

in place that limit where tanks 

may cross the creek. 

“The (Topeka shiner’s) impact 

is minimal—the current mission 

appears to get along very well with 

them,” Hynek said. 

To ensure no other Fort Riley 

animal joins the Topeka Shiner on 

the endangered list, Hynek and his 

team keep a close eye on several 

animals currently on watch lists. 

“We have a dozen or so birds on 

watch lists,” he said. “They are not 

listed as endangered and we want 

to keep it that way.” 

The greater prairie chicken and 

the Henslow’s sparrow are two 

birds Hynek’s team keep a close 

eye on. Both birds were once 

abundant throughout North 

America but numbers have 

dropped significantly because of 

habitat loss. At Fort Riley, both 

populations are holding steady 

thanks in part to the work of the 

environmental team. 

BURN IT UP

To ensure animals like the greater 

prairie chicken and the Henslow’s 

sparrow continue to thrive on 

Fort Riley, the environmental 

team must preserve the tallgrass 

prairie ecosystem that runs 

through the post. The most effective way to do this, according to Hynek, is prescribed 

burning.

“Prescribed burning has to happen for the prairie to 

continue,” Hynek said. 

Brian Monser, DPW-Environmental Conservation 

Technician, said if burning were to cease on Fort Riley, 

trees would begin to sprout “everywhere” which could 

make some training difficult and would be a terrible 

blow to the animals living on the prairie. 

“These animals are not used to trees,” he said. “One 

of the worst things that could happen to animals like the 

greater prairie chicken is having a 

tree spring up in the middle of the 

prairie.” 

The benefits of the fall and 

spring burning extend further than 

habitat preservation. Hynek said 

the fires continue a long tradition 

of prairie rebirth that has made the 

land very hardy. 

“Fort Riley is one of the best 

places to train heavy mechanized 

equipment because the soils and 

vegetation are resilient—you can 

do whatever you need to here and 

things will always grow back,” he 

said. 

GOOD NEIGHBORS

Animal management and prairie 

burning are both vital to the continued success of the Fort Riley 

training environment but all the 

work could be for nothing if others 

outside the borders of post are not 

working toward the same goals according to Hynek.

“We can preserve our little area 

well enough but that still isn’t 

good enough,” he said. “All of the 

Flint Hills has to have a part of 

this effort.” 

Partnerships with individuals, 

organizations and communities 

ensure the tallgrass prairie and the 

animals that live in this ecosystem 

will continue to thrive. To that end, 

Fort Riley has joined forces with 

various universities, local land 

owners and groups like the Tallgrass Legacy Alliance. 

“We don’t want to be an island 

out here where everything 

around here grows up in trees 

and we are the only prairie left,” Hynek said. “These 

partnerships work out great—it helps them and it 

helps us.” 

Hynek is confident that careful planning, watchful 

eyes and strong community partnerships will create a 

place where Soldiers will be training, fish will be swimming, tanks will be driving and chickens will be cackling far into the future. 

“From a natural resources standpoint, Fort Riley 

will be an ideal training location for many years to 

come,” he said.

ABOVE: “Burn Boss” Mark Neely works to make sure a prescribed burn near Camp Funston on April 12 doesn’t jump the fire break. OPPOSITE PAGE 

FROM MIDDLE: Large numbers of greater prairie chickens live on Fort Riley. While they are doing well at the Flint Hills region post, their numbers 

are declining elsewhere. Officials at Fort Riley are keeping a close eye on population numbers to ensure greater prairie chickens continue to do 

well on post; currently, Fort Riley has three animals living within post boundaries considered “endangered,” but only one has any impact on the 

training area. The Topeka shiner is a small, silver colored fish that lives in the training area along Wildcat Creek. To preserve the shiner’s habitat, 

restrictions are in place that limit where tanks may cross the creek (OPPOSITE TOP).

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo
Although every bit helps when it 

comes to protecting the world around 

us, people who truly want to make a 

lasting difference in the health of the environment need not look so intently into 

garbage cans or stare angrily at leaky 

faucets. True change agents committed 

to improving the environment must allow their gaze to wander out the window to the heart of a typical citizen’s 

most polluting activity of the day—

driving their personal vehicle. 

Officials at the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency said that while emissions from an individual car are generally low, when that one car turns into 

hundreds or thousands, the emission 

levels grow exponentially. 

To ease the impact that Fort Riley’s 

Soldiers and Department of the Army 

civilians have on the environment, the 

post created a van pool program in 2009 

aimed at reducing the number of vehicles on the road and thereby reducing 

the amount of pollution being generated 

at the home of the 1st Infantry Division.

