TRAINING, WEAPONRY & FAMILIES HELPING SOLDIERS PREPARE FOR BATTLE

COMBATIVES TEAM’S WORKOUT REGIMENT GETTING EARLY START

Unofficial 1st Infantry Division Magazine of Soldiers and Families | www.riley.army.mil
 Duty First! May 2011 

|1

Duty First!

The Duty First is an unofficial publication pro-

duced under the provisions of AR 360-1, published 

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. Circulation is 6,000 

per issue, printed monthly. Story and photos sub-

missions 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. Vincent Brooks

1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne

1st Infantry Division PAO

Lt. Col. Sophie Gainey

Editor

Jordan Chapman

Staff Writers

Stephanie Hoff

Mollie Miller

Illustrator

Justin Angeles

stephanie hoff, Duty First! Magazine

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

May 2011 | www.riley.army.mil

COVER: Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks (from far 

left), Gen. James Thurman and Maj. Gen. 

William Mayville salute May 25 during a 

change of command ceremony on Fort 

Riley’s Cavalry Parade Field. During this 

ceremony, Thurman, commanding general of the U.S. Army’s Forces Command, 

handed the division’s colors to Mayville, 

commanding general of the 1st Inf. Div. 

and Fort Riley from Brooks, the division’s 

former commander.

C ONTENTS

Departments

Features

Danger 6

Goodbye comes with great 

memories, lasting successes Around the Division

Vanguard Battalion lends 

helping hand to Iraqi Army

Danger 7

Soldier success relies on 

support gained from Families 

PICTORIAL

Check out your 

U.S. Army ACUs in action 

Armed with the right stuff

Infantrymen benefit from 

proper training, armor Head Games

Training, leadership keep

Soldiers mentally sharp A job well done

Looking back at Maj. Gen. 

Brooks’ time at Fort Riley Happy homefront

Soldiers stay focused with 

support from Families A full tank

Soldier wouldn’t trade time 

in tank for anything Test of nerves

Chinook test pilot takes 

training to the limit A combative stance

Combatives team holds 

division-wide tourney 

Wish comes true

Seven-year-old finds joy 

in becoming a Soldier

23

28 12

10

18

20

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

t’s no secret that we in the 1st Infantry Division can be put in dangerous situations.

Our Soldiers have braved the battlefields of St. Mihiel, Argonne and 

Picardy in World War I, raced through 

the sands of Omaha Beach in World 

War II, crawled through the jungles of 

Vietnam and are still sweating in the 

desert sands of Iraq and Afghanistan 

today. 

Throughout history the Soldiers of 

the Big Red One have sacrificed all to 

bring peace wherever the mission has 

taken them and it’s clear that one thing 

hasn’t changed in the 93 years the Big 

Red One has achieved victory, that the 

tenacity and courage of our Soldiers are 

always raising the standard through 

constant training, healthy esprit de 

corps’ and dedication to duty and honor that fuels our love for tradition. 

No matter how hard we train for the 

mission in both mind and body, we 

must never forget to take time for our 

Soldiers.

For noncommissioned officers, that 

means taking care of your BRO buddies, 

whose lives and well-being depend on 

you. For Soldiers, that means taking care 

of the person on your right and left. 

Make sure that your training and physical fitness standards do not slip, even 

while deployed. Ensure that morale 

within your unit doesn’t begin to fall. 

Take care of each other.

Most importantly, though, we need 

our Families.

Often, as Soldiers, we talk about how 

important our Families are to our success. This is undeniable. Everything we 

go through as Soldiers, our Families 

also experience, along with all the additional complications that life in the 

Army can sometimes bring.

Whether we are training on Fort Riley and have the benefit of going home 

every night, are ensuring your spouse or 

parents are acquainted with available 

resources and are plugged into the appropriate family readiness group before 

you deploy or you’re taking the time to 

call home while overseas, do it! You and 

your Family both stand to benefit.

We can’t do what we do without the 

support of our Families. They are our 

strength and resilience in the hardest of 

times and no matter what happens, 

they will be there.

Whether you’re an infantryman going in on foot, barreling down the road 

in an M1 Abrams tank or flying high in 

a Chinook, your training, your mission, 

is at hand. While you’re out there, take 

heart in the knowledge that your Family is home safe and is in full support of 

you. Stay focused and go complete your 

task with “Big Red One” style!

Now ... get after it!

This marks my final column in 

the Duty First magazine as I 

am on my way to my next 

duty assignment to serve as the Commanding General for 3rd Army/Army 

Forces Central. My new command has 

a split command structure with one 

headquarters, the main command post, 

at Shaw AFB, near Sumter, S.C.; and a 

second forward headquarters, the operational command post, in the Middle 

Eastern country of Kuwait, liberated 

by the “Big Red One” 20 years ago. 

Carol and I have been honored to have 

as the highlight of our military service 

this tour of duty with the Big Red One. 

What a great way to end my service in 

a division.

Let me begin by saying thanks to 

each of you—Soldiers, Family Members, DA civilians, units—for demonstrating the Division’s motto in what 

you do every day. The motto is more 

than words. The motto captures the 

very essence of what it means to be a 

part of the Fighting First Division. 

Thanks for being the first in so many 

ways.

I will cherish the privilege of wearing the distinctive patch on my right 

shoulder, and with that privilege I will 

also cherish the memories that surround it. Much has been accomplished 

by our units and they remain on the 

edge of danger today in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Division is well-known 

in both locations and is a shareholder 

in the sweetness and bitterness of the 

successes that have been accomplished. 

Keep those who are deployed in your 

thoughts and prayers, and support 

their Families in any way you can. Indeed, we couldn’t have made it this far 

without them. They are our reason for 

doing what we do and we are forever 

indebted to them. 

Much has been accomplished over 

the last two years, thanks to your hard 

work and contributions, and thanks to 

the superb efforts by the U.S. Army Garrison—Fort Riley, the 1st Infantry Division staff and the FORSCOM Mission 

Support Element. Each of them guided 

a part of the monumental work that was 

done with creativity, good stewardship 

and unparalleled innovation. Without 

everyone working together, the Fort Riley-2015 Campaign Plan would have 

been a collection of ideas instead of the 

blueprint for successes that have already 

begun. As I leave Fort Riley and the Division, I do so with great satisfaction at 

what has been done and with great confidence in what will be done over the 

coming years. 

Finally, it is important to recognize 

the support network we at Fort Riley 

and we, the broader Big Red One, enjoy 

in our surrounding communities. The 

covenants signed with surrounding 

communities codify what you know to 

be the case in reality every day—that is, 

that there can be no more supportive 

environment for military service than 

the environment created by our neighbors. I want to thank them for making 

everyone who serves in this organization feel at home and for providing a 

home to our Families. You have been a 

key to any success enjoyed by the post 

and the Division, and we feel a part of 

the successes enjoyed by the communities as well. 

We will be on the lookout for you 

should the opportunity to serve again 

come our way. We also will continue to 

follow the activities of the Division with 

great interest and will always be among 

the many veterans who associate themselves, forever, with the 1st Infantry Division. God bless each of you as you continue your service, and may God continue to bless Fort Riley, our associated 

installations and the “Big Red One.”

No Mission too Difficult, No Sacrifice too Great, Duty First! Farewell.

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

Commanding General DANGER 6 Command Sergeant Major DANGER 7

Privilege to lead Big Red One Family support aids success

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne
4

| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! May 2011 |5

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks leaves mark at Fort Riley T

he morning of April 15, 2009, 700 

Soldiers representing each 1st 

Infantry Division subordinate 

unit were assembled on the Cavalry 

Parade Field to welcome in the Big 

Red One’s 74th Commanding Gener-

al, Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks.

Assuming command from Brig. 

Gen. Perry Wiggins, Brooks took com-

mand with 29 years of service under 

his belt, including positions as the 

Chief of Army Public Affairs, acting 

commanding general of the 1st Cav-

alry Division and deputy commander 

of III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas.

“(The) spirit of the Big Red One,” 

Brooks said to Soldiers, Families and 

surrounding community leaders in at-

tendance. “It’s a spirit of comradeship 

that never fades, and that is what ex-

cites me about rejoining this division,” 

he continued, having learned his lead-

ership skills as a young company com-

mander during the Cold War. Staff report 

Duty First! Magazine
6

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! May 2011 |7

(continued from page 5)

That same comradeship he spoke of hasn’t left the divi-

sion and he’s confident it never will after spending two 

years leading Big Red One Soldiers stateside as well as 

overseas.

Under his leadership, Brooks took the Division Head-

quarters and Headquarters Battalion on its first deploy-

ment in December 2009 since its return from Germany in 

2006. 

The deployment also marked the division’s first as a 

modular headquarters, United States Division–South, Iraq, 

where Big Red One Soldiers were to execute missions at the 

heart of Operation Iraqi Freedom, maintain peace and deter 

aggression in their region as well as usher in Operation New 

Dawn, taking effect Sept. 1, 2010.

While deployed, Brooks entrusted the oversight of 21,000 

Soldiers and the mobilization of five brigades to Brig. Gen. 

David Petersen, deputy commanding general-rear. 

In the course of 12 months, the 4th Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team returned from Iraq and began the reset 

process, while the 1st Sustainment Brigade, Combat 

Aviation Brigade, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 

2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team and 3rd Infantry Bri-

gade Combat Team all trained and then deployed to 

either Iraq or Afghanistan. 

Also under Petersen’s watchful eyes was Brooks’ Fort 

Riley-2015 Campaign Plan, unveiled to 1st Inf. Div. and 

community leaders in January 2010.

Using information gathered from a variety of Soldier 

and Family surveys, the plan addresses improved support 

in four areas, namely: resiliency, sustainability, commu-

nity and the Army Force Generation cycle. 

“We don't want it to be a secret," Brooks said during 

the plan’s unveiling, regarding the common phrase that 

Fort Riley is the Army’s “best-kept secret.”

Brooks not only impacted Fort Riley but the surround-

ing community, as well.

Mike Rhodes, 2010–11 Junction City mayor, explained 

he was happy Brooks continued the Community Partner-

ship Conferences on post.

“I think they have been a real benefit to Fort Riley, as well 

as all of us in the Flint Hills. Getting to know each other, 

sharing ideas, sharing programs, telling them or showing 

them what we can do and what they can do for us (has been 

great.) The exchange of information has been one of the 

things that I’ll miss most about (Maj.) Gen. Brooks,” Rhodes 

said.

Replacing Brooks will be Maj. Gen. William Mayville, Jr., 

who most recently served as the deputy chief of staff for 

operations, International Security Assistance Force, Opera-

tion Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.

The 1st Infantry Division Change of Command Cere-

mony, when Brooks and Mayville officially exchanged the 

colors, occurred May 25. (more photos on pages 8–9)

It has been an 

honor...to serve 

under Maj. Gen. 

Brooks’ unwavering 

leadership and 

vision, which 

helped guide the 

‘Dagger’ Brigade to 

the many 

successes we have 

had and will 

continue to have.”

—Col. Paul T. Calvert, 

2nd Heavy Brigade Combat 

Team, 1st Inf. Div. 

commander

The exchange of 

information has 

been one of the 

things that I’ll miss 

most about (Maj.) 

Gen. Brooks.”

—Mike Rhodes, 2010–11 

Junction City mayor

Maj. Gen. Brooks has been great 

for the 1st Infantry Division...we 

will be sad to see him go.”

—Command Sgt. Maj. Wylie Hutchison, 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s 

command sergeant major

Victory Run 2009

Resiliency Campus Ribbon-cutting

Army Birthday Ball

USD-S Thanksgiving

1st Inf. Div. Combatives Victory

Change of Command

1st Inf. Div. Deployment Ceremony

School VisitMaj. Gen. Brooks & Sen. Roberts
8| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! May 2011 |9

He’s like looking at a good diamond.”

—Art Degroat, director of military affairs 

for Kansas State University

I had the privilege and honor to be 

invited on a trip to Iraq to see what 

our Soldiers are accomplishing, 

and what the Soldiers and Families 

we work with are experiencing first 

hand. It was a wonderful experience and one I will never regret.”

—Kirk Schultz, president of Kansas State University

MG Brooks is a great Commander and motivator...I have the utmost respect for his desire to train 

superior leaders and to improve Soldier resiliency throughout the Army.”

—Staff Sgt. Matthew L. Veasley, 

1st Sust. Bde.

His caring, compassionate and hardy leadership ... always 

inspired us all to truly remain engaged with our Soldiers, and 

sought to bring out the best in us as commanders.”

—Lt. Col. Andrew Cole Jr., 

commander of 3rd AHB, 1st Avn. Regt., CAB

We will truly miss the guidance we have 

had the pleasure to receive from Maj. Gen. 

Brooks during his two years serving this 

great division. Through his own extensive 

experience, he has shown us a new and 

better way to approach the world of Public 

Affairs and we are forever in his debt.”

—1st Inf. Div. and Garrison Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. Brooks is an exceptional senior leader whose amazing eloquence is only overshadowed 

by his remarkable genuine concern for the well-being of his Soldiers and their Family members.”

—Col. Marshall Cox,

DENTAC commander

He is the true definition of an 

officer and a gentleman.”

— Lt. Col. Roderick Herron, 

75th Fires Brigade, 

Deputy Commanding Officer

He is a great guy, he is there for the Soldiers, and is all about 

the Soldiers’ needs.”

— Sgt. Jeffery McElroy, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 

1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team

Redeployment Ceremony

Fort Riley/KSU Partnership

Change of Command

KSU Visits Iraq Veterans Day Veterans Day

Cantigny Visit

Brooks Speaks to West Point Cadets
the lead gunner and it was important 

that my head was in the game.” 

 A Soldier who keeps their head in 

the game is an integral part of every 

successful mission, according to 1st Sgt. 

Donald Goode. 

“If the Soldiers can’t concentrate on 

their mission then it won’t be done 

quickly and to standard,” he said. 

Goode, assigned to Signal Company, 

Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., returned to 

Fort Riley in March following a 

12-month tour of duty in Iraq. 

The first sergeant said that during 

his most recent deployment, situations 

in Iraq and on the homefront came up 

that had the potential to draw his Soldiers’ attention away from their mission, but the company never lost focus 

of the importance of their duties, 

thanks, inpart, to a caring command 

team. 

“Commanders, first sergeants and 

leaders who spend their time simply 

playing cards with Soldiers, discussing 

the Army career and lifestyle, educating them and listening to their problems extends mission capability by 

leaps and bounds,” Goode said. “Soldiers who know that someone cares 

about them can focus on the mission 

and not worry that they are alone.”

For Staff Sgt. Frank Morales, Signal 

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

thoughts of his Family back home kept 

him moving forward and accomplishing his mission. 

“My Family is always in my head 

because they are the reason why I do 

what I do,” he said. 

Tully said a pre-mission routine always helped him focus his mind as he 

prepared to travel the roads around 

Baghdad with his PSD team. Tully’s 

routine included various checks and inspections, a visit to the gym, cleaning 

his weapon, route planning and the 

gathering of important food items, like 

Pop Tarts and Slim Jims.

“Getting ready was always a long 

process,” he said.

For Goode and Tully, dedication to 

the Soldiers to their left and right also 

helped keep their mind on the mission. 

“I know I have to remain strong and 

focused for my Soldiers,” Goode said. 

If a Soldier is having trouble keeping 

his mind focused on the mission, Goode 

said unit leaders must step in to mitigate whatever issues are drawing the 

Soldier’s attention. 

“If a Soldier can't keep their head in 

the game then leadership embeds all 

available assets to help them,” the senior 

noncommissioned officer said. “Downrange there are chaplains, resiliency 

classes, MWR centers, behavior health 

(specialists), troop medical clinics, and, 

most importantly, battle buddies. (These 

resources) help Soldiers pick themselves 

up and move forward until it is time to 

come home.” 

Tully said Soldiers having trouble 

focusing their minds on their task at 

hand should fall back on their training 

to help ensure mission success. 

“Before every mission, I focus my 

mind by thinking about everything that 

could possibly happen and what essential tools I’ll need for every (scenario),” 

he said. “You always have to think 

about and plan for the worst but hope 

for the best. I know the worst, I have 

seen the worst, and I hope I don’t have 

to see it again.” 

10| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! May 2011 |11

When the message about a mortar attack in Ghazaliya, Iraq, popped up on 

the blue force tracker screen Dec. 31, 

2008, Sgt. John Tully’s world seemed 

to turn a funny shade of red. 

The message read that Tully’s good 

friend, Pfc. Benjamin Tollefson, had 

been killed in the mortar attack. 

“(Tollefson’s team) was stopped at a 

Joint Security Station when a guy fired 

a mortar at them. The mortar exploded 

and Tollefson got hit by a piece of 

shrapnel,” Tully said. “After I saw that 

message, I was so mad I was seeing 

red.”

When word of Tollefson’s death 

reached him, Tully and his team from 

the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Heavy 

Brigade Combat Team’s Personal Security Detachment were on a mission in 

Sadr City, Iraq. Although incredibly 

“pissed off,” Tully knew he couldn’t let 

his anger get the best of him in that situation—the Soldiers to his left and right 

were all counting on him to help get 

them back to base safely.

“It was a hard ride back (to base),” 

Tully said. “I was really mad but I didn’t 

want something bad to happen to anyone else on the team so I couldn’t let my 

guard down, I couldn’t lose focus. I was 

Training, leadership help 1st ID 

Soldiers keep ‘heads in the game’

Story by Mollie Miller • Duty First! Magazine

Courtesy photo

FROM TOP CLOCKWISE: 1st Sgt. Donald Goode, 

Signal Co., STB, 1st Sust. Bde., 1st Inf. Div., 

knocks out a set of pushups following a promotion ceremony during a recent deployment to 

Iraq. Goode said being involved in leadership 

plays an important role in keeping Soldiers’ 

minds on the mission; Sgt. John Tully, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd 

HBCT, 1st Inf. Div., poses for a picture outside 

division headquarters. Tully spent a year in Iraq 

learning the importance of keeping his mind on 

the mission; Staff Sgt. Frank Morales takes advantage of a little downtime during a recent deployment to Iraq with Signal Co., STB, 1st Sust. 

Bde., 1st Inf. Div.

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine Courtesy photo
12| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! May 2011 |13

During their first year at Fort Riley, 

the battalion’s Soldiers spent endless 

hours completing mock scenarios and 

training exercises in the Kansas prairies to prepare them for their upcoming deployment. 

“I was lucky to have really good 

leaders,” March said. 

The unit’s leadership was not only 

concerned with making sure they completed the required training, but making certain they retained the lessons 

presented within the training, he added. “The best advice I could give any 

young Soldier about to deploy is pay attention during training. It could save 

your life and your buddies’ lives.” 

Another livesaving tool in the infantryman’s preparation for battle, which 

is also often overlooked, is the uniform 

they put on everyday during a deployment. When packed with armor plates, 

weaponry and ammunition, the vital 

uniform generally weighs at least 60 

pounds. 

Soldiers must take great care to not 

only ensure their armor plates are in the 

precise location (down to the exact inch) 

but also have committed to memory the 

exact locations of extra ammunition 

and first aid equipment to retrieve immediately if necessary. 

Soon after arriving in Baghdad, 

March and the “Rangers” infantry battalion learned first-hand the essential 

role their uniform and equipment 

played in a combat zone. 

“We were living in Baghdad and not 

on the (forward operating base),” he 

said. “We sometimes wouldn’t return 

(to the FOB) for days, so we had to 

make sure to have our essentials with 

us at all times.” 

A few years, and promotions, later, 

March would once again find himself 

set to deploy with the battalion that he 

had come to know during the surge. 

This time he would not only be deploying to a changed Iraq; he would be deploying as a noncommissioned officer. 

“I went from being the guy getting 

told to get ready to go, to the one who 

had to make sure my Soldiers were 

ready to go,” March said. 

His main goal for his Soldiers before 

they deployed in 2009 was simple, “I 

trained my guys like my leadership had 

trained me.” 

After spending the last five years 

and two deployments in the “Rangers” 

battalion, March is set to leave the unit 

for Fort Campbell, Ky., soon. He stated 

the departure comes with mixed emotions as he is excited to arrive at the post 

that is closer to his hometown and Family but the move requires him to say 

goodbye to the battle buddies he has 

experienced so much with. 

“I’m going to take the lessons that I 

learned (from my leaders) on how to be 

a good infantryman to my new Soldiers,” he said. “I learned to always pay 

attention during training and to trust 

your team. I’m taking that with me.” 

I

N EARLY 2007, A PRIVATE FIRST 

CLASS WITH 2ND BATTALION, 16TH 

INFANTRY, 4TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION, DEPLOYED WITH HIS 

UNIT TO IRAQ WITH THE MISSION TO 

ASSIST IN SECURING BAGHDAD; A 

STRATEGY NOW COMMONLY KNOWN AS 

‘THE SURGE.’ 

He has spent countless hours lifting weights at the gym, completing numerous health assessments and readying his weapon and ammunition, 

but the moment the first bullet is fired, Staff Sgt. Jay March resorts to 

one thing: the training that readied him for this exact situation. 

“I didn’t realize the (magnitude of the) stuff that we experienced 

until later, when we were already home,” March said, who was 

20-years-old at the time. “All that goes through your head is, ‘I 

got to do this.’ Your adrenaline bursts up, your training kicks in 

and you just brush it off at the time.”

March, an Ohio native, enlisted in the U.S. Army when he 

was 19-years-old and was assigned to the young unit that 

was still standing up at Fort Riley, Kan. The battalion was 

organized in January 2006 and a little over a year later, 

found its Soldiers on planes bound for Iraq. 

Infantrymen find lifesaving tools in forms 

of training exercises, proper body armor 

Story by Stephanie Hoff | Duty First! Magazine

Courtesy photo

ABOVE: Staff Sgt. Jay March, of 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., left, poses for a picture while conducting a patrol during his 2007 deployment to Iraq. TOP: Staff Sgt. Jay March 

(left) poses for a picture with two Iraqi children and another Soldier during the unit’s deployment to Iraq in 2007. OPPOSITE PAGE: Staff Sgt. Jay March poses for a picture before setting 

out for missions during a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The yearlong tour 

marked the second time March deployed with the unit to Iraq.
14| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! May 2011 |15

Stability at home equals focused Soldier abroad

Mollie Miller · Duty First! Magazine

CAPT. DAN TOWER IS A BUSY GUY 

THESE DAYS. A COMPANY COMMANDER CURRENTLY DEPLOYED 

TO IRAQ WITH 1ST BATTALION, 

18TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 2ND 

HEAVY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 

1ST INFANTRY DIVISION, TOWER 

AND HIS TEAMMATES HAVE BEEN 

CHARGED WITH PREPARING CONTINGENCY OPERATING STATION 

HAMMER FOR HANDOVER TO THE 

STATE DEPARTMENT. 

IT IS A MISSION WITH MANY 

MOVING PIECES AND PEOPLE, ONE 

THAT REQUIRES TOWER’S CONSTANT FOCUS AND ATTENTION. 

“I have been given an important mission, and I’m going to get it done,” he said.

With his attention focused primarily on 

getting the job done at COS Hammer, Tower has little time to 

think about problems that might be 

arising at home. 

That’s OK with 

Tower, however, 

because he said his 

wife, Emily, has the 

homefront mission 

covered. 

“Knowing things 

are being taken care 

of at home makes 

focusing on the mission (in Iraq) a little bit easier,” he said. “I 

thank the Lord every day that I picked a really good (wife).” 

Emily understands the importance of 

her role in the success of the Army’s missions and describes her own priorities in 

simple terms. 

“My mission is to carry on at home without going nuts and without driving (Dan) 

nuts,” she said, achieving daily victory by 

staying focused on the goals she has set for 

herself: taking care of the couple’s finances, 

home and new daughter while at the same 

time always finding a reason to laugh.

“There are some days that you get up 

and you have to force yourself into a positive attitude,” she said. “If you can always 

find something to laugh at, every problem 

doesn’t have to turn into a crisis.” 

Jessica Goode, whose husband, 1st Sgt. 

Donald Goode, returned in March from a 

12-month deployment in Iraq, has a mission 

similar to Emily’s, to focus on caring for the 

couple’s three daughters and working a 

full-time job. She is proud of herself and the 

role she plays in her husband’s success. 

“I understand that this is his job, that he 

is doing good things for his country and 

that it is important that I support him,” Jessica said. 

Sometimes both Emily and Jessica find it 

hard to keep their heads focused on their 

own “homefront missions” and out of Iraq. 

A phone call that ends unexpectedly or a 

missed Skype date might stir up many negative thoughts but both are committed to 

returning their focus to their missions, their 

routines. 

“It is sometimes hard when you are on 

the phone and it suddenly disconnects,” 

Jessica said. “It’s just important to keep telling yourself that nothing is wrong, that the 

phones just quit, and be thankful that you 

got a phone call at all.” 

Emily, who is marking her second deployment as an Army girlfriend/wife, said 

staying focused on the homefront requires 

spouses to think positive thoughts even 

when the days of deployment seem to 

stretch on forever. 

“My grandpa once said that you have to 

take hold of life and make it do what you 

want, otherwise it will run over you. I think 

that’s very true for deployments,” she said. 

“You have to control the deployment, use it 

to accomplish your goals so that when 

(your Soldier) gets home, you both can be 

very proud of yourselves and all that was 

accomplished during the year.” 

Dan appreciates his wife’s dedication to 

their family, her personal mission and 

keeping the home-fires burning until he returns to Fort Riley in the fall. 

“I consider myself a very, very lucky 

guy,” he said. 

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

ABOVE: Capt. Dan Tower, 1st Bn., 18th Inf. Regt., 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. 

Div., and his wife, Emily, celebrate a few moments of quiet time with 

their new daughter, Allison. OPPOSITE PAGE: Emily Tower holds her 

daughter Allison’s hand.

My grandpa once said that 

you have to take hold of life 

and make it do what you 

want, otherwise it will run 

over you. I think that’s very 

true for deployments.”

—Emily Tower

wife of Capt. Dan Tower
16| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! May 2011 |17

For Sgt. 1st Class William “John” 

Griffith, knowing how to operate his 

M1A1 Abrams tank is more than merely 

his day job, but a carefully chosen career 

field. 

Griffith, a native of Nashville, Tenn., 

joined the U.S. Army in 2001 with one 

aspiration: to join the proud ranks of the 

Army’s armor branch. 

“I knew I wanted to be a tanker since 

before I joined. My dad was armor. He 

served as a tank commander in Vietnam,” he said. 

Nearly a decade later, he is living that 

dream.

For the past year, he has served as the 

master gunner for Company A, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st Heavy Brigade 

Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The 

highly decorated battalion has served as 

his second family since his arrival to the 

unit in 2001. 

In 2004, the “Dreadnaughts” received 

orders they were to deploy in January 

2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The deployment would require 

him and the three additional Soldiers assigned to his tank’s team to prepare the 

65-ton military vehicle for a year-long 

mission to Iraq. 

“It felt good deploying as part of a 

tank crew,” Griffith said. “If I had my 

choice, I would spend every day on a 

tank.” 

Griffith’s second deployment in May 

2008 would find him returning to Iraq, 

however, with a very different mission 

and without his second skin, his tank. He 

was chosen as part of a select few Soldiers 

who served as the personal security detachment for Brig. Gen. Keith Walker, 

who was then serving as assistant division commander for the division. 

“I learned a lot from serving on the 

PSD,” Griffith said. “But I also looked 

forward to returning to my tank.” 

Once he returned from his second deployment in mid-2009, he quickly found 

himself reunited with his former unit as 

well as the military vehicle that initially 

brought him into the Army. 

In early 2010, he once again departed 

Soldier wouldn’t trade time in tank for anything

He knows what it 

likes, and what it 

doesn’t. He knows 

how it copes in the cold, 

and in the heat. He knows 

how it handles in Kansas 

fields, and in the sands of 

Iraq. He knows how to 

respond when it acts up. He 

knows when it’s due for its 

next oil change, and when it 

loses a track he’s most likely 

in for a long day. 

Fort Riley, home to the Dreadnaughts 

since 1987, for Fort Knox, Ky., to test his 

tank skills at the Army’s Armor School. 

“I didn’t know it at the time, but while I 

was deployed on the PSD, my leadership was already filing the paperwork 

for me to be entered into the master gunner course.”

For the next 55-days, he would live 

and breathe the M1A1 , studying and 

working with some of the Army’s top 

tankers to master the finer details of his 

vehicle: the mechanics, electrical, hydraulic and weaponry systems.

One of four Fort Riley armor Soldiers 

selected for the course, he would leave 

with his master gunner certification. 

 “I felt very honored and humbled to 

get to attend the training when I returned,” he said, explaining further that 

as a newly appointed master gunner, his 

duties included the execution and evaluation of tank training received by battalion Soldiers as well as assisting with 

troubleshooting and weapons maintenance for all of the unit’s tanks.

 “For the past year, I was able to help 

out with the knowledge I gained at master gunner school,” he said. “For the past 

couple of months my responsibilities 

have shifted to focus on my duties as a 

platoon sergeant.” 

Last month, Griffith deployed with 

the Dreadnaughts to Afghanistan, 

though the battalion’s tanks were 

deemed inapt for the unit’s assigned 

mission in supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Again, he is without his 

second skin.

For the next year, the Dreadnaught 

Soldiers will be working with Afghan 

Security Forces in conducting security 

operations. 

Griffith is unsure on the route that his 

Army career will take upon his return, 

but he already knows exactly where he 

would like to see it go. 

“I would like to go somewhere where 

they have tanks. Whether that is Fort Riley, or a school house somewhere,” he 

said. “If the Army would let me pick, I’d 

be on a tank every day.”

Courtesy photo

Sgt. 1st Class William Griffith of 2nd Bn., 34th Armor, 1st HBCT, 1st Inf. Div., reclining in the 

front, poses for a picture with Soldiers from his platoon during their deployment to Iraq in 

2005. 

Story by Stephanie Hoff •Duty First! Magazine

Courtesy photo

FROM TOP: Sgt. 1st Class William Griffith of 

2nd Bn., 34th Armor, 1st HBCT, 1st Inf. Div., 

stands with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, 

Jaqueline, March 2 during his promotion ceremony on Fort Riley, Kan. Griffith recently 

deployed with the “Dreadnaughts,” marking 

his third deployment; Griffith, front far right, 

poses for a picture with the members of his 

tank’s team while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005; Griffith rides 

in a Humvee while serving in Iraq in 2008. 

During the deployment, Griffith served on a 

personal security detachment for Brig. Gen. 

Keith Walker, former assistant division commander of the 1st Inf. Div.
18| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! May 2011 |19

CW4Doug Adams is of 

average build and 

good character, 

but when duty calls, his skin turns to 

steel, his arms and legs are blades and rotors, he’s loud, he weighs 23,401 pounds 

on an empty belly and he can fly. Sound 

like a boyhood dream? It’s certainly 

close.

Welcome to the world of a 601st Aviation Support Battalion Chinook test pilot, 

where the fun never stops.

Though currently a part of Headquarters Headquarters Company, Combat 

Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, 

CW4 Adams has been on the job as a test 

pilot for 20 years.

Safe to assume he knows his way 

around the cockpit, Adams has reached a 

point in his career where he and the helicopter are one, his crewman are his eyes, 

and the maneuverability he requires in a 

high stress situation comes as naturally 

as walking down the street. 

Considering the missions he must undertake, becoming one with his machine 

has been an important endeavor, one 

only accomplished through countless 

hours of training and flight experience, of 

which Adams has roughly 2,500 hours.

Of course, the act of becoming a test 

pilot has been essential in Adams learning 

the “ins and outs” of his chosen aircraft. 

Like everything else, learning a new 

skill requires more school. 

“It’s a course you get sent to after you 

become a senior pilot, when you have at 

least 500 to 1,000 hours under your belt 

and already experienced all the tactics in 

being with a unit,” Adams said, explaining the test pilot course is for pilots who 

are already comfortable with the aircraft, 

know how to fly and want to stretch their 

boundaries. 

Once out of school, Adams found 

himself testing the airworthiness of Chinook helicopters after any scheduled 

maintenance or to test certain components that needed to be replaced.

Sounds scary, risky even, but the fear 

one would expect to be inherent in being 

a test pilot doesn’t affect Adams, explaining that it’s non-existent.

“There are at least three steps, or sets 

of eyes, that go over that aircraft and who 

test out those systems. In other words, 

we don’t just go from putting it together 

and taking it to flight,” he said, describing the process as first putting the helicopter back together, sending the helicopter through a series of diagnostics 

tests and then is passed on to a technical 

inspector, a senior mechanic who has 

“turned wrenches” for 10 to 12 years.

“They (technical inspectors) know 

what looks right, what goes together correctly and they can spot something. The 

third level, we actually run (the Chinooks) up on the ground before we fly,” 

Adams said. 

Without the fear, Adams is able to focus his mind where it matters the most, 

on keeping his newly maintained body 

safe from harm.

Achieving his level of comfort took 

about four years, but this is a job he 

can’t do alone, which means he needs 

to be able to read his crew members on 

sight.

“Some of the new guys are kind of 

nervous to fly, so that keys me and the 

rest of the crew that we’re not going to go 

out and do some of the maneuvers we 

might do with a more experienced crew,” 

he said. “Based on that crew coordination you get everyone’s comfort level so 

you can continue with the mission and 

change the mission as needed.”

Knowing these protocols has brought 

mission success upon Adams, as well as 

his crew, countless times through the 

years. 

It is through his passion for the job, 

indeed, the Chinook, and taking the time 

and effort to learn every aspect of his vehicle that he knows how to react when 

things go wrong, and the same can be 

said for all Soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div.

Illustrated through their countless 

victories, whether overseas or stateside, 

it is easy to see that the vehicles and 

weapons operated by our brave Soldiers 

are truly one with the infantry.

Based on that crew 

coordination you get everyone’s 

comfort level so you can 

continue with the mission and 

change the mission as needed.”

—CW4 Doug Adams

601st Aviation Support Battalion Chinook test pilot

Courtesy Photos provided by the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div. PAO

Day and night, Chinook aircraft pilots with the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., prepare for missions during their 12-month deployment to 

Iraq. The brigade returned to Fort Riley in February and March 2011. 
20

| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! May 2011 |21

Story & photos by Sgt. Keven Parry · 1st Infantry Division PAO

Fort Riley combatives team 

holds division-wide tourney

WHEN THE SOLDIERS OF THE 1ST IN-

FANTRY DIVISION place their feet on a 

combatives mat, they have accepted an 

agreement. There no longer is a choice be-

tween the instinctive question of “fight or 

flight.” Pain doesn’t matter and when told to 

begin, there is only one step to take: forward.

The Fort Riley combatives team held a divi-

sion-wide tournament at their training center 

March 15, where a total of 21 competitors 

from various weight levels competed to not 

only represent their respective units, but for a 

chance to represent Fort Riley at this year’s 

All-Army Combatives tournament, a compe-

tition that the team has placed in the top three 

spots in since 2008.

Sgt. Keven Parry, 1st Infantry Division PublicAffairs

Sgt. Kyle Gibson attempts to reposition his 

advantage over Spc. Jermaine Yanzie during the Fort 

Riley combatives tournament at the Fort Riley com-

batives center on March 15. 
22| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! May 2011 |23

(continued from page 19)

Clearly established as a winning 

team, the tournament acted as a recruitment tool to replace those members who 

have since departed.

 “We wanted to run a post tournament as a stop-gap between the weight 

classes that we’re 

missing, and to 

see what other 

talent that we 

have out there,” 

said Staff Sgt. 

Fransisco Portillo, combatives 

instructor and 

team noncommissioned officer 

in charge, explaining further 

that new members will be able to learn 

from the team’s already impressive 

base of competitors who have competed in both internal and national tournaments.

Instructors who ran and oversaw the 

tournament saw a lot of good aspects in 

those who competed, as well as a lot of 

room for improvement. “The level 

wasn’t that bad,” said Portillo. “Some of 

them showed good technique ... once 

you get tired, the only thing that’s left is 

technique.”

Many of the competitors that showed 

up displayed skills that will prove beneficial throughout their careers in combatives, while many others good conditioning, all of which will improve for 

those who made it high enough in the 

tournament to be chosen to train with 

the team.

The tournament had challenges for 

many of those with previous combatives experience. Soldiers often found 

that they had to rely on skills they had 

learned in the past in order to overcome an opponent who had been training recently.

Kyle Gibson, an Infantry Team Leader 

with B Company, 1st Infantry Battalion, 

28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Heavy Brigade Combat Team 1st Inf. Div., said that 

his most challenging match was when he 

and another had to face off after being 

trained by the same instructor.

“He teaches the fundamentals first 

and then builds up from there,” said 

Gibson. “He had all the fundamentals.”

The combatives instructors believe 

that there is much hidden talent on Fort 

Riley, and they encourage any Soldier 

who has the interest to enroll in the 

tournaments they will continue to host 

until they find the team that will once 

again become All-Army Tournament 

champions.

Sgt. Keven Parry, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

Spc. Jermaine Yanzie attempts to gain full control of Command Sgt. Maj. David Boling during the Fort Riley combatives tournament at the Fort Riley 

combatives center on March 15. 

The level wasn’t that bad. 

Some of them showed 

good technique ... once 

you get tired, the only thing 

that’s left is technique.”

—Staff Sgt. Francisco Portillo

combatives instructor 

TOP ROW FROM LEFT: Spc. Jermaine Yanzie and Spc. Cheker Guerrier grapple during one of the early matches of the Fort Riley combatives tournament 

at the Fort Riley combatives center March 15; two competitors strive for domination while observed by a combatives instructor. Instructors served as 

referees during the tournament; Command Sgt. Maj. David Boling grapples with a younger soldier. MIDDLE ROW FROM LEFT: Sgt. Jacob Tippet begins 

to break free of his opponent; Sgt. Kyle Gibson releases his hold on 2nd Lt. Matthew Valonski after the match is declared over; an instructor checks to 

ensure that safe maneuvers are being applied during a match. BOTTOM ROW FROM LEFT: Spc. Cheker Guerrier begins to break the hold applied to him 

by Pfc. Jessie Burton; Sgt. Hector Pedroza pulls his opponent to the ground at the beginning of his match; Command Sgt. Maj. David Boling battles for 

control against his opponent.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disorder that involves rapidly worsening 

muscle weakness.

“He is in a wheelchair part time now 

but eventually it will get to a point where 

he is in a wheelchair fulltime,” Jason 

said.

Following the diagnosis, the Field 

family was contacted by representatives 

from the Make-A-Wish Foundation inquiring about what they could do to help 

make a wish come true for Ian. Jason said 

his son’s immediate response was that he 

wanted to be a Soldier. 

Eventually, word of Ian’s desire to be 

a Soldier reached the 1st Infantry Division and Col. Joseph Wawro, 4th Infantry 

Brigade Combat Team commander. 

 “Ian could have wished to see Mickey 

Mouse, he could have wished to see an 

astronaut, he could have wished to see or 

be anything and his wish was to be a Soldier,” Wawro said. 

Soon, Wawro’s Soldiers in 1st Bn., 28th 

Inf. Regt., were busy trying to figure out 

how to turn a 7-year-old boy into an 

American Soldier in just two days. 

“We wanted to capture the total Army 

experience in two days so we scheduled 

events where Ian would get the badges 

and awards Soldiers earn during a 20 year 

career,” 1st Sgt. Brandon McGuire said. 

Ian’s two day Soldier experience 

kicked off April 14 with an early morning 

enlistment and promotion ceremony in 

front of 1st Infantry Division headquarters. Surrounded by his parents, his 

brothers, Austin, 15, Carson, 12, and his 

sister, Savanna, 9, Ian raised his right 

hand and committed himself to the United States Army. Now an official Soldier, 

Ian was promoted to private 1st class and 

introduced to his squad, the men he 

would be training, eating and living with 

for the next two days. 

“Ian’s day is now, his time is now and 

we are proud to help make his wish come 

true,” Wawro said as he sent the newest 

4th IBCT Soldier out to train with his 

Black Lion squad. 

During his two days with the Black 

Lions, Ian participated in the many activities that help prepare America’s fighting men and women for battle. On the 

first day, Ian tossed grenades, shot a variety of weapons, fired a Howitzer, saved a 

wounded comrade on the battlefield, rappelled down a wall, rode in a humvee 

through a simulated battle, arrested a bad 

guy and earned a lot of bragging rights as 

he beat his fellow Soldiers in a game of 

Call of Duty—Black Ops during a night 

at the barracks.

“It was amazing to see Ian light up on 

things that we do every day,” Ian’s squad 

leader, McGuire, said. 

Although bad weather threatened to 

derail plans on the second day, Ian 

proved he was as tough as his comrades 

as he soldiered on through rain and sleet 

and heavy winds to fly a UH-60 Black 

Hawk simulator and drive a tank before 

attending his farewell award ceremony.

“I would like to thank Jason and Angelia for entrusting us with their treasure 

for the past 48 hours,” Wawro said as he 

wrapped up Ian’s farewell. “It has been 

our honor and privilege ... to have this 

young man, Command Sgt. Maj. Ian 

Field, in our ranks and our formation.”

 Throughout his visit, Ian had the opportunity to see just how many “Army 

things” his fellow Soldiers excel at—

shooting, driving, flying, navigating and 

taking care of their buddies, but that’s not 

all that the 1st Infantry Division troops do 

well. 

While they may not look much like 

leprechauns or genies, Big Red One Soldiers are also pretty good at granting 

wishes, according to Ian’s parents. 

“They treated us like royalty,” Jason 

said. “We are so grateful.” 

The Soldiers who had the opportunity 

to spend time with Ian during his rapid 

accession through the ranks seem equally 

grateful for the experience. 

“When I first learned that Ian’s one 

wish above all else was to be a Soldier I 

was truly humbled,” said Lt. Col. Peter 

Shull, 1st Bn., 28th Inf. Regt. “I hope that 

the last two days made his wish come 

true.” 

Pfc. Devin Thacker, a member of Ian’s 

squad, said he considers April 14–15 two 

of his best days in the Army. 

“Ian is a great kid and we got to do a 

lot of fun stuff with him,” Thacker said. 

“I’m proud to have been part of making 

his wish come true.” 

McGuire, Ian’s constant companion 

during the two day visit, said the time he 

spent with his little charge reminded him 

just how lucky he is to be able to serve his 

country as a Soldier. 

“Never again will I complain about 

having to go to the field or train in bad 

weather because there are people like Ian 

who would give anything to be able to do 

what I do every day,” he said. “Ian reminded a lot of us of something we tend to 

forget when we get stuck in the daily grind 

of things. He reminded us that Soldiers 

have the greatest job in the world.”

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

Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Field, 7, stands with his squad during a farewell award ceremony April 15 at Barlow Theater on Fort Riley. The Soldiers of 

the 1st Infantry Division worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant Ian’s wish to become a Soldier. Ian is currently battling Duchenne 

muscular dystrophy. BELOW: Ian prepares to surprise a bad guy with a grenade while squad leader 1st Sgt. Brandon McGuire provides instruction. 

BOTTOM: Ian zeroes in on his target with the help of a BRO friend at Fort Riley’s Engagement Skills Trainer.

Big Red One helps 

fulfill child's wish 

to become a Soldier

The Soldiers of 1st 

Battalion, 28th Infantry 

Regiment, 4th Infantry 

Brigade Combat Team, 

stood tall April 15 as the 

1st Infantry Division’s 

newest command sergeant 

major strolled into Barlow 

Theater on Fort Riley.

All eyes were locked forward as 

Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Field ascended the stairs to the theater’s stage and 

turned to face his unit. With a small 

smile playing around the corners of 

his mouth, Ian quietly told the Soldiers 

standing before him to take their seats 

and, in a wave, every one sat down. 

It may have been the first time in 

history that a group of tough, battletested infantrymen took orders from a 

7-year-old. 

The journey that brought Ian to 

the 1st Infantry Division began about 

two years ago when his parents, Jason and Angelia Field, noticed their 

youngest son didn’t run like his siblings. A visit to Ian’s pediatrician 

kicked off a series of doctor visits 

that eventually led to a diagnosis of 

Story & photos by Mollie Miller

Command Sgt. Maj. 

Ian Field’s Awards

The units below presented the following 

awards, decorations and gifts to Command 

Sgt. Maj. Ian Field 

1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment: Army 

Achievement Medal, the expert infantryman badge, the combat infantryman 

badge, the combat medical badge and the 

expert marksmanship badge 

2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment: Ranger 

tab and air assault wings

1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment: Stetson 

and spurs

2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment: 

105mm Howitzer casing

4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion: Sapper 

tab

701st Brigade Support Battalion: Driver’s 

badge

1st Engineer Battalion: Battalion coin & crest

1st Combat Aviation Brigade: Air Crew badge 

1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment and 

5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment: 

Top Tank award

101st Brigade Support Battalion: Army 

Commendation Medal & 1st Brigade coin
1-16th FRG provides comfort 

to Families of deployed Soldiers

Excitement and anticipation filled the 

room as the Families and friends of the 

1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st 

Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, entered into the Barlow 

Theater on March 8.

Even though the ‘Iron Rangers’ are 

currently deployed, the unit’s Family 

Readiness Group is hard at work 

strengthening the cohesion of the battalion Family. 

Capt. Reuben Bishop, 1st Bn. 16th Inf. 

Regt. Rear-Detachment commander, 

viewed the event as an opportunity to 

open the lines of communication, explaining that the Families were allotted 

time to discuss and share current deployment issues or concerns with both 

he and his attending staff.

The event consisted of a “Soldier Doll” 

presentation where FRG members offered 

Soldier dolls to all in attendance.

 Dressed in an Army Combat Uniform (ACU) with yarn-like hair, the 

doll’s face is picture frame, a perfect 

place for a picture of their families hero. 

Not only for memories, it was explained that the doll has been known to 

be used a comfort tool for children when 

their mother or father is absent for a long 

period of time.

“The dolls are a success with the families,” said Liz Tripp, 1st Bn. 16th Inf. Regt. 

Family Readiness Support Assistant. 

“They were the first thing to go with the 

briefings. They went out very fast at the 

pre-deployment briefings.”

The dolls were supplied by ‘Operation 

Give a Hug,’ a non-profit organization designed to comfort military children during separation because of deployment. 

Since the battalion’s departure, more than 

430 dolls have bween distributed to the 

families of the “Iron Rangers.”

“It’s great. It’s a great time for the 

families to come out and meet us, for us 

to meet them, to touch base and to keep 

them in touch with their family members downrange,” Bishop said about the 

FRG.

‘Vanguard’ Battalion Soldiers 

train new Iraqi Army Soldiers

BAGHDAD—A key factor in a military’s success may be its ability to train 

new Soldiers. To assist in facilitating this 

ability within the Iraqi Army, Soldiers 

with Company B, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist 

Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United 

States Division-Center, work regularly 

with new Soldiers of the 11th Iraqi Army 

Division on basic Soldier skills at Joint 

Security Station Old Ministry of Defense 

in eastern Baghdad.

During one regularly scheduled 

training session between Co. B Soldiers 

and their 11th Iraqi Army Div. counterparts, the day began with joint physical 

fitness training. 

“(Working) together exercising helps 

improve their physical condition and 

build camaraderie,” said Pfc. Jesse Buck, 

an infantryman with Co. B and a Springfield, Ohio, native. 

After exercising and personal hygiene, Soldiers reported to classrooms 

for their daily training. The Iraqi Soldiers 

were separated by their military jobs – 

infantry Soldiers went to one class and 

mechanics to another.

Some of the classes hosted by the 

American mechanics focused on the repair and maintenance of Humvees. 

“The Soldiers in the class were 

mostly drivers, and we did have a few 

mechanics,” said Spc. Anthony Wong, 

a mechanic with Co. B and a Bethel, 

Pa., native.

The class consisted of two sessions. 

The first was a formal classroom environment in which the systems of the vehicle were discussed, while the second 

session offered a hands-on approach, 

which allowed Soldiers to identify individual parts. 

4th IBCT, Wildcat baseball see 

bright future for partnership

MANHATTAN—The words, “Raise 

your right hand,” echoed throughout 

Tointon Family Stadium during the 

Kansas State University Baseball pregame activities March 4.

Issued forth from Col. Joseph 

Wawro, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, standing on the pitcher’s 

mound with 30 Soldiers behind him 

lining the bases from first to third, 

they soon all sounded off with booming voices.

In front of more than 1,000 Kansas 

State University baseball fans, the Soldiers re-affirmed their commitment to 

being a securer of freedom during a 

mass re-enlistment ceremony.

When asked how it felt to re-enlist in 

front of the fans at the K-State baseball 

game, Spc. Daniel Carlisle, an infantryman with Company C, 1st Battalion, 

28th Infantry Regiment, 4th IBCT, answered with bright eyes.

“It felt kind of good,” said the Boaze, 

Ala., native. “It was nice to see everyone support us. It was pretty cool.”

The 2nd Bn. 16th Inf. Regt. unit’s insignia the “Ranger Diamond” was unveiled before the start of the ceremony 

at right center field below the scoreboard. Smaller versions of the diamond 

also were displayed on the player’s 

game-day uniforms to showcase the 

dual partnership between the K-State 

athletics department and the battalion.

“We wanted to do something that 

showed the linkage between the 2nd 

Bn. 16th Inf. Regt. and this great baseball team,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Lambert, 

commander of the “Rangers” Battalion. 

“We are really excited for where (the 

partnership) is headed.” 

The Wildcats went on to defeat the 

Western Illinois University team, 6-4. 

“I really think (the ceremony) captivated our players, and it captivated 

me,” said Brad Hill, Wildcats head 

baseball coach. “Just to see the commitment and loyalty to our country—it was 

unbelievable pride out there. It was 

something that we’re very proud to be 

a part of.

12th IA Signal Regiment finishes 

communications training

CONTINGENCY OPERATING 

LOCATION K1, Iraq—Soldiers of 

Signal Regiment, 12th Iraqi Army Division concluded a nine-week communications training course with a 

radio-telephone operator class at 

Contingency Operating Location K1, 

Kirkuk, March 10.

The class, supervised by Staff Sgt. 

Thomas Harrelson, communication 

specialist and assistant advisor to the 

Signal Regiment, reviewed the steps to 

operate a telephone switch board. 

After finishing the start-up tests, 

Harrelson explained the steps to enter 

the phone’s information into the system, testing the phone functions, then 

deleting the information and disassembling the operating system.

Harrelson, a Brigham, Utah native, assigned to Company B, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st 

Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, 

Kan., said the course provided the 

Iraqi Army soldiers of the Signal 

Regiment with an understanding of 

how to use their radio and telephone 

systems. 

The nine-week course introduced 

the Iraqi soldiers to principles of radio 

theory, where the trainees learned 

about radio waves and usage of line-ofsight communications. 

The Iraqi signal soldiers also learned 

to operate various radio systems during 

the class. 

The familiarization training improved the student’s knowledge of both 

their equipment and their jobs, said 

Harrelson. 

26| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! May 2011 |27

Around the DIVISION
28| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! May 2011 |29

stephanie hoff, duty first! magazine

Spc. Aaron Crichlow of HHC, 2nd Bn., 34th Armor, 1st HBCT, 

completes a challenge Oct. 6 on Water Tank Hill while completing ‘The Smoker,’ an obstacle course included in the 

company’s ‘Headhunters Stakes.’

FROM TOP DOWN: 1-year-old Wesley Francis inspects the American flag on a nearby Soldier while waiting for his father, Sgt. 

1st Class Jerry Francis, to arrive during the Combat Aviation Brigade’s first redeployment ceremony of 2011 early Feb. 13; Spc. 

Lucas Hawkins, a mechanic with Co. E, 1st Bn., 63rd Armor 

Regt., 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., USD-C, and a Clinton, Mich., native, left, and Pfc. Reginald Dates, a mechanic with Co. E, 1st 

Bn., 63rd Armor Regt., 2nd AAB, and a Childersburg, Ala., native, right, work on a Humvee at Camp Liberty, Iraq; a 1st Infantry Division Soldier pumps out a final push-up at Bill Snyder 

Family Stadium during a halftime show that involved the 4th 

IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., reaffirming their commitment to the residents and leadership of Riley County with an Army Community 

Covenant signing.

stephanie hoff, duty first! Magazine

sgt. roland hale, cab pao

sgt. roland hale, cab pao

sgt. roland hale, cab pao

sgt. roland hale, cab pao

Jordan Chapman, Duty First! Magazine

sgt. 1st class jason hager, 2nd aab

parker rome, garrison pao

FROM TOP CLOCKWISE: Spc. David Kovach, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew 

chief serving in Iraq with the Enhanced CAB, 1st Inf. Div., sits on the tail ramp of his 

aircraft during a mission in the Baghdad area; Spc. Kiwanuas Harrington, an AH-64 

Apache Longbow helicopter crew chief serving in Iraq, circles his aircraft after it 

returns from a mission in the Baghdad area; Spc. Bradley Kelly, a Soldier assigned 

to the Enhanced CAB, 1st Inf. Div., and native of Ripley, W. Va., runs across a weapons range during a night-time exercise at Camp Taji, Iraq; an HH-60M Medical 

Evacuation Helicopter spins up at Camp Taji, Iraq. The HH-60M is being used for 

the first time here by Co. C, 3rd Bn., 126th Avn. Regt.; Pfc. Tim Gallups, a paralegal 

specialist with the Enhanced CAB, 1st Inf. Div., and a native of Alexander City, Ala., 

won his unit’s weight loss competition. Gallups lost nine pounds in the 10-week 

competition and lost a total of 24 pounds during his deployment to Iraq; Jim Pfaff, 

chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, Fowler, prepares to shoot an M16 during a simulation April 20 at the Close Combat Tactical Center. photo courtesy of sgt. chad menegay
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