On the cover

2

1st Infantry Division Commander:

MG Carter F. Ham

1st Infantry Division CSM:

CSM John D. Fourhman

1st Infantry Division PAO:

LTC Christian T. Kubik

1st Infantry Division PAO NCOIC:

MSG Cameron Porter

1st Infantry Division PAO Ops NCO:

MSG Amanda Glenn

1st Infantry Division Public Affairs staff

Editor:

SPC Stephen Baack

Print Contributors:

SGT Nicole Clarke

SPC Shaina Howard

PFC Nathaniel Smith

Broadcast Section:

SGT Bryant Maude

SPC Richard Colletta

SPC Brian Tierce

SPC Edward Coffey

(Clockwise from top) 4th Infantry Brigade

Combat Team marches during pass-in-review at the 1st Infantry Division transfer of

authority; Combat Aviation Brigade Soldier

appears in a photo for Army Strong campaign; Combat Aviation Brigade Apaches

line up on post for the first time; 4th IBCT

Soldier engages in training; 1st Brigade

Soldiers conduct a raid during a Transition

Team training exercise; elements of 1st Brigade train while deployed in Horn of Africa; MG Carter Ham salutes the colors during K-State’s Fort Riley Day.
In this issue

The Duty First is an unofficial publication produced 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 quarterly. Contributions are welcome and should be sent to 1st Infantry Division,

Public Affairs Office, ATTN: Editor, Bldg. 405, Fort Riley, KS 66442.

Telephone numbers are 785-239-2403 or 785-239-2824, DSN

856-2824 or DSN 856-2403, fax 785-239-2592, or e-mail

stephen.baack@riley.army.mil, or visit Duty First online at

www.1id.army.mil.

3

CG, CSM messages.............4

1st ID History...................6-7

Fort Riley Day..................8-9

Army Ads......................10-11

WWI Soldier................12-13

1st ID Arrives...............14-16

Aviation Brigade..........17-19

DISCOM......................20-21

4th IBCT......................22-24

1st Brigade...................25-27

Combatives..................28-29

1st ID Band.......................30

3rd Brigade........................31
4

Exciting times for 1st ID

A message from MG Carter F. Ham, commanding general, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley

MG Carter F. Ham served as an enlisted Soldier in the

82nd Airborne Division before being commissioned in the

infantry as a Distinguished Military Graduate of John

Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1976.

Assignments have given him responsibilities as a training officer at Fort Knox, Ky.; recruiting area commander;

support of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles; assistant

inspector general; battalion operations officer and executive officer at National Training Center; advisor to a

Saudi Arabian National Guard brigade; executive officer

Biography of MG Carter F. Ham

for the Infantry School; battalion commander; commander

of an infantry regiment; deputy commanding general for

I Corps; commander of Multi National Brigade-North in

Mosul; and deputy director for regional operations on

the Joint Staff.

His military awards and decorations include three Defense Superior Service Medals, two Legions of Merit, Bronze

Star Medal, six Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service

Commendation Medal, Combat Action Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge and Ranger Tab.

Your 1st Infantry Division is unquestionably living up to its motto. We are fully engaged – across the full spectrum of operations and across the entire division – in supporting our Nation and our Army. We are at

the forefront of a changing Iraq in our critical mission to train transition teams. We have

deployed and are deploying nearly every

available unit and Soldier into battle. And

we are transforming, growing, building, and

changing fast.

Transition Team training: The U.S. Army’s

mission in Iraq is changing quickly. U.S.

forces are moving from the forefront of battle

to one in which we will be “leading from behind.” This means that we will use “Transition Teams” to coach, teach, and advise the

Iraqi security forces so that they become

capable of effective, independent operations.

To meet this mission, the Army has assigned the 1st Infantry Division the mission

to train all Transition Teams. These are small

units, ranging from just a few Soldiers to

teams of 45 or more, that will embed with

Iraqi units. Teams will coach, teach and advise, but will also bring to battle U.S. capabilities such as fires support, medical support and intelligence.

To meet our mission, we have reorganized

the 1st Brigade to accomplish this mission.

Over the next year, we will train nearly 6,000

Transition Team members.

Deploying forces: The Big Red One currently has nearly 6,000 Soldiers deployed, excluding the 2nd Brigade. Our 2nd Brigade –

the Dagger Brigade – is currently deployed

under the command and control of the 1st

Armored Division. Our units deployed include

4th Brigade Combat Team and seven companies from 1-16 Infantry Regt., 1-34 Armor Regt.

and 1-5 Field Artillery Regt., who are performing superbly in challenging security missions

across Iraq. Another company of the Iron

Rangers – A Co., 1-16 Infantry Regt., is in

Africa. The 1st Engineer Battalion is now in

Iraq, as are members of the 97th MP Battalion

and D Troop, 4th Cav. Regt., 1st Bde.

In the coming months, we are scheduled

to deploy just about every other unit in the

Division. The 70th Engineer Battalion is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. Our 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will deploy, followed by our Combat Aviation Brigade and

then our Sustainment Brigade. Additionally,

we will deploy again 2-2 Heavy Equipment

Transportation Detachment and the 24th

Transportation Company.

Transformation: In the midst of these vital

missions, we are changing. Fort Riley is a

boom-town of construction and growth. Camp

Funston is a full-up forward operating base;

our new $50 million dollar Division Headquarters is taking shape, and we are working hard

on improving traffic flow. Custer Hill sports

new barracks, unit offices and motor pools.

Both our Combat Aviation Brigade and our

Sustainment Brigade are transforming into

their new modular organization while preparing for deployment. 4th Brigade is now a fullup modular Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division

has been relieved from the Transition Team

training mission to form a modularized Heavy

Brigade Combat Team. This modularization

comes 11 months earlier than anticipated.

The Brigade will have about 3,800 Soldiers

when fully formed. At some point in the future, the brigade will reflag as 2nd Brigade,

1st Infantry Division.

 Finally, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division

will stand up and convert to a modular infantry brigade combat team of about 3,400

Soldiers in April. Due to limited availability

of existing facilities for the unit and family

members at Fort Knox, Ky., the Army will

initially form and train the brigade at Fort

Hood, Texas. The Brigade is scheduled to

deploy, return to Fort Hood, and then

restation to its permanent home at Fort Knox

in the FY09 time frame.

These are exciting times to be a Big Red

One Soldier. But as we look to the future, we

maintain our azimuth by looking to our past.

In the glorious history of America’s First

Division, we find our strength, our character

and our charter. We will not fail, and we will

execute every mission – whether a combat

patrol or training Transition Teams – in a

way that makes our veterans proud.

We will meet the standards of those Big

Red One Soldiers and leaders who served

before us. We owe our BRO vets a great debt

– those who served in WW I and II, Vietnam, the Cold War and Desert Storm – and

we will never forget that they are the ones

who gave real meaning to our Division motto:

DUTY FIRST!

No mission too difficult.

No sacrifice too great.
5

Upon joining the Army in 1975 as an

armored reconnaissance specialist,

a young PVT Fourhman never

thought that Soldiers would one day be addressing him as “sergeant major.” Now as

the senior-enlisted Soldier in the Army’s oldest continuously serving division, CSM

John D. Fourhman is walking proof that, in

the Army, what you can achieve is often

greater than what you can conceive.

“If I can be the command sergeant major

of the 1st Infantry Division, anybody can,”

Fourhman said with a laugh. “Anybody’s

got a chance because I’m just a plain Soldier

who always tries to do what’s right. In the

senior position I’m the advocate for all of

the enlisted Soldiers here.”

Though he’s a new face to most Fort Riley

Soldiers, Fourhman has been with the Big

Red One for nearly six years as a command

sergeant major. His first command sergeant

major position was for the Soldiers of 1st

Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, with whom

he deployed to Kosovo.

Fourhman was then selected to be comStory by SPC Stephen Baack

Editor, 1st ID PAO

Division CSM: anything’s achievable

CSM John D. Fourhman (right), 1st Infantry Division command sergeant major, joins MG Kenneth Hunzeker, former 1st ID commanding general, to case

the Division colors during the Division’s departure ceremony at Leighton

Barracks’ Victory Park in Wurzburg, Germany, July 6.

Photo by SPC Stephen Baack

mand sergeant major of the Division’s 3rd

Brigade, which he took to Iraq in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom II from Vilseck, Germany, with then-COL Dana Pittard.

“Being a Soldier in combat and leading

Soldiers in combat are probably the most

stressful and rewarding times in a Soldier’s

career,” said Fourhman. “Some of the bonds

that you establish in combat, some of the

experiences that you share with your Soldiers are unlike any other time in a career.”

“The memories last a lifetime, both good

and bad, and you establish friendships,”

added Fourhman. “All along in the Army

you do that, but especially the Soldiers who

you served with in combat ... will remain a

part of your life the rest of your life.”