 “Since the beginning of the program, 

we have taken 121 cars off the roads,” 

Laura Morris, Fort Riley Van Pool coordinator, said. “In comparison to the 

thousands of personnel who commute 

to and from Fort Riley on a daily basis, 

this amount may seem small, but every 

bit helps.”

The Fort Riley Van Pool Program is 

serviced by VPSI Inc. and composed of 

groups of four to 15 people who live in 

the same community and commute to 

and from work together. The group 

shares the lease and fuel costs for the 

van and establishes pick-up routes and 

times. As of May 1, Fort Riley had 24 

established van pools running to and 

from towns throughout the Flint Hills 

region. 

Sharon Blea has commuted from her 

home in Manhattan to her job at Fort Riley’s Directorate of Logistics for 28 

years. In March, when gas prices hit 

$3.50 per gallon, she decided that her 

car and her bank account had had 

enough, so she joined the van pool.

“There are several good reasons why 

I wanted to participate in the program,” 

Blea said. “It is good for the environment, it’s a good opportunity to make 

new friends, it’s good for post traffic 

and it’s good for my pocket book.” 

Typically, Soldier and DAC van pool 

users have no out of pocket expense as 

the monthly vouchers they receive are 

an employee benefit paid for by the Department of the Army’s Mass Transportation Benefit Program.

“This program has to be saving me 

thousands of dollars each year,” van 

pool user Christine Harwood-Seets said. 

“My husband and I were able to eliminate a vehicle payment and all the 

scheduled services like an oil change every six weeks.”

Harwood-Seets has been involved 

with the program since November 

2009 and commutes to and from 

Abilene with her husband and four 

other people who all work at the Directorate of Public Works. Although 

saving money was her initial reason 

for joining the van pool, HarwoodSeets has come to realize a lot of good 

can come from the program. 

“This helps my morale and the bottom line on my household budget,” 

she said. “Plus traffic flow (at Fort Riley) is four cars smaller because of our 

van pool.”

The benefits of the van pool program 

are many, agrees Morris. Whether saving money by not having to pay for gas 

or car service, saving time because there 

are fewer cars on the road to cause accidents or clog up traffic, or saving the 

environment by reducing car emissions, 

the van pool program seems to be a 

good choice for many on this central 

Kansas post. Morris is hoping that as 

roads begin to fill up with redeployed 

Soldiers, Fort Riley community members will begin to realize what a great 

commute alternative the van pool program is and take advantage of the free 

money and easy travel that is waiting 

for them. 

“It is just a matter of changing our 

mind set,” Morris said. “We have been 

so spoiled always having cars just outside our door but the truth is ... van 

pools just make sense.”

For more information about the Fort 

Riley Van Pool Program, e-mail Morris 

at laura.morris3@us.army.mil or call 

800-826-7433 (VAN-RIDE).

12| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |13

Get on 

the bus

The Fort Riley community may soon 

notice more than just school busses 

traversing the roads around their 

homes and work places as officials 

launch a new experimental program to 

see how well a bus system would do on 

post.

ATA Bus, a private, not-for-profit 

paratransit bus system, operates a 

demand response general public 

transportation service for Fort Riley and 

surrounding communities. One way 

fares range from $2 to $4. Individuals 

wishing to ride the bus must call the 

dispatcher 24 hours in advance to 

schedule a ride.

For more information or to schedule 

a ride, call 537-6345 or 877-551-6345 

or visit www.rileycountyks.gov/ATA. 

Riley van program pools together conservation efforts

EVERY DAY, IN 

NEIGHBORHOODS 

ACROSS FORT RILEY 

AND TOWNS 

THROUGHOUT THE 

FLINT HILLS REGION, 

PEOPLE ARE DILIGENTLY 

WORKING TO DO THEIR 

PART TO PROTECT THE 

ENVIRONMENT.

WHETHER CAREFULLY 

SORTING PAPERS, CANS 

AND BOTTLES, TURNING 

OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN 

A ROOM IS EMPTY OR 

INSTALLING WATER 

SAVING SHOWER 

HEADS, MANY 

HOUSEHOLDS HAVE 

ADOPTED “GREEN 

LIVING” PRACTICES IN 

AN EFFORT TO BE 

BETTER STEWARDS OF 

THE ENVIRONMENT.

Story & photos by 

Mollie Miller

ABOVE: A group of Fort Riley Van Pool users gets ready to head home at the end of the day. The Fort Riley Van Pool Program began in 2009 and, since 

the program’s beginning, it has helped taken at least 121 cars off the road. OPPOSITE PAGE: Dave Jones arrives at the Manhattan Mall, the pick-up 

point for his van pool. Jones, a member of the Fort Riley Directorate of Public Works team, has participated in the post’s Van Pool Program since 

June 2009.
“I haven’t forgotten where I came 

from,” he said. “When I was a young 

Soldier and we went to formals, it 

was very expensive. So I always 

told myself that if I was in the po-

sition to do something, to make 

it inexpensive while still hang-

ing on to the customs, courtesies 

and traditions of the military; I 

was going to do that.”

Enter his recycling pro-

gram.

As McDowell would walk 

through his unit’s headquarters, 

pondering how he could conduct a 

formal-military dinner for the squad-

ron without having to charge the aver-

age $40 per person fee, he would walk 

by a series of trash receptacles that con-

tained dozens of plastic bottles and alu-

minum cans that had been thrown away 

each day by the Soldiers.

What came next was an outpour of 

support from the unit’s leadership and 

Soldiers. 

“The one thing about this squad-

ron ... all I have to do is ask. I don’t have 

to tell them anything,” McDowell said. 

“It was easy to sell it to the Soldiers. 

(The program) is not (on a) ‘volun-told’ 

basis. I just asked them, ‘Hey, ya’ll want 

to come on board with this?’ and the 

next thing I know, I have garbage bags 

full (of recycling).” 

Nowadays, every Friday, a group of 

Soldiers led by Sgt. 1st Class Grant Pratt 

load up the recyclable items that are 

placed behind the squadron’s headquar-

ters and they bring the items down to 

the Fort Riley Recycling Center. 

“The guys really enjoy it. First of all, 

they know they’re working for them-

selves,” Pratt said, referencing the money 

the unit receives for its recycling items. 

“This gives them a reason to do it. They’ve 

really jumped on board with it. It’s re-

ally started to grow.” 

Initiating their recycling pro-

gram also started a positive 

chain-of-events they didn’t ex-

pect. In addition to recycling at 

work, the unit’s Soldiers have 

begun to bring in recycled 

items from their homes and 

barracks to boost their output, 

and consequently, money they 

can put toward unit events. 

“It’s gotten a lot of people who 

live off post involved as well,” Pratt 

said, who lives in nearby Abilene. 

“My neighbors see us (recycling), and 

being in the military, I think we should 

set the example. When they see us doing 

things like that it just looks positive and 

it benefits the Army.” 

McDowell acknowledged the many 

environmental benefits to recycling and 

praised the Fort Riley community for 

rewarding those Soldiers and units who 

recycle. 

“I know (in the end) it’s about taking 

care of the Soldiers,” he said. “Fort Riley 

does a great job with their recycling pro-

gram and my hat goes off to those guys 

down there, as well as to my Soldiers 

who dove right in.” 

 Duty First! June 2011 |15

OPPOSITE 

PAGE: Spc. 

Zack Simpson, 

1st Squadron, 

4th Cavalry 

Regiment, 

helps his 

teammates sort 

through 

recycling. LEFT: 

Spc. Charles 

Preston 

(center), 1st 

Squadron, 4th 

Cavalry 

Regiment, 

enjoys his 

recycling duties 

because he 

knows he is 

helping his unit 

in a way they 

never have 

before.

Sergeant Major gets unit to buy 

into recycling's positive benefits

It’s gotten a lot of people who 

live off post involved as well. My 

neighbors see us (recycling), 

and being in the military, I think 

we should set the example. 

When they see us doing things 

like that it just looks positive and 

it benefits the Army.

—Sgt. 1st Class Grant Pratt,

1st Squadron, 4th Cav. Regt., 4th IBCT

Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew McDow-

ell has a great respect for the out-

doors. During his off-duty hours, 

he can commonly be found with 

his bow in the woods or loung-

ing on his boat on the lake. 

He carries such respect for the environment, that if he sees a 

piece of trash while out on the hunt, he’ll pick it up. That same pas-

sion for the environment moved from his home life to his work place 

when he decided to get his unit involved. 

McDowell explained that though environmentally beneficial, that was 

not the sole reason for launching his squadron-wide initiative to promote 

recycling.

Two years ago, when he assumed his position as the command ser-

geant major of 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Bri-

gade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, 

he made a promise to his Soldiers that he 

would resurrect the unit’s spur rides and 

formal dinners, events the unit has 

not been able to conduct because of 

deployments and hectic reset 

schedules. Not only are they busy, 

but such events can weigh down 

the pocketbook.

After the unit returned 

from their second deploy-

ment in less than four years, 

McDowell wanted to keep 

his promise, but he 

needed to find a way 

to make the events 

affordable for his 

Soldiers. 

14| www.riley.army.mil
16| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |17

T

he simple act of dropping off a few items that 

could have been tossed into the trash bin has 

now turned into one big bin that benefits his 

whole battalion. Spc. Nicholas Steele remains 

modest when asked about the recycling program his 

battalion began in response to his resourcefulness. 

While dropping off items to the Fort Riley Recycling 

Center one day, Steele, a Soldier of Headquarters and 

Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 4th 

Infantry Brigade Combat Team, collected information 

to enter his unit in the facility’s recycling program. 

“Everyone has been real supportive of (the recycling program),” Steele said. “It’s a great feeling 

knowing that we’re helping everyone out; helping out 

the whole battalion.” 

Steele explained that the facility offers an incentive 

program for all units that bring in recyclable items. Under the program, units are grouped together based on 

their troop strength. It is designed to keep smaller battalions or units from having to compete with larger 

ones, said Sgt. 1st Class Peter Wunschel, the unit’s motor sergeant. The units that bring in the most pounds of 

recyclable items receive money to use toward their morale and welfare funds. 

Once he received the nod to begin the program, 

Steele and a group of fellow Soldiers from the battalion’s maintenance section collected the necessary recycling bins and containers to place around the unit’s 

headquarters and companies. The response they received was astonishing, said Sgt. Jeremy Reed, the 

maintenance section’s noncommissioned officer in 

charge. Steel’s enthusiasm toward the program has no 

doubt played a part in the unit’s successful participation, he added. 

“I gave (Steele) the responsibility of the program and 

he just rolled with it,” Reed said. 

The total pounds of recyclable items are calculated 

on a quarterly basis. Having only entered into the recycling program mid-quarter, the unit was still able to collect more than 1,500 pounds—placing them in second 

place for their grouping. 

“We were literally called dumpster-divers,” laughed 

Wunschel in reference to the times their unit’s Soldiers 

could be seen removing recyclable items that had been 

placed in trash bins. 

The unit’s program now operates on a weekly to biweekly collection schedule, with on-call collection available as well.

“I think it’s pretty necessary. I heard somewhere that 

if you turn in just one bottle, it keeps a television on for 

another hour,” Steele said. “The Army uses a lot of energy so it’s pretty necessary (to recycle).”

Story & photos by Stephanie Hoff | Duty First! Magazine

Everyone has been real supportive (of the 

recycling program). It’s a great feeling knowing 

that we’re helping everyone out; helping out the 

whole battalion.”

Spc. Nicholas Steele,

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Pitching In STB touts 

rewards of 

recycling 

program

OPPOSITE PAGE FROM LEFT: Recycling bins sit ready for items from Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Special Troops Bn., 4th IBCT, 1st 

Inf. Div. The battalion’s maintenance section manages the unit’s recycling program and conducts on-call pickups when the unit’s 

companies’ containers become full; Spc. Nicholas Steele, left, and Spc. Jonathan Barnes of Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 

4th Brigade Special Troops Bn., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., empty recycling containers located throughout the unit’s offices. ABOVE: 

Spc. Jonathan Barnes of Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 4th Brigade Special Troops Bn., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., loads paper 

to be recycled into a humvee.
18

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! June 2011 |19

ABOVE: Brig. Gen. Ricky Gibbs, United 

States Division-South deputy com-

manding general for maneuver, left, 

re-enlists Spc. Jessica Jernigan, Gibbs’ 

administrative assistant and a Hamp-

ton, Va., native, right, aboard a UH-60 

Blackhawk helicopter in flight above 

southern Iraq. RIGHT: Pfc. Jesse Buck, 

right, an armor crewman with Co. B, 1st 

Bn., 18th Inf. Regt., and a Springfield, 

Ohio, native, explains the proper way to 

disassemble and clean a rifle to a group 

of Iraqi Soldiers with the 11th Iraqi 

Army Div. March 7 at Joint Security 

Station Old Ministry of Defense, Iraq. 

Spc. william k. ermatinger, 2nd AAB

Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith, USD-S

Sgt. Roland Hale, CAB PAO

A CAB Soldier trains his weapon on a target during a short 

range marksmanship course near Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

BOTTOM ROW, FROM 

LEFT: Lt. Col. Paul 

Dismer, commander of 

the 541st CSSB, 1st 

Sust. Bde., 1st Inf. Div., 

right, plays bingo with 

one of the veterans at 

the Kansas Veterans 

Home; Lt. Col. Kenneth 

Chase, commander of 

the 1st Sqdn., 6th Cav. 

Regt., CAB, 1st Inf. 

Div., left, pins an Air 

Medal on the chest of 

Chief Warrant Officer 3 

William Kearns, center, 

during an end of tour 

award ceremony Feb. 1 

at Camp Taji, Iraq; 

Reserve Officer 

Training Corps Cadets 

march past an M1A1 

Abrams Battle Tank in 

the 1st Combined Arms 

Battalion, 63rd Armor 

Regiment motor Pool; 

members of the Patriot 

Guard Riders escort 

the procession of 1st 

Lt. Eric Yates, a 

Rineyville, Ky., native, 

from Godman Army 

Airfield in Fort 

Knox, Ky.

courtesy photo

staff sgt. ben k. navratil

Sgt. roland hale, cab PAO

Spc. daniel stoutamire, 2nd hbct PAO
20| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |21

Division's Ranger teams 

excel at national competition

For the past 27 

y e a r s , U . S . 

Army Rangers 

r e p r e s e n t i n g 

units from across the world have set out 

for Fort Benning, Ga., where for three 

days they compete on tasks designed to 

test them physically and mentally. 

A total of 51 teams, comprised of two 

Soldiers each, registered for this year’s 

competition. Of those teams, three of 

them were there representing the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry 

Division, in the 2011 U.S. Army’s Best 

Stories & photos by Stephanie Hoff Ranger Competition.

1st Lt. Joshua Gorczynski, 1st Bn., 28th Inf., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. 

completes a rope-drop obstacle while participating in the 2011 Best 

Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga. 
22|www.riley.army.mil Duty First! June 2011 |23

When most people think of a Soldier assigned to the U.S. Army’s Field 

Artillery Branch, they visualize big cannons and loud “booms.” For Capt. Steven Ackerson, keeping his body in shape 

has always been an additional priority. 

On April 15, Ackerson, commander 

of Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field 

Artillery, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat 

Team, 1st Infantry Division, put his body 

through one of its most extreme tests 

when he began the 2011 Best Ranger 

Competition at Fort Benning, Ga. 

The event marked the 28th anniversary of the competition, which consists of 

nearly 60 hours of back-to-back physical 

and mental tasks with no scheduled time 

for sleep or relaxation.

Of the total 102 competitors, Ackerson made up one of only two Soldiers 

from an artillery unit. “(Ackerson) is 

one of those two,” his father, Jeff, said 

proudly. 

A graduate of Purdue University, 

Ackerson was commissioned into the 

Army in 2004, and while the physically 

demanding field of the infantry appealed 

to him, the artillery won as his final field 

of choice. 

“When it came time for me to pick my 

field, a lot of the officers that I knew were 

picking to go into the infantry,” Steven 

said. “So I thought, ‘Why not try the artillery?’” 

When it came time for his commissioning, he would once again find himself 

as a rarity. His father, who was a colonel 

in the U.S. Air Force at the time, was not 

only present at his commissioning, but 

the individual who commissioned him 

into the Army. His father was also able to 

share the same moment with Steven’s 

twin brother, Brian, when he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force. 

“I’m very proud of him and his accomplishments ... I’ve been privileged to 

witness so many of them first hand,” Jeff 

said, as he watched from the sidelines as 

Steven competed in the BRC. 

The father/son trip to Fort Benning was 

not the first time the duo made the trip to 

the Georgia post. In 2009, Jeff was there to 

pin on Steven’s Ranger tab following his 

son’s completion of Ranger School. 

“(Brian) and I come from a military 

family, but serving in the military as he 

did, our father has a great understanding 

of it and what it requires,” Steven said. 

“It has been great to not only have him 

present, but to get to share those significant points of my career with him.” 

Steven and his Ranger teammate, 

Capt. Joshua Hunsucker, were awarded 

a 19th place finish following their exertions during the competition. 

“(Finishing in the top twenty) just 

feels surreal,” Steven said. “Initially, we 

just had our minds set on reaching the 

finish line.”

Within the next few months, Steven 

will depart the division and Fort Riley, 

which has been his home since 2005 and 

arrive for his new assignment at Eglin Air 

Force Base, Fla. He’s not quite sure what 

the future with his new unit has in store 

for him, but he does know if the opportunity to compete in the Best Ranger Competition comes up again, he’ll be there. 

Artillery Soldier shows strengths

ABOVE: Capt. Steve Ackerson of 2nd Bn., 32nd 

FA Regt., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., dives into a 

pond while completing the water confidence 

test during the 2011 Best Ranger Competition 

at Fort Benning, Ga. RIGHT: Capt. Steven Ackerson (left) 2nd Bn.; 32nd FA Regt.; 4th IBCT 

poses for a photo with his father, Jeff, following his completition of the 2011 Best Ranger 

Competition.

(continued from page 21)

With their game faces on, the Soldiers 

arrived to Fort Benning at the end of March 

to begin preparations for the competition 

that took place April 15 – 17.

The six Soldiers representing the 1st 

Inf. Div. in this year’s competition were: 

Capts. Joshua Hunsucker and Steven 

Ackerson; Capt. Christopher Johnson 

and 1st Lt. Shaun Pothin; and 1st Lts. 

Joshua Gorczynski and Nicholas Fender. 

This year marked the first time each of 

the Soldiers competed in the demanding 

three-day challenge. 

In keeping with the event’s tradition, 

competitors are not made aware of the 

testing sequence until their arrival at the 

testing site. Recurring events that have acclaimed historical recognition as some of 

the competition’s most grueling include: 

the helocast, where teams are required to 

jump from a helicopter into water and 

swim ashore; the “Buddy Run,” a race of 

unknown distance that often includes a 

swim; and the “Darby Queen,” a one-mile 

obstacle course set deep in the post’s 

wooded landscape. 

“It’s been amazing to get to watch 

him compete,” said Kelly Hunsucker of 

her husband, Joshua. “When they train 

on (Fort Riley), the Families don’t get 

many opportunities to watch them. This 

has been my first time getting to witness 

their abilities with my own two eyes. It’s 

wonderful getting to see how strong and 

talented they are.” 

The competition kicked off at 6 a.m. 

April 15 with a fitness test. Once they took 

their first step, they committed to the next 

60 hours, knowing there was no scheduled time for sleep or relaxation. Within 

that time, they would be required to complete such tasks as marksmanship, a rope 

climb, rappelling and travel more than 60 

miles on foot. 

“We planned on just making it to the 

finish line,” Fender said of himself and 

teammate, Gorczynski, who completed 

the event with a 15th place finish. “As 

the competition progressed we found 

ourselves trying to move up in the rankings. (Gorczynski) and I feel pretty good 

because we exceeded the goals we set 

for ourselves.” 

Throughout the competition, participants acquired points for their success 

during each task. The final day’s events 

included the helocast, the water confidence test and the “dreaded” Darby 

Queen.

“It’s almost like you go into ‘robot 

mode,’” Joshua Hunsucker said. “You 

don’t really think too much about it at 

the time and just do what is directed of 

you at each task. It feels great to have finished it all the way through.” 

Thirty-one out of the initial 51 teams 

completed the event. 

“Team 39,” comprised of Hunsucker 

and Ackerson, were awarded 19th place, 

marking the second “Big Red One” team 

to not only complete the event but to receive a top 20 finish. 

Despite the cuts, bruises and swollen 

feet... all four “Dragon” Brigade Soldiers 

who crossed the event’s finish line said 

they would participate in the competition 

again if given the opportunity. 

“They did awesome,” said Command 

Sgt. Maj. Wylie Hutchison, 4th IBCT’s 

command sergeant major. “I’m very 

proud of all of them.”

FROM TOP LEFT DOWN: 1st Lts. Joshua Gorczynski, 

left, and Nicholas Fender, both of 1st Bn., 28th Inf., 

4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., race to the finish line to mark 

their completion of the water confidence test during the 2011 Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga.; 1st Lt. Joshua Gorczynski, 1st Bn., 28th 

Inf., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. completes a hand grenade course; Capt. Joshua Hunsucker of HHC, 4th 

IBCT, releases a zip-line to dive into a pond on Fort 

Benning, Ga.; 1st Lt. Joshua Gorczynski, 1st Bn., 

28th Inf. Regt., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., climbs a wall 

obstacle while participating in the 2011 Best 

Ranger Competition.
24

| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |25

Two years after receiving a trau-

matic brain injury in Iraq and just 

days before heading into harm’s 

way again, a change in policy al-

lowed Army Lt. Col. Erich Camp-

bell to receive the Purple Heart 

on Fort Riley, April 27. 

Campbell, who deployed to 

Afghanistan in May, received 

the medal for injuries sustained 

when a suicide bomber dis-

guised as an Iraqi police officer 

attacked his unit in 2008. The ex-

plosion killed six Iraqi police of-

ficers, including an Iraqi general, 

he said. 

(story continued on page 26)

Story by Sgt. Roland Hale | 1st Infantry Division PAO

Sgt. Roland Hale, CAB, 1st Inf. Div. PAO

Lt. Col. Erich Campbell 

speaks after receiving the 

Purple Heart at Fort Riley, 

April 27. Campbell received 

the decoration for a traumatic brain injury sustained 

while deployed to Iraq in 

2008, when a suicide bomber 

disguised as an Iraqi police 

officer attacked his unit. 
26| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! June 2011 |27

(continued from page 25)

Campbell is one of the first service 

members to receive a Purple Heart for 

traumatic brain injury, or TBI, due to a 

recent change in the military’s recognition of the injuries.

 “At the time of the injury, I was taken to the CSH (combat support hospital), given Motrin and told, ‘Well you 

just got your bell rung, take three days 

off, get some rest and you should be 

good.’ It wasn’t very long after that that 

I realized there was something 

wrong.”

Previously if service members were 

not diagnosed with TBI immediately 

after an incident, it could complicate 

the process of presenting them the Purple Heart, he explained.

“What the Purple Heart does for me 

today is it quantifies that there really 

was something wrong with us,” Campbell said.

 Fort Riley and 1st Infantry Division 

Commander Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks 

presented the medal to Campbell in 

front of an audience gathered at Fort Riley’s TBI Clinic for the ceremony. 

“This is a recognition that no one 

wants, no one seeks,” Brooks said. “Unlike other decorations, it’s not an award 

you earn. It’s an entitlement. It’s a way 

our nation says, ‘You have exposed 

yourself and have borne the brunt of 

the battle.’” 

Brooks also addressed the change 

that allowed Campbell to receive the 

Purple Heart:

“While blasts and traumatic brain 

injuries are not something new to warriors, not new at all, our recognition of 

it as an injury is very different. It’s about 

time, quite frankly. It’s about time,” he 

said.

Campbell gave a speech to his audience after the ceremony, most of which 

he dedicated to thanking his friends in 

the community and the Army.

“I really know what we’re fighting 

for. It’s for you guys,” Campbell said, 

pointing around the room, “and for our 

home.” 

“Someone once wrote a book, ‘It 

Takes a Village to Raise a Child.’ I’m 

here to tell you it takes a nation to heal a 

warrior. Not just the military,” he said.

Campbell has spent the last year 

serving as the rear detachment commander for Fort Riley’s Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. With 

that unit recently returned from Iraq, 

Campbell is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

“(It) proves that you can suffer from 

a traumatic brain injury, get treated, not 

affect your career, and go on to serve 

the military,” Campbell said.

Campbell said after his tour he plans 

to retire to his home in Holton, Kan., 

with his neighbors, his Family and his 

Bassett hounds. 

I’m here to tell you it takes a nation to heal a warrior. Not 

just the military.”

Army Lt. Col. Erich Campbell,

Purple Heart recipient

FROM LEFT: Lt. Col. Erich Campbell, right, shakes hands with then-Fort Riley and 1st Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks after 

receiving the Purple Heart; Campbell embraces a friend after receiving the Purple Heart; Campbell poses for a picture with Family after being 

awarded a Purple Heart at the mild Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic on Fort Riley. Shown from left are Campbell’s daughter, Allison, wife, Cornelia, 

and son, Johan.

Sgt. Roland Hale, CAB, 1st Inf. Div. PAOSgt. Roland Hale, CAB, 1st Inf. Div. PAO

stephanie hoff, duty first! magazine

June 27–30 | Fort Riley, Kan.
Editor’s note: Life Outside the Gate will 

be a monthly feature in Duty First! Magazine. 

This feature will explore groups, organizations 

and events in the Flint Hills Region that are 

available to Soldiers and their Families.

By Mollie Miller

Duty First! Magazine

The quest to find the best spot to hunt or 

fish is often wrought with disappointments and dead ends. 

Outdoor sportsmen new to the Flint 

Hills region, however, need not endure 

the trials and tribulations in their own 

quests for the perfect field, bush or tree. 

The men and women of the Fort Riley 

Outdoorsmen Group (FROG) already 

have done much of the hard work and are 

ready to share the information with their 

fellow FROG members. 

“The FROG is full of people who have 

been hunting and fishing this area for 

years and know the locations of all the 

best spots,” Executive Board Member 

Frank Rottinghaus said.

“Being a part of FROG is a great way 

for Soldiers who are coming from all corners of the globe to figure out how to hunt 

and fish Fort Riley.” 

FROG, founded in 2005, is a group 

dedicated to the mission of promoting 

conservation and outdoor recreation on 

Fort Riley, according to the organization’s 

website. Since its founding, the FROG has 

accomplished this mission by focusing on 

projects like turkey and deer youth hunts, 

fishing derbies, conservation projects and 

the establishment of the Fort Riley Trap/

Skeet Range and Archery Range.

“FROG’s efforts in conservation and 

recreation on Fort Riley improve habitat, 

optimize sustainable wildlife populations 

and increase ethical, informed participation 

in outdoor recreation,” FROG President 

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne said. 

FROG Executive Board Member 

Shawn Stratton is one of the original 

founders of the group. The fish and wildlife biologist said he helped form the 

FROG because he saw a need for “a connection between recreation users, fish and 

wildlife managers and conservation organizations at Fort Riley.” Stratton said he 

has seen that important connection flourish which has resulted in many outdoor 

recreation improvements at Fort Riley. 

“I have seen some great services implemented at the installation including the 

Archery Range and the Trap and Skeet 

Range,” he said. 

Stratton said while FROG accomplishments are many, the thing he is most 

proud of is the work the group has done 

to ensure that children, whose parents are 

deployed, still have the opportunity to get 

out and hunt and fish. 

“We have given youth ... the chance to 

stay involved with the outdoors even while 

their mom or dad is away,” he said. 

With a current membership of more 

than 1,000 Soldiers, Family members, retirees, and civilians, the FROG is a virtual 

treasure chest of knowledge about the 

many outdoor recreation opportunities 

available in and around Fort Riley. 

“We have a lot of fun (in the FROG) because we are surrounded by people who all 

have positive attitudes toward nature,” Rottinghaus said. “The members all have a lot 

in common including a strong interest in being good stewards of the environment.”

28| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! June 2011 |29

Editor’s note: This is the initial column 

in what will become a monthly feature in 

Duty First! Magazine.

Men! We are in the battle of our 

lives and when it comes to battle, the 

difference between victory and defeat 

lies in the focus of our training and the 

quality of mentorship our Noncommissioned Officers provide to the 

“Joes” who depend on them.

Not only do the young Soldiers of 

the Big Red One depend on you, the 

NCO, but I depend on you, the NCO, 

to take care of our junior troopers. 

Without you, we’d be lost. That 

hasn’t changed since the creation of the 

NCO in 1775. 

The one who executes the training 

and who makes sure that training is at 

a standard that is representative of 

today’s state of the art army, the NCO 

has an imperative responsibility to this 

army that makes my little eyes fill up 

with tears of joy! There’s pride and 

excitement in the responsibility! Do 

you feel it? Coming up with the 

planning, the resourcing and, finally, 

the field training. It’s nothing short of 

glory!

However, amidst the pride in our 

hearts and the lust for adventure 

overflowing at our fingertips, we must 

not forget the standards that are in 

place to ensure each and every Soldier 

is in the best position possible to 

accomplish their various missions. For 

we have been tasked with knowing 

and enforcing such standards without 

prejudice or favoritism, and if you’re a 

good NCO, you won’t have any 

problems with that.

Communication is the solution to 

any problem. The more you communicate with your Soldiers, the easier 

enforcing the standard will be, but 

even this can cause trouble if approached in the wrong way.

I recently had to tear a certain 

Sergeant a new one for letting his 

friendship with his Soldiers get in the 

way of his duty. Sure, I don’t care if 

you buddy up with your troops, but if 

it starts to get in the way of disciplining certain squad members who are 

endangering the mission, we have a 

problem.

Never forget that if you look the 

other way without correcting a deficiency, you have essentially set a new 

standard and have done a disservice to 

the Soldiers who look up to you to 

show them what looks and sounds 

right. The success of the mission, even 

the lives of your Soldiers, depends on 

you and your ability to keep the 

standard high!

YOUR DUTY FIRST! 1ST SERGEANT Communication is the 

solution to any problem. The 

more you communicate with 

your Soldiers, the easier 

enforcing the standard will 

be, but even this can cause 

trouble if approached in the 

wrong way.

FROG promotes outdoor recreation

The Fort Riley Outdoorsmen Group, or FROG, 

founded in 2005, is a group dedicated to the 

mission of promoting 

conservation and 

outdoor recreation on 

Fort Riley.

FROG Membership 

is free and open to 

anyone of any age 

interested in promoting 

conservation and outdoor recreation. You can 

sign up by e-mailing FROG@FortRileyOutdoorsmenGroup.com. Members receive periodic 

e-newsletters and notifications of the stocking of 

fish, regulation changes, project proposals, 

biologist’s notes, and privately-owned firearms 

and archery range dates and times.

For information about FROG, visit the group’s 

website at www.fortrileyoutdoorsmengroup.com.

Jump on over 

to FROG

Helps Soldiers, Families 

figure out where to fish, 

hunt in Fort Riley area

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

OPPOSITE PAGE FROM LEFT: Fort Riley Outdoorsmen Group Executive Board Member Frank Rottinghaus shows off his skills at the Fort Riley 3-D 

Archery Range. The range was developed, in part, by members of the FROG; Rottinghaus’ arrow lands just outside the score circle on a turkey, one 

of 40 3-D targets at the Fort Riley Archery Range. 
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION 

ABOUT THE BIG RED ONE?

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