Upon Fourhman’s return to Germany, MG

John Batiste, then the Division commander,

selected Fourhman for the vacant position

of Division command sergeant major – previously held by CSM Cory McCarty.

Fourhman remained a part of the command

group with MG Kenneth Hunzeker, Division

commander, at the headquarters in Wurzburg

for nearly two years before the move to Riley.

“The whole transition was unlike any

other [permanent change of station] move

that you make because you’re not just moving your immediately family ... you’re moving an entire division,” said Fourhman.

“You’re moving your divisional family with

you, so it’s kind of like a PCS move on steroids because you not only pack up your

house but you pack up your office, your

motor pool and everything the Division

owns.”

Although Fourhman said it was an emotional time for him and many other Soldiers

in the Division who left their German friends,

he insisted that the move to Kansas produced friends as well.

“The leaders in Kansas really welcomed

us with open arms,” said Fourhman. “The

lieutenant governor’s military affairs council that Lt. Gov. John Moore formed really

started the prep work for our arrival in Kansas long before we got here. The people

there were really ready for us and really eased

our move on this side.”

Thirty-one years after he started,

Fourhman said there was never anything

else he wanted to do but be a Soldier.

“From Day One, I don’t think I really

thought about anything else,” said

Fourhman. “It’s kind of funny because probably at about the 16 to 18 year mark, you run

into people all the time who ask, jokingly,

‘What do you want to do when you grow

up?’ It probably took about 16 to 18 years to

figure out that I’m doing it. This is exactly

what I’ve always wanted to do. So from that

point on, I was really comfortable and never

thought about doing anything else. The

Army’s my life. I love it. I enjoy getting up

every morning and coming to work. Something can be said for that.

“Just know from the time you’re a private

E-1 that you can really achieve any goal that

you set out to do in the Army – I mean in life

in general – but especially in the military,”

said Fourhman.

“When I came in as an E-1, I never

thought that a number of years later I would

be a first sergeant, and then a sergeant major, and then a command sergeant major and

now the senior-enlisted person in the Division,” added Fourhman. “So work toward

that. Anything’s achievable.”
6

On July 12, 1965, the 1st ID’s 2nd Brigade

became the first element of an infantry division to arrive in Vietnam. By November, the

entire Division was operational and fought

its first major battle near Bau Bang where 1st

ID elements overcame a Viet Cong regiment.

Over the next five years, the Division

proved instrumental in a variety of operations, both as a leading force and with other

units, while mastering the use of helicopters

and gaining significant experience in re-supply operations, medical evacuation and air

assault tactics.

The Division suffered 20,770 casualties

during this war. Eleven 1st ID Soldiers were

awarded the Medal of Honor, and 11 Campaign Streamers and two Decorations were

added to the Division colors.

Vietnam

On Sept. 27, 1955, the Big Red One participated in the Army’s first intercontinental,

division-level exchange when it moved from

Germany to Fort Riley, Kan., and swapped

with the 10th Infantry Division.

With the easing of tensions in Europe,

the Army looked for ways to rotate units so

other divisions would take turns guarding

the German border.

The new system was also expected to

raise troop morale, increase combat effectiveness and lower the cost of maintaining

the military establishment. The Big Red One

remained at Fort Riley until 1996 when the

headquarters moved its base of operations

back to Germany.

Operation Gyroscope

On the morning of Oct. 23, 1917, the first

American shell of the war was sent screaming toward German lines by the First

Division’s Battery C, 6th Field Artillery Regiment. Two days later, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment suffered the first American

casualties of WWI.

Division Soldiers successfully fought

through Cantigny, Soissons, St. Mihiel and

the Meuse-Argonne Forest until the armistice was signed Nov. 11, 1918. By the end

of the war, the Division had suffered 22,668

casualties and boasted five Medal of Honor

recipients.

World War I

Now known as the 1st Infantry Division,

our Soldiers entered WWII as part of “Operation Torch” in North Africa. After a German surrender, the Division moved on to take

Sicily in “Operation Husky,” to capture

Troina and open the Allied road to the straits

of Messina.

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Big Red One

stormed Omaha Beach and captured a German blockhouse that became a command

post named “Danger Forward.” The DiviWorld War II

sion went on to liberate Liege, Belgium, and

pushed to the German border, crossing

through the Siegfried line.

The 1st ID continued into Germany and

held the critical shoulder at the “Battle of

the Bulge.” On Jan. 15, 1945, the Division

attacked and penetrated the Siegfried line

for the second time, and took over the

Remagen bridgehead. By the end of WWII,

1st ID Soldiers had won 20,752 medals and

awards, including 16 Medals of Honor.

Desert Storm

On Feb. 24, 1991, the Soldiers of the Big

Red One spearheaded the armored attack

and enabled VII Corps units to smash into

Iraq. The Division broke through the enemy

defensive lines and decimated the Iraqi 26th

Infantry Division.

Continuing its attack into enemy territory,

the 1st ID destroyed the Tawakalna Division
7

Big Red One units played a key role in

Bosnia and were among the first U.S. troops

to move into the war-torn country. 1st ID took

command of Task Force Eagle Nov. 10, 1996.

Division Soldiers provided cover for the 1st

Armored Division units returning to Germany

and enforced the military aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace.

The 1st ID operated, together with National Guard and Reserve Soldiers, members

of the Navy, Air Force and Marines, and soldiers from 12 allied nations, in the area known

as Multi-National Division North.

On Oct. 22, 1997, 1st AD again assumed

command of Multi-National Division North

and Task Force Eagle.

Bosnia

The 1st ID formed Task Force Falcon Feb.

5, 1999, and deployed later that summer to

Kosovo as part of Operation Joint Guardian,

a NATO-led peacekeeping force.

As Serbian forces left Kosovo in accordance with the Military Technical Agreement,

Kosovo

In late 2005, 1st ID’s 2nd Brigade Combat

Team received word they would soon head

to Iraq, and train-up began in Germany during the winter. Despite delays in their deployment and a shift in command from 1st

ID to 1st AD, the unit deployed to theater in

support of OIF.

Aug. 1, 2006 marked the 1st ID’s official

return to Fort Riley from Germany after a 10-

year absence. The transfer of authority from

the 24th Infantry Division also brought forth

a change of commanders for the Big Red One,

from MG Kenneth Hunzeker to MG Carter

Ham.

Since the implementation of Operation

Gyroscope II, numerous changes have taken

effect within Fort Riley and 1st ID including

the formation and growth of a Combat Aviation Brigade, the build-up of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the transfer of responsibility for Transition Team training to

1st ID personnel.

The 4th IBCT, which began its lineage as

an aviation brigade in 1986, activated Jan.

12, 2006, at Fort Riley. The activation of this

self-sustaining brigade was a step in the

transformation to widen the capabilities of

the 1st ID and the Army.

Current Operations

Republican Guard and the 37th Brigade of

the 12th Iraqi Tank Division. Enemy losses

included more than 40 tanks and 40 infantry

fighting vehicles. The Division exploited its

success and continued its pursuit of the

demoralized Iraqi forces.

By Feb. 28, 1991, when the war was over,

the Big Red One had fought through 260 km

of enemy-held territory in 100 hours, destroying 550 enemy tanks, 480 armored personnel

carriers and taking 11,400 prisoners. In April 2003, Task Force 1-63 AR deployed from Germany to Iraq and attached

to the 173rd Airborne Brigade as its heavy

force. TF 1-63 AR returned to Germany one

year later.

In Septempter 2003, the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq where they were

initially assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and later to the 1st Marine Division.

The 1st BCT participated in many operations

in the Sunni Triangle. It formed and trained

the 60th Iraqi National Guard Brigade and

sponsored more than $23.8 million in civil

projects in Al Anbar Province. The 1st BCT

returned to Fort Riley in September 2004.

In the spring of 2004, the 1st ID from Germany deployed to Iraq as Task Force Danger. The Division returned to Germany in

February and March of 2005.

Operation Iraqi

Freedom I and II

members of Task Force Falcon ensured compliance until withdrawal was complete June

20, when the focus shifted to enforcing demilitarization of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

In June 2000, the Division’s responsibilities

ended and the 1st ID returned to Germany.

As part of the Army’s restructuring

throughout 2006, the 1st ID Headquarters

and adjoining units moved to Fort Riley for

the second time during “Operation Gyroscope II.”

The Division made drastic changes

Operation Gyroscope II

across the formation to meet the goals of the

Army’s transformation initiatives.

Subordinate units inactivated or converted to become part of the 173rd Airborne

Brigade, or prepared to return to Fort Riley

with the 1st ID Headquarters.
8

Amid the sea of more than 50,000 football

fans mostly dressed in purple for the Kansas State University Wildcats’ second game

of the season, perhaps the most visible spectators were those in the Army Combat Uniform.

About 500 Soldiers joined hardcore fans

and casual spectators alike at Bill Snyder

Family Stadium for Fort Riley Day to watch

the Wildcats battle the Florida Atlantic Owls

Sept. 9.

Preceding the game was a tailgate party

catered and organized by volunteers from

local businesses who provided food and

prizes for free.

“The relationship between Fort Riley and

the surrounding communities is truly something special, and it’s evidenced by today

where you have commercial sponsors, you

have the university, you have civic leaders,

community leaders from all of the surrounding areas around Fort Riley coming together

to support Soldiers and their families,” said

MG Carter Ham, commanding general, 1st

Infantry Division and Fort Riley. “It’s very,

very powerful, very meaningful to us, and

we’re very appreciative.”

A fly-over of Black Hawk and Apache helicopters marked the start of Fort Riley Day

minutes before the coin toss. Spectators

welcomed the Soldiers with applause and

cheers, and watched quietly as the color

guard made their way onto the field just before the game. The silence broke quickly as

Willie the Wildcat, decked out in ACU’s, rode

out on the field in a Humvee waving a 4th

Battalion, 1st Field Artillery flag.

Ham was joined by SSG Richard Gentry

and SSG Brian Robbins, Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor who were both injured in

Iraq in separate attacks, on the field to observe the coin toss up close.

Though not every Soldier who attended

was rooting for K-State, the game started off

with a bang as Wildcat Justin McKinney returned the opening kickoff for an 88-yard

touchdown –the first time a K-State player

has done so since 1936, and the first of many

successful K-State plays in the 45-0 shutout.

The 1st Infantry Division Band took to

the field during halftime to play alongside

K-State band members, who welcomed the

Division back home with a rendition of Coming to America. Halftime also featured a

three-and-a-half-minute “Welcome Back”

video featuring footage spanning the entire

1st ID history that had the crowd worked up

into a near frenzy.

Fort Riley Soldiers were also on hand to

unfurl a giant American flag over the center

of the field for the standing, cheering crowd

Story and photos by

SPC Stephen Baack

Editor, 1st ID PAO

MG Carter Ham, commanding general, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, salutes the colors during the start of Fort Riley

Day at Kansas State University’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium Sept 9. Five-hundred Fort Riley Soldiers received free tickets

to the Wildcats’ second game of the season in appreciation from community and local business leaders.

K-State welcomes Big Red One
9

– many of whom rarely get to see so many

Soldiers up close.

“I think it has two effects,” said LTC (retired) Arthur DeGroat, director of military affairs at K-State. “I think, one: you can say

it’s Fort Riley Day, but when all the 55,000

screaming fans get to see the actual Soldiers

overhead in a helicopter or on the ground

holding our colors ... They get to see the

actual Soldiers. It’s amazing – a lot of people

from Manhattan don’t get onto the fort and

get to meet Soldiers ... so for them to meet and

see you guys, I think is very, very powerful.

“Secondly, I’ve taken ROTC cadets on

the field,” continued DeGroat. “I know from

the Soldiers’ perspective, it feels nice too to

look up and see 55,000 people cheering you.

You’re really the heroes; it’s not the football

players.”

Though rain and lightning forced a 30-

minute delay during the first half, the game

resumed with little effect to morale.

“It was nice because K-State’s so close,”

said PFC Kevin Harrington, a combat engineer with Company A, Brigade Special

Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “We all go to Manhattan a lot to

hang out on weekends. It was nice that they

thought of us, to include (us) into their program and come see a game.”

“I thought that was real cool,” added

Harrington. “It’s college football, and you

don’t get too many chances to get a free

ticket to go see a Division One college game.

It was awesome that they thought of us to

do that.”

(One up from lower left) The Wildcats’

mascot, Willie the Wildcat, rides onto

the field in a Humvee while dressed

in an Army Combat Uniform.

(Lower left) Fort Riley Soldiers watch

the JumboTron to see Willie the Wildcat go through “Basic Training” on

the stadium screen.

Kansas State University Wildcats fans explode into ovation as Wildcat Justin McKinney returns the opening kickoff

for an 88-yard touchdown – the first time a K-State player has done so since 1936. The kickoff return was the first of

many successful K-State plays in the 45-0 shutout against the Florida Atlantic Owls during Fort Riley Day at Bill

Snyder Family Stadium Sept 9.

Spectators at Bill Snyder Family Stadium stop to recognize the Soldiers in

attendence during K-State Fort Riley Day there Sept. 9. Five-hundred Riley

Soldiers received free tickets to the Wildcats’ second game of the season in

appreciation from community and local business leaders.

(Right) K-State welcomes the 1st Infantry Division to Bill Snyder Family

Stadium via JumboTron before the

game.
10

The lights, camera and action

of Hollywood are normally a

far cry from the day-to-day

operations and training at Fort Riley,

but some Soldiers here recently got

to experience the glitz and glitter of

tinseltown firsthand. That’s because

the majority of the filming for the new

Army ad campaign took place at Fort

Riley Sept. 25 to Oct. 5.

Story and photos by

PFC Nathaniel Smith

4th IBCT PAO
11

HSI Productions, Radical Media and Ami Vitalie filmed the new

Army television, Internet and print advertisements, and these ads

were released nationwide Nov. 9.

The campaign slogan is “Army Strong,” a phrase intended to

convey the inner strength the Army instills in each of its Soldiers.

And the Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division were chosen by highranking Army officials to showcase this strength to the world via

the new ad campaign.

“Army strong is meant to portray the strength personified by

every U.S. Army Soldier – past, present and future,” said LTC Christian Kubik, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Officer. “It is a commitment to serve and an opportunity to transform young Americans

into powerful individuals who are mentally, emotionally and physically capable of facing any adversity that comes their way.”

The Hollywood production companies worked with Big Red One

Soldiers on a daily basis during the filming and production.

SGT James Jamerson, a radio operator assigned to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, said he was excited to have the opportunity to participate in

the campaign.

“It was a good experience for me, and I really enjoyed it,” he said.

“Someday somebody might see the ad, and it’ll inspire them to join

the Army.”

Jamerson said he found it interesting to see the film crews in

action, and the film crews said they felt the same way.

“It’s nice to work with a group that knows what they’re doing,”

said Ian Callum, second assistant director with HSI Productions.

“Usually when we work with this many people, we just don’t have

the plans in place, but it’s been easy to move things here.”

Before the crews came to Fort Riley, they received sketches of

what the advertisements would consist of.

“I got a picture of the story boards and saw that we’d be working

with the troops – playing with helicopters and Humvees,” Callum

said. “I was just excited to be out here and be a part of it – to get to

see the Army up close and personal.”

While he was excited to get

to work on this project, Callum

said he knew there would be

problems with organizing as

many people as the endeavor

would require, but he said the

shoot went well.

The crew worked many long

hours supporting the daunting

task of logistically coordinating

all aspects of the two-week production – the Soldiers, weapons,

helicopters and Humvees as well

as the cameras, lighting and other

production equipment, Callum

said. Despite this logistical

nightmare, Callum said the coordination between the Army and

HSI Productions went very well.

“It’s been a really good experience, and we’re all getting along

very well,” Callum said of the Fort

Riley shot “Army Strong” production.

“At Fort Riley, this strength manifests itself not only in our Soldiers, but in our family members and our civilian work force as well.”

Kubik said. “Everyday our community stands together to accomplish our mission.

“There is no force in the world greater than the U.S. Army. And there

is nothing stronger at Fort Riley than the Big Red One community,

working hand-in-hand to train and deploy transition teams to Iraq and

Afghanistan, sustain the installation, and provide combat-ready forces

in support of the defense of this great nation,” said Kubik.

A makeup artist with Radical Media prepares PFC Andrew Todhunter, a scout sniper with Headquarters and

Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion 16th Infantry Regiment, for an interview during filming at Fort Riley’s Training Area 6.

Members of Radical Media’s camera crew shoot footage for the new Army ad campaign at Marshall Army Airfield.
12

‘First Division’ Soldier laid to rest

Members of the Old Guard fold the flag over the casket of PVT Francis Lupo, a First Division Soldier who was listed

as Missing in Action during WWI, during his burial ceremony Sept. 26 at Arlington National Cemetery.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Army has come one step closer in bringing home its missing Soldiers and confirming to the world that the

United States never forgets its missing and fallen servicemembers.

Enter PVT Francis Lupo, a Soldier with Company E, 18th Infantry

Regiment, First Division. Official records state he was reported

Missing in Action July 21, 1918, during the first French-American

multi-divisional attack near Soissons, France, during what would

later come to be known as the Second Battle of the Marne. No trace

of Lupo was found. That is, until three years ago.

Fast forward 85 years to 2003. While working on a conservation

project, a French archaeologist found remains near the town of Ploisy

south of Soissons. The archaeologist turned the remains over to

the U.S. Army Memorial Affairs Activity – Europe, which transferred them to a research team from the Joint Prisoner-of-War/Missing-in-Action Accounting Command. After two years of investigation, JPAC researchers at the Central Identification Laboratory at

Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, concluded they were indeed examining Lupo’s remains.

That conclusion marks the first identification of a Missing-inAction U.S. servicemember from World War I, according to the

Pentagon’s Prisoner-of-War/Missing Personnel Office, and it stands

as a new chapter in Big Red One history.

“It’s kind of a great news story that we had the opportunity to

recover one of our own,” said CSM John Fourhman, Division command sergeant major. “You can respectfully celebrate the recovery

of his body and celebrate the contributions that he made to the

Division during his time because he died in battle just over a year

after the Division was formed. So, it’s very meaningful to the history of the Division.”

Story and photos by SPC Stephen Baack

Editor, 1st ID PAO
13

The 1st Infantry Division destroyed 550 tanks and 480 armored personnel carriers in 100 hours

of fighting. Pictured here a demolished Iraqi tank lies dormant near a burning oil field.

Lupo was laid to rest Sept. 26 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington,

D.C., after a service at the Fort Myer Post

Chapel. Niece Rachel Kleislinger, now 73,

attended the burial and Chapel services despite having never met her uncle Francis –

who died more than 15 years before she was

born.

“My uncle died for his country doing

what he felt was the right thing,” said

Kleislinger, whose family had talked little of

Francis because the subject was too painful

for her grandmother.

“I am proud of my uncle and honored to

be here representing my family,” she added.

Robert Callahan, vice president for the

18th Infantry Regiment Association and a

member of the regiment’s 2nd Battalion from

1966 to 1967, found out about the news from

the association’s historian via email.

“I was surprised because the email stated

that he was a World War I veteran, and I

thought it was an error,” said Callahan, who

attended the funeral. “I emailed him back,

told him I got the information and that he

gave me the wrong era, the wrong war.”

Callahan said he was quite surprised

when he discovered the message was actually correct, and he was

gratified that someone had found Lupo’s remains.

“I think it gives [servicemembers] a sense of security knowing

that if they do fall in battle, that they won’t be left or forgotten about

– that the military will take care of them,” he added. “That’s always

good to know.”

“Every Soldier’s important and every Soldier needs to know that

they have the Army and the nation behind them,” said Fourhman,

who also attended the funeral. “This is a story that could only be

told in the United States. To my knowledge and to my beliefs, the

United States is the only country that aggressively pursues recovering Soldiers lost in combat – especially 88 years later.”

One Soldier now serving in the 18th Infantry Regiment who attended the funeral agreed.

“I think this hammers the point home that our Warrior Ethos are

always carried out, and no Soldier is left behind,” said SGT Max

Webster, a Bradley mechanic with Company D, 1st Battalion, 18th

Infantry Regiment in Schweinfurt, Germany. “From what I’ve seen

here and the information we’ve been given, I feel that every means

possible is taken to find every Soldier who we’ve lost over the

course of time.”

Lupo’s name appears on the Tablets of the Missing at the AisneMarne American Cemetery in Belleau, France. He was awarded the

Purple Heart and the WWI Victory Medal with three Battle Clasps.

Members of the Old Guard render honors immediately

after the Chapel service for PVT Francis Lupo, a 1st First

Division Soldier who was listed as Missing in Action during WWI, Sept. 26 at Fort Myer just outside Arlington National Cemetery. Before they could be identified, Lupo’s

remains were examined for more than two years after

being recovered near Soissons, France, in 2003.

Guests observe the funeral of PVT Francis Lupo Sept. 26 at Arlington National Cemetery. Distinguished attendees included CSM John Fourhman,

Division command sergeant major; Thomas G. Rhame and Gordon R.

Sullivan, President and Vice President of the Society of the First Infantry

Division respectively; and three French soldiers.
14

MG Carter Ham first came to Fort Riley in

1975 as an ROTC cadet. He didn’t see much

of main post then and said he didn’t recall

ever being invited to the general’s house.

Now, just over 30 years later, that house is

his.

Ham took command of Fort Riley and of

the oldest division in the Army, the “Big Red

One,” in a ceremony Aug. 1 on Cavalry Parade Field.

The ceremony marked the return of the

1st Infantry Division to Fort Riley from Germany after a 10-year absence. Ham accepted

the Division’s colors from LTG Raymond

Odierno, commanding general of III Corps,

the 1st ID’s higher headquarters. MG Kenneth Hunzeker, who brought the Division

back from Germany, relinquished command

of the renowned fighting Division.

The transfer of authority from the 24th

Infantry Division (Mech) to the 1st ID included inactivation of the “Victory Division”

and disappearance of the Taro Leaf patch its

Members of the Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard re-enact a

cavalry charge while the 1st Infantry Division band plays Gerry Owen to

conclude the transfer of authority ceremony at Cavalry Parade Field Aug. 1.

The uncased 1st Infantry Division colors (front right) and colors of its subordinate units whip in the wind at the Aug.

1 ceremony transferring authority for Fort Riley from the 24th Infantry Division (Mech) to the Big Red One.

Story by Anna Morelock

Editor, Fort Riley Post

Photo by April Blackmon

Photo by April Blackmon
15

See Gyro, page 26

Hardy bade farewell by thanking the Soldiers standing before him on the field and

the ones they represented who weren’t in

(Mech), and Hunzeker. Ceremonial artillery

round canisters were then presented to

Hardy, Hunzeker and Ham.

The half-track provided by the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, carried the official party –

Hardy, Ham, Hunzeker and Odierno – as they

inspected the formed Soldiers representing 1st ID and other units stationed at Fort

Riley.

After the unit color bearers massed in

front of the reviewing stand and the national

anthem played, the 24th ID (Mech) colors

were cased and the Big Red One colors were

unfurled to signal the return of the Big Red

One to Fort Riley.

“It’s a wonderful day, a great moment of

celebration,” said U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun (RKan.) after the ceremony. The ceremony and

return of the Big Red One to Kansas “represents a lot of work by an awful lot of people,”

he said. It represents a happy ending with

the Big Red One returning, he added.

Hardy (front left) and CSM Marvel Dean (front second from left) finish casing

the colors of the inactivated 24th ID (Mech) while MG Kenneth Hunzeker

(front second from right) and CSM John Fourhman (front right) finish uncasing

the 1st ID colors Aug. 1 on Cavalry Parade Field. Hunzeker later relinquished

command of the Division to MG Carter Ham. Hardy left his post as 24th ID’s

(Mech) commanding general to become deputy commanding general of Third

Army and U.S. Army Forces Central Command in Kuwait.

Outgoing commander thanks

Soldiers

attendance. He recalled his fond memories

of Fort Riley, including his pride in the Soldiers he’s seen go to war and the ones he’s

welcomed home.

“Diane and I will be forever proud, very

proud of all that you’ve accomplished,” he

told the troops.

Hunzeker reintroduced the Big Red One

to Kansas with a loud “hooah,” bringing

applause and cheers from the crowd.

“Today we celebrate a significant milestone in the history of our great Division,”

he said. “I’ve been known to say the sun

always shines on the Big Red One, and thank

goodness the weather here in Kansas allows

me to continue that tradition.”

The day may have been bittersweet for

the outgoing commanders, Ham joked, but it

was anything but bittersweet for him. “I can’t

tell you what it means to look across that

field and see the Big Red One home,” he

said.

During a press conference after the ceremony, Ham said it was a little bit intimidating to be the commanding general of the 1st

ID.

“I recognize the special legacy and heritage of this Division,” he said. “There are

heroes from the very start in 1917, the first

battles in 1918, throughout World War I,

MG Carter Ham, commanding general, 1st ID and Fort Riley, talks with

news media representatives Aug. 1

at Riley’s Conference Center after the

Transfer of Authority ceremony at

Cavalry Parade Field.

Soldiers wore on their left shoulders while

serving with the 24th ID (Mech) at Fort Riley.

“It’s really a historic day,” said Bill

McKale, historian and Fort Riley museum

director, “not only for the Division but for

Fort Riley, the Army, for Kansas and for the

nation.”

The ceremony started with a bang as the

4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment,

ceremonial half section fired a replica of an

1853 cannon after a welcome for the many

dignitaries, Soldiers and community members attending the historic event.

The 1st ID band walked the field, playing

for its first time in a ceremony since arriving

on post, and the official party was welcomed

by a 15-gun salute provided by light towed

howitzer crews of the 2nd Battalion, 32nd

Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade

Combat Team, one of the newest subordinate units of the Big Red One.

1SG Jason Scott of the Commanding

General’s Mounted Color Guard rode Traveler to the front of the VIP section to deliver

roses to the wives of the outgoing commanding generals, MG Dennis Hardy, 24th ID

Ceremony marks ‘historic day’

Photo by April Blackmon

Photo by Gary Skidmore
World War II, in Vietnam and most recently

two times in Iraq. So, I understand that there

is a tremendous legacy and heritage in this

very special Division. The men and women

who have come before us have set a very,

very high standard.”

Ham said that it was a dream come true

for him to be able to come to Fort Riley and

rejoin the 1st ID.

“As we learned a little bit about this new

assignment, one of the things that came

through loud and clear from all the folks that

I talked to is that there is a very special relationship between the Soldiers and families

of Fort Riley and the local communities,” he

said.

Soldiers often return to Fort Riley and say

that their best days in the Army were spent

here, McKale said. Over the next five to 10

years, McKale predicted Fort Riley will see

many leaders come through the ranks of the

Big Red One who will go on to make names

for themselves and for the Army at a national

level.

“You look at the 1st ID and you look at

the leaders who have come through its ranks,

enlisted and officer, who have gone on to

important leadership positions Army-wide,

and I think that we’re really on the cusp of a

very historic point.”

Those future leaders “will have got their

seasoning, so to speak, here at Fort Riley;

so they’re always going to have a little bit of

Kansas that they’re going to take away with

them,” he said. “Most of the guys who serve

here have a very warm spot for this post

because of its history and traditions.”

Ham said Fort Riley’s relationship with

its surrounding communities was unlike anything he’d seen in his 30 years of service.

“This closeness between the community and

the military community is truly something

very, very special, and I look forward to being a part of that,” he said. “We will be good

neighbors and good stewards.”

Ham also spoke about the Big Red One’s

upcoming mission now that it has moved

back to Fort Riley.

The most important thing for the Division now is to form, train and prepare Transition Teams to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

“That is absolutely an essential part of

our strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan to help

those nations’ security forces, both military

and civilian police, become better each and

every day,” he said.

“We’ve got to get the training right and

the support right here so they’re able to accomplish that mission.”

“It was awe inspiring to see that wonderful formation, all those great Soldiers, their

commanders, first sergeants, the command

sergeants major,” Ham said of the ceremony.

“It was a wonderful ceremony and a tremendous welcome for us to come here to

Fort Riley and a most appropriate way to

say thanks and farewell to MG and Mrs.

Hardy, who have been such integral parts of

this community for the past three years,” he

added.

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – The arrival of the

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, to the Multi-National Division – Baghdad

area of operation during the second and third

week of October marked the beginning of a deployment for a brigade – and the end for another.

Based out of Schweinfurt, Germany, the Soldiers of the 2nd BCT, 1st ID, arrived in Baghdad

after several months of rigorous training and

preparations for this deployment.

“The Dagger Brigade is the finest trained

organization I have ever been a part of. We are

represented by well-trained warriors and leaders,” said COL J. B. Burton, commander, 2nd

BCT. “We are well equipped and competent to

complete the mission.”

Continuing to work with the Iraqi army and

Iraqi police to remove any threats will be one of the main focuses of

the incoming brigade.

“Our maintaining the relationship that 2nd Brigade Combat Team,

1st Armored Division, has established is important,” explained Burton, in reference to 2nd BCT’s goal. The team must “continue to

show pride, discipline and dignity that we display in everything we

do as a brigade combat team.”

The movement from Kuwait to Iraq was simply the next step in a

mission that the brigade has been preparing for.

“I am looking forward to coming out here and getting the experience,” said SPC Brian Hudock, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment.

The brigade combat team spent approximately five weeks training in Kuwait prior to the move up to Baghdad.

“We hit the ground at Camp Buehring running, and we will keep

going while we are here,” said CPT James Egan, HHB commander.

“I am glad to be in Iraq,” said SGT Kelly Bandy, of HHB’s Personnel Security Detachment, after his experience in Kuwait.

2nd BCT arrives in Baghdad, Iraq

Story by SGT Lance Wail

Staff Writer, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st ID

Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, MultiNational Division – Baghdad, exit from the ramp of an Air Force C-17 onto

the flight line at Baghdad International Airport after a flight from Kuwait

Oct. 19.

SPC Joshua Ramey

16
17

SGT David Muir (top) covers the nose of an Apache helicopter as SPC Shawn

Syverson (left) and SPC John Waters help tie it down May 22. Nine aircraft,

which are part of Fort Riley’s new Combat Aviation Brigade, arrived that

afternoon.

Story by SGT Nicole Clarke

CAB PAO

While the 1st Infantry Division’s Combat

Aviation Brigade may be new to the Division and Fort Riley, its role is also new to the

entire Army.

The brigade officially stood up and became part of the Division Aug. 1 during a

transfer of authority ceremony at Cavalry

Parade Field on post.

The Combat Aviation Brigade is a new

kind of aviation brigade, different from the

aviation unit that left post in 1996, said COL

Bob Johnson, CAB commander.

With a new kind of aviation brigade comes

key differences.

The CAB is different in that it is larger

and can accomplish any mission tasked to

aviation: attack, lift, assault and observation,

said Chief Warrant Officer Terry Zimmerman,

tactical operations and flight operations officer for the CAB.

“Being as large as we are, we can afford

the ground-maneuver commander the ability to project a large amount of his force at

one time,” said Zimmerman.

The CAB brings with it the ability to taskorganize multiple battalion-sized organizations and support them each with a reduced

logistical footprint in multiple areas of operations, said MAJ William Huff, CAB operations officer.

“The command-and-control piece of it is

that we are able to synchronize aviation support more effectively than previous in support of the ground unit,” said Huff.

Another difference is that they are capable of maintaining self-sustainable operations.

“The Combat Aviation Brigade can sustain itself in the fact that we can move all the

supplies needed to support the Soldiers of

the CAB, deliver all the parts needed to fix

and maintain our helicopters, move Soldiers

from the CAB all over the battlefield to repair or recover our aircraft,” said Zimmerman.

“Not only do our crew members maintain

our aircraft, they pull guard duty, run convoys and are prepared to conduct any number of missions should they arise at any

time,” said Zimmerman.

When the Soldiers of the brigade’s advance party arrived to post in early May,

they had to build the CAB from the ground

up.

“Arriving here in the first part of May as

the ADVON was a bit like being the first one

to a fire with no equipment,” said Zimmerman.

“We had to hustle to get the systems in place

as we were moving the first aircraft within 30

days. But the Soldiers we had were outstanding, and the command understood exactly what we were going through.

“As always, mission accomplishment was

first and foremost on our minds,” added

Zimmerman. “We met the ships in Beaumont,

Texas, and transported all 29 UH-60L Black

Hawks to Fort Riley on schedule. The crews

then set about setting up their lives in the

local area. Most took a few days, but we had

some challenges with getting everyone set

Photo by Anna Morelock
18

Three of the first nine Apache helicopters that have become part of the Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Riley land

at Marshall Army Airfield May 22. Nine aircraft arrived that day, the first of more than 100 helicopters that will form

the new brigade.

A CH-47 Chinook Helicopter taxis on the ramp before coming to a complete

stop in its parking spot.

up – but as always, Soldiers took the mission in hand and were back to work within

the prescribed time.

“The spouses went about their mission

of registering children in schools and getting life on track on the home front, while the

Soldiers and officers went about getting the

aircraft ready to support the 1st Infantry Division and its mission,” said Zimmerman.

The CAB contains a headquarters element, an attack battalion (1st Battalion, 1st

Aviation Regiment) a general support aviation battalion (2nd Battalion, 1st Avn. Regt.),

an air assault battalion (3rd Battalion, 1st Avn.

Regt.) and a logistical aviation support battalion (601st ASB) and has a reconnaissance

squadron assigned to them out of Fort Carson

(1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment).

The brigade can find, fix and kill the enemy in any number of ways, said Zimmerman.

The CAB has attack, lift, heavy-lift and reconnaissance aircraft under the control of

the brigade commander.

The CAB supports both the Division and

its brigade combat teams as well.

“The Combat Aviation Brigade allows the

Division commander the ability to move,

shoot and observe the entire battlefield in

real time,” said Zimmerman.

“What the CAB brings to the 1st Infantry

Division is the capability to integrate air and

ground operations in order to train and support the brigade combat teams,” said Huff.

The CAB enhances the air-assault capability of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, while

the General Support Aviation Battalion

brings Chinooks in to support the forward

support battalions and main support battalions with re-supply operations, said Huff.

The CABs overall mission is to deploy

on order to an area of operations and conduct aviation operations in support of its

designated headquarters.

Along with the overall mission is the mission of each battalion.

The mission of 1st Bn., 1st Avn Regt. is to

conduct close-combat attacks with ground

elements, while the regiment’s 2nd Battalion

conducts air-traffic services, aerial command

and control, logistical re-supply and medical

evacuation operations. The 3rd Battalion provides capabilities to Fort Riley’s assault combat arms battalions and task forces.

The mission of the 601st ASB is to provide intermediate maintenance for all aircraft

Photo by SGT Nicole Clarke

Photo by April Blackmon
19

and communications for the brigade, while

the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment conducts reconnaissance and security operations.

The Combat Aviation Brigade will only

continue to expand at Fort Riley, said

Zimmerman. Like any unit in the Army that is

brand new, The CAB will keep expanding

until it reaches its projected strength of approximately 2,700 Soldiers, 116 aircraft, and

all of the support equipment that goes with

it.

“We will support other units here on post

that are deploying with aviation integration

with things like close combat attacks, casualty evacuation training, and also sling-load

training,” said Huff.

Along with supporting other units on

post, the CAB is slated to train for their rotations this year to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., and the National

Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.

“We will do a gunnery operation in March

with Apaches and some Black Hawks,” said

Huff. “During the next quarter we will be training up for JRTC and NTC and then during

the third quarter we will be going to JRTC

and NTC.”

To maintain a battle-ready status, the

units in the CAB launch aircraft daily for individual and collective crew training, said

Huff. That training enhances the pilot and

crew chief readiness level.

“When we are able, we try to integrate

with the ground elements as much as possible,” said Huff.

A pilot from 3rd Bn., 1st Avn. Regt. echoed Huff in regards to working with ground

troops.

“We’ll train with the infantry units

how to work around the aircraft, load

the aircraft and incorporate (the aviation brigade) into their mission so they

can use us when they’re out in the

Apache helicopter crews prepare to exit their aircraft soon after they touched down on Fort Riley’s Marshall Army

Airfield May 22.

SFC Donald Powers, a flight engineer

with Co. B, 2nd Bn., 1st Avn. Regt.,

conducts checks on the CH-47 Chinook

Helicopter and keeps communications with the pilots after landing the

Chinook Oct. 20, at Marshall Army Air

Field on Post.

Photo by April Blackmon

Photo by SGT Nicole Clarke

field,” said Chief Warrant Officer Gene

Montanaro, Black Hawk pilot, Co. B, 3rd

Bn., 1st Avn. Regt.
Over the past year in Germany, the Big Red One’s Division Support Command (DISCOM) has had its hands full preparing and supporting other units within the 1st Infantry Division footprint for

transformation, deployment, inactivation and redeployment. Now

that the DISCOM Headquarters is at Fort Riley,

it’s their turn to transform.

The Army’s recent push for a modular force is

already imposing noticeable changes on the

Division’s logistical core, which, by mid-February, is slated to turn into Fort Riley’s 1st Sustainment Brigade. The unit will have a new patch,

crest, guidon, task organization and mission.

Before DISCOM’s departure from Germany,

its subordinate battalions either shifted themselves under the command and control of separate brigade combat teams, or simply inactivated

and sidestepped the return to Riley. The remaining element of DISCOM – the headquarters

– was the only part to return.

Since arriving stateside with about 20 percent of its

authorized personnel – just fewer than 50 people – the

DISCOM HQ is already building toward the new structure and

the modified table of organization and equipment, said COL Kevin

O’Connell, DISCOM commander.

“Previously we had command and control over all the support

battalions in the Division,” explained O’Connell. “With modularity,

the support battalions are now under the direct command and control of their brigade combat teams, so we [will be] a modular headquarters that can unplug from Fort Riley and the Big Red One, deploy to a theater, and assume command and control of five to seven

Story by SPC Stephen Baack

Editor, 1st ID PAO

combat sustainment support battalions from across the Army.”

These combat sustainment support battalions could be from the

active force, the reserve component, and multiple companies from

different states or all over the world, according to O’Connell.

With the transformation into that modular role, the mission of

DISCOM is also now in flux. While its role in Germany entailed

supply, maintenance, transportation and medical support to 1st ID,

the DISCOM has now refocused its efforts on

providing materiel management for the Division

and Fort Riley.

“I’m still the senior logistician on Fort Riley,”

said O’Connell. “I talk frequently to what will be

called the brigade support battalion commanders here on post, even though they don’t work

for me. I coordinate with them and synchronize

and help anyway we can to facilitate them performing their mission for their brigade combat

teams. It’s now more a synchronization effort

than a command-and-control effort in Garrison

at Fort Riley.”

More specifically, DISCOM helps with the Fort

Riley training mission by acquiring equipment for units

on post, expediting repair parts for that equipment, turning in excess equipment, overseeing property book management and other functions, in what is now more of a managerial

mode than one of execution, said O’Connell.

By all accounts, the transition is expected to result in a larger

personnel base and a far more robust headquarters structure.

With new components becoming a part of the brigade, such as

legal, finance and signal, the ways in which the new structure and

personnel base will support the Division – or any other division – is

still a challenge as the integration of new Soldiers alters their operation.

“Going through the transformation, we do not have a blue book,

a guide or a checklist ... so we’re going in this uncharted territory,”

said CSM Frank Cardoza, brigade command sergeant major. “We’re

just kind of feeling out what our responsibilities are.”

According to Cardoza, the senior members of DISCOM will most

likely be feeling the effects of conversion more dramatically than the

junior enlisted Soldiers.

“I don’t think it would drastically impact them because they would

get the task at hand and complete that task,” said Cardoza. “That’s

what they’ve learned through all their [Noncommissioned Officer

Educational System schools] and [Advanced Individual Training]

anyway ... It’s a big change in the mindset of how we operate for our

senior noncommissioned officers, to include our officers.

“We’ll probably find that in the end our mission and our responTransformation to result in more modular, more robust brigade

20
 21

sibilities to any division, not any particular division per se, will probably have increased more

so than the DISCOM previously had,” added

Cardoza.

“We’ve got a great nucleus of people that

we brought from Germany with us, and we’re

building around that nucleus that’s already

been established as the continuity, as we get

new people and incorporate them into the

team,” said O’Connell. “We just need to get

the full complement of people, but I feel good

about that.”

Like many other brigades across the Army,

this future Sustainment Brigade is ramping up

for a possible deployment. When the brigade

does deploy this year, it will be to fulfill its role

as a modular theater-distribution logistics core

for its yet-to-be-determined subordinate units

downrange.

Though DISCOM is set to deploy from a modularity standpoint,

the unit also has a rich history of combat with the rest of the 1st ID

dating back to World War I. In addition, leaders within DISCOM

acknowledge the importance of logistics on the battlefield.

Key leaders of DISCOM took staff rides to France last year and

the year before to better learn how and why their predecessors

during WWI and WWII made important decisions in the heat of

battle, and how they led their own Soldiers through combat – mainly

from a logistics standpoint.

“The big thing that most of our officers, senior NCOs and junior

NCOs learned were the lessons of always being innovative, agile,

and responsive,” said LTC Hielke Welling, the DISCOM Support

Operations Officer. “There were things that were happening on the

battlefield that caused logisticians to develop solutions to overcome both natural and man-made obstacles. It was mostly about

being innovative ... You’ve got to anticipate so the Warfighter never

has to change their scheme of maneuver or fails to accomplish their

mission due to a lack of resources.

“That kind of heritage is what we’re taking forward with the new

Sustainment Brigade,” added Welling. “We’re always going to be

flexible, creative, and power-project logistics anywhere that the Army

needs it.”

“We’re very proud to be in the 1ID,” said O’Connell. “Now with

this modularity effort, we embrace that. We recognize that as part of

change. It’s going to be tough to take the 1ID patch off, but that’s

part of forward progress for the Army. We are going to have a patch

that still has elements of, and is associated with, the Big Red One

even though we’re now going to be a separate brigade. We embrace

the future as logistics modularity moves forward as part of the entire

Army modularity plan.”

The 1st Infantry Division Support Command traces its origins to

World War I, where in 1917, the Division “trains” were formed to

support the newly formed 1st ID.

Support battalions deployed back to Europe to support the Big

Red One during World War II, and participated in all eight campaigns credited to 1st ID. In 1955, the Division and its support

organizations returned to Fort Riley, and those supporting units

were officially redesignated as the Division Support Command in

1957.

In 1965, DISCOM deployed to the Republic of South Vietnam,

supporting the Division in all 11 campaigns.

After Vietnam, the Division Materiel Management Center

(DMMC) was established, and the finance and personnel services

companies (PSC) were reorganized into battalion commands. In

1990, DISCOM deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Storm.

In 1996, DISCOM relocated once again to Germany from Fort

Riley with the 101st FSB at Fort Riley, the 201st FSB in Vilseck,

Germany, the 299th FSB in Schweinfurt, the 601st ASB in Katterbach,

the 701st MSB in Kitzingen, and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, also in Kitzingen.

In 2003, the DISCOM deployed to Turkey in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I while simultaneously supporting peacekeeping

operations in the Balkans.

In 2004, the DISCOM deployed to Southwest Asia in Support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

Finally, in August 2006 the DISCOM moved back to Fort Riley,

Kansas, with the 1st ID. (History provided courtesy of DISCOM)

History of the Division Support Command

21
Story and photos by SFC Robert Timmons

4th IBCT PAO NCOIC

“The past few months of rigorous training have brought us closer

together, made us mentally and physically stronger and have made

us better prepared for combat operations,” said PFC Peterson, with

Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Since its activation in January, the 4th IBCT, 1st Infantry Division has been training hard and realistically to prepare itself for

deployment. Recently, the Brigade shipped its vehicles and equipment to Fort Irwin, Calif., for a National Training Center rotation.

“We had the opportunity to get training that we can’t get anywhere else,” said LTC James Crider, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment commander. “We had the opportunity to go and we are taking

advantage of it. It will be worth it. We will be a whole different unit

when we get back.”

He said that roughly 75 percent of Brigade Soldiers going to NTC

will be going there for the first time, and that the training, “puts us in

a position that if called upon we will be ready.”

Using the “crawl, walk, run” method, the brigade has continually

intensified training during the year.

“I personally think it has gone very well – we’ve conducted

aggressive training,” said COL Ricky Gibbs, 4th IBCT commander,

in an interview with the Junction City, Kan., Daily Union. “We started

with teaching Soldiers individual skills like marksmanship, how to

properly wear a ruck, first aid and all the things that an individual

must know and execute to be effective. From there, we graduated to

squad-level training, followed by platoon training, where you have

a 40-man element and then training companies. We’ve done a lot of

good, hard training in a relatively short amount of time.”

The Dragon Brigade uses innovative training methods and more

conventional means to get its troopers up to speed quickly – getting them ready for any mission it receives.

In July, the 1-4 Cav. Regt. conducted external evaluations at the

Smoky Hills National Guard training area, getting away from Fort

Riley to operate in a more expansive setting.

The scouts were executing various combat skills during the evaluations to determine the unit’s strengths and weaknesses, and to

(Left) PVT Brian Tritt, Btry. A, 2nd Bn., 32nd FA, steadies the fuse on a 105mm round while other members

of his team scramble to prepare more shells for firing

June 20. Tritt’s gun fired the first artillery round of the

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

22

A

fi
23

build the team.

“Today I’m hoping to see a lot of learning,” said 2LT Robert

Humphrey, platoon leader, before his unit took to the dusty trails

July 27. “So when we return to Fort Riley we know what we need to

work on.”

Like most of the 4th IBCT, the 1-4 Cav. Regt. contains a mixture of

the combat-tested and those troops fresh out of school.

“The [noncommissioned officer] leadership has been outstanding,” said Humphrey. “They understand that everyone here is new.

My platoon sergeant and NCOs are helping to mentor me and at the

same time mentor the rest of the unit towards a common goal. I see

a lot of coming together with the entire troop I’m in.

“Being out in the field with the platoon really brings the guys

together,” he added. “They see each others’ strengths and weaknesses and learn how to fill in the gaps.”

On Sept. 11, the 1-28 Inf. Regt. Black Lions hosted a group of

journalism students as media role-players.

A platoon leader said he liked meeting with the students

personally.

“When in college, I experienced a lot of students with different

views and I think it is great to allow people of all sorts on post – so

we can have face-to-face contact,” said 2LT William Perry, platoon

leader with Company C. “I would actually like to see a lot more

students come here because the more face time we get with the rest

of the American

population, the

more they will

get to know us.

They will see

that we are really devoted

and we really

love our jobs.”

2LT Melissa

Brasko, a distribution platoon

leader with

Company F,

610th Brigade

Support Battalion and a convoy commander during a live-fire exercise, said she liked the combination of training and camaraderie.

“It’s important that our guys get out on the road and learn what

we would be doing in theater,” she added.

Soldiers of the Dragon Brigade stress realistic training, but also

strive to maintain a strong physical regimen using the Modern Army

Combatives program.

1LT Brent Warren, with 1-4 Cav. Regt., said after a combatives

tournament, “[It] was a huge success because it not only matched

troopers against each other in a physically exhausting match, but it

motivated troopers to take an active part in the Modern Army

A 1st Bn., 28th Inf., Soldier guards weapons

uncovered during the battalion’s CALFEX “attack” against a mock Iraqi village at Fort Riley.

A machine gunner with Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment rushes with his M240B machine gun into position as his

re team prepares to shift fire during the 4th IBCT Field Training Exercise/Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise in early October.
Combatives Program that is not only great physical training but also

reflects the Warrior Ethos and Spirit.”

Always on the cutting edge of training, the Brigade sent its senior noncommissioned officer leadership to Fort Leonard Wood,

Mo., to attend the Senior Leaders Advanced Urban Breaching Exercise held by the Sapper School.

At the course, the NCOs learned advanced breaching techniques

including how to create field-expedient breaching charges, dustinitiator charges and explosives using fuel.

Not only does the brigade strive to keep its NCOs up-to-date on

new training, it has also empowered its junior-enlisted Soldiers with

training usually reserved for higher ranks.

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th

Infantry Regiment had four privates graduate from the Sniper School

at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, Ark., while six Soldiers graduated from the mortar course at Fort Benning, Ga. – both normally

reserved for sergeants and above.

“It was a great opportunity,” said PVT Joshua Lehman who

graduated the Infantry Mortar Leadership Course, “to go to school

with officers and noncommissioned officers. I had NCOs tell me

they were waiting years and years to go and here we have been in

the Army like nine months.”

The 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion assaulted a mock village during its Family Day May 13, allowing family members to

witness their troopers first-hand.

“Training during a Family Day makes it easier on family members,

said SPC Lamarr Anderson, a combat engineer with Company A, 4-

1 BSTB. “It makes it easier because they can see what is going on

while we are deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. When I was deployed my

wife really didn’t know what was going on. It’s better that she can

see it first hand and she can feel more comfortable about what we

are doing.”

With the brigade nearing 100 percent strength, it was assigned a

training rotation at NTC, allowing it to grow as fast as possible in a

short time.

Leading a newly formed brigade is unique, Gibbs said.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” the brigade commander said. “Most units

you go to already have someone else’s footprint, so when you look

at how this unit comes out, it will be nobody’s fault but my own. The

hardest job is starting from scratch: how do you want it done? You

develop the training plan, but at the same time, you still have to do

other things that higher headquarters needs you to do. You can’t

say ‘I don’t have the equipment or people I need to accomplish the

mission.’ Nobody wants to hear that. So, we all have to, as leaders,

be imaginative, innovative, flexible and positive in our approach to

how we train our Soldiers and accomplish our missions. It’s always

a challenge, but a rewarding one.”

24

SPC Robert Bradford, Company A, 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, watches intently as his team prepares to

assault a suspected insurgent stronghold during the battalion’s Family Day event May 13 at Forsyth Village.

A Black Lion with Company C, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry

Regiment rushes to the extraction point moments after

seizing an enemy trench line. During that engagement,

journalism students from Kansas State University watched

the action, then asked questions as media role players.
 25

The 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade

stands as one of the oldest and most historic brigades in the Army, and yet the Devil

Brigade has stayed in step with the needs of

the modern battlefield since its inception.

From World War I, Vietnam, Desert Shield

and Desert Storm, 1st Bde. has participated

in some prominent campaigns – the most

notable of which include the Aisne-Marne,

Meuse-Argonne, Picardy, Tet Counteroffensive and the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Since Desert Storm, the “Devil Brigade”

has participated in numerous rotations to the

National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.,

and deployments to Bosnia, Kuwait and to

Korea to participate in a 2nd Infantry Division exercise.

In July of 2003, 1st Bde. was alerted of their

deployment to the Iraq Theater of Operations

in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For 12 months, the brigade’s offensive

operations killed 541 insurgents, wounded

101 more, and detained more than 2,081 enemy fighters, including the capture of 18

High Value Targets and 20 foreign fighters.

The brigade responded to hundreds of smallarms and rocket-propelled grenade attacks,

as well as more than 550 improvised explosive device attacks. In order to disrupt the

enemy’s ability to conduct operations, the

brigade captured 41 heavy machine guns,

175 RPG launchers, 3,134 mortar and artillery

rounds, 1,781 rockets and 17 surface-to-air

missiles. In addition to combat operations,

the brigade formed and trained the 60th Iraqi

National Guard Brigade, including the 500th,

501st and 502nd ING Battalions. The 1st Brigade also sponsored more than $23.8 million

dollars in civil projects in the Al Anbar province.

In January 2005, 1st Bde. Soldiers were

once again called on to prepare for a deployment in support of OIF. The brigade spent

most of 2005 training for that deployment.

This training came into play with the

brigade’s deployment to the Joint Readiness

Training Center at Fort Polk, La., in August

and September of 2005.

In late December, Soldiers of the “Devil

Brigade” learned the Department of Defense

Story by SPC Shaina Howard

Staff Writer, 1st ID PAO

Soldiers from 1st Bn., 5th FA help another Soldier wounded when a simulated improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee. The Soldiers were part of a SECFOR company preparing to deploy to Iraq in the fall of last

year to provide security for logistic convoys traveling throughout Iraq.

Photo by Anna Morelock

25
26

had decided to put a hold on their deployment because of major advances the Iraqi

Security Forces had made in protecting the

citizens and fighting the insurgency.

Instead of deploying, the 1st Bde. assumed three new missions for the Army.

One of these missions was forming Transition Teams to help the Iraqis develop their

security forces. The next was to train for

deployment. The third was to provide

deployable security force elements that can

move anywhere the Army wants them to, said

MAJ Gary Belcher in January, who was then

the brigade civil military affairs officer.

The first task undertaken by 1st Bde. was

determining the makeup of TTs, what equipment it would need and what the brigade

would need to train TTs, he said.

To help the 1st Bde. with the adjustment

from deployment to training, the 2nd Brigade,

91st Division (Training Support) out of Fort

Carson, Colo., was mobilized to Fort Riley to

assist and provide some guidance to the brigade staff. The 2nd Bde, 91st Div. helped

shape the TT training mission at Fort Riley

for the most part from scratch when they

arrived in March.

One adjustment for the Devil Brigade was

reconfiguring the “heavy” mechanized brigade from a combat mission to a training

mission, Belcher said. The change in mission meant a change in equipment and personnel for the brigade.

“We looked at all the requirements to train,

the equipment that was needed and at how

to mobilize the teams that come to Fort Riley

to train,” he said.

Since TTs don’t use tanks or heavy artillery, the brigade didn’t need the majority of

its heavy equipment. The brigade’s equipment loss was an equipment gain for the

Army overall, Belcher said.

“The equipment can be rebuilt and sent

elsewhere, where it is needed,” he said.

The brigade also did not need as many

Soldiers as it had when it was set to deploy,

Belcher said. Brigade leaders worked on the

reconfiguration to deployable 11-man TTs

for the new training mission and realized the

brigade needed Soldiers with different skill

sets than it had at the time.

TTs do not need armor crewmen, for example. These Soldiers were among the significant number of Soldiers who deployed

as security force units. Some of the Soldiers

deployed to the Central Command area of

responsibility with about 1,700 members of

the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

The task force’s mission is to detect, disrupt and defeat terrorists in Kenya, Somalia,

Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen,

said LTC Frank Zachar, 1st Bn., 16th Inf.,

commander.

Company A, 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. is currently deployed to the Horn of Africa in support of this mission.

The Fort Riley company’s emphasis during its deployment will not be direct combat,

Members of one of the Transition Teams training at Fort Riley search for “insurgents” in a building at Urban Cluster Site

three. Soldiers from 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. were on hand to observe the training and take part as observer/controllers in

preparation for the battalion’s take over of the training October 16.

Photo by Anna Morelock
27

said COL Bart Howard, former

commander of 1st Bde. Instead, they will be conducting military-to-military training, he said.

“[Soldiers deploying with

the company] will have the

opportunity to partner with a

host nation military to both

improve each unit’s capabilities and show solidarity in the

Global War on Terror,” said

Howard.

The 1st Bde. also has the

following units deployed as

security force units in Iraq:

Company B, 1st Bn. 16th Inf.

Regt.; Company C, 1st Bn.,

16th Inf. Regt.; Battery B, 1st

Battalion, 5th Field Artillery

Regiment; Battery D, 1st Bn.,

5th FA Regt.; Company B, 1st

Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment; Company C, 1st Bn.,

34th Armor Regt.; and Troop

D, 4th Cavalry Regiment.

The 1st Engineer Battalion

is also deployed in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The remaining elements of

the brigade have been reorganized and re-missioned to lead

the Transition Team training

mission at Fort Riley.

TTs will contain specialists

in key military fields, such as

planning, logistics, security

operations and intelligence

gathering, Belcher said. They

will be assigned to units of the

Iraqi army and police forces to work with

their leaders to improve their capabilities for

success, protecting their nation and defeating insurgents, he said.

The 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment

began training TT Soldiers on post Oct. 13.

The centerpiece of the mission is training

host-nation force advisers selected by the

Army.

The focus is to make sure individuals

tasked have the necessary skills needed to

successfully accomplish the mission. The

training the TT members receive is designed

to prepare them to assist and advise real foreign security forces.

Over the course of a typical TT training

course – about 60 days – Soldiers assigned

to the 10-man training teams will teach

classes in survival skills and tactics, individual- and crew-served weapons and equipment, combat-lifesaver skills and cultural

awareness.

The Soldiers also attend advanced drivers-training and conduct collective exercises,

but the most important lesson the teams

learn during their 60-day training cycle may

be teamwork, said MAJ Peter Shull, 1st Bn.,

16th Inf. Regt., operations officer.

The biggest, and perhaps most important, thing they do is bring the teams together for the first time, said Shull. Here,

they will have various opportunities to work

jointly and think things through as a team.

Teamwork will be crucial if the MiTTs are to

successfully train the host nation forces in

Iraq and Afghanistan, Shull added.

“This training is essential to a successful transition in place,” Shull said. “This is a

very important mission overall. Our piece is

ensuring that the teams are prepared.”

The unit’s current mission is not dissimilar to its combat mission in 2003 and 2004 in

Rhamadi, said Shull. CPT Moses Scheinfeld,

commander, Company D, 1st Bn., 16th Inf.

Regt., agrees with Shull, but with one difference.

“Before, our mission was to engage and

destroy the enemy,” said Scheinfeld. “Now

we are assisting the host nation forces.”

“[This training is a] rigorous and demanding preparation program that is designed to

get team members mentally, physically and

technically prepared to train and advise Iraqi

counterparts while maintaining their own

security,” said COL Jeff Ingram, 1st Brigade

commander.

In five-vehicle convoys, the Soldiers of Battery D, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment took to the range July 18 for motorized gunnery training in preparation for their

deployment to Iraq last fall as a security force company.

Photo by Anna Morelock
Fort Riley’s 12-man combatives team surprised about 300 opponents with its skill and determination, placing second in the AllArmy Combatives Tournament Nov. 3-5 at Fort Benning, Ga.

Two Fort Riley competitors won all-Army titles in their weight

classes. 2LT Brandon Bear of 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, won the

title in the cruiser weight – 185 pounds and below – matches.

2LT Benjamin Hart of 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., won the title in the lightweight – 140 pounds and below – competition.

PFC Ryan Nyhus of 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., placed third in light heavyweight – 205 pounds and below – matches. SGT Timothy Wineberg

of U.S. Army Medical Department at Fort Riley, placed fourth in

lightweight fighting. Wineberg placed fourth in last year’s tournament, too.

Last year’s 10-man Fort Riley team placed fifth with one fighter

finishing as an all-Army champ. This year, the fighters scored 95

team points, seven more than the 75th Ranger Regiment, who was

last year’s all-Army champion, and only three points behind this

year’s champs, the JFK Special Warfare Center.

All but four of the post’s combative team members belong to 2nd

Bn., 16th Inf. Besides Wineberg with MEDDAC, team members from

units other than 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., were

SGT Brent Srnka of Company E, 610th Brigade Support Battalion; SGT Henry

Phillips of 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry; and

SSG Vincent Miller of 2nd Brigade, 91st

Division (Training Support).

Other team members from 2nd Bn., 16th

Inf., included SSG Michael Gutierrez, CPL

Nicholas Looney, 2LT Aaron Chonko, PFC

Raymond Moungey and PFC Alexander

Tellez.

Barton County Community College

combatives coaches Dave Durnil, Joe

Wilk, Jon Menke and Ethan Day accompanied Fort Riley’s team. Alex Dibenedetto

is the team’s fitness and strength coach.

The Army Combatives School at Fort

Benning hosted the 34 active duty and

reserve teams traveling to the tournament

from as far away as Germany and Guam.

Teams entered in the tournament included

Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; 7th

Special Forces Group; 25th Infantry Division; 3rd Infantry Division; Fort Benning;

and Fort Stewart, Ga.

Fort Riley fighters faced about 30 opponents in each weight class, maybe

more, Chonko (185 pounds) guessed. That

made competing very tough because of

the stamina needed, especially “if you

went to the losers’ bracket ... (you) had a

lot of fights that went six minutes if your

opponent didn’t tap out,” he said.

Srnka (155 pounds) said he thought

opponents in his class were really tough

because they all were in good shape and very strong for their

weight. “Some cut weight, as much as 20 pounds, to get down to

weight for weigh-in,” he said.

Most of the lost weight was water weight that they would put

back on within a few hours. “You could definitely feel it when they

cut weight,” he said.

To counter such strategy, Fort Riley’s team “always practiced

fighting a heavier guy, and that worked well for the team, overall,”

Srnka said.

“Fort Riley stacked up pretty good physically, but being in the

field hurt our cardio condition because we didn’t get to do PT

(physical training) as much as we wanted,” Moungey (205 pounds)

said.

A lot of 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., time in October was spent training for

deployment to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.,

this month. In fact, eight of the team’s fighters were released from

training at NTC to compete in the tournament and returned the day

after it ended to rejoin the training in progress.

Durnil, head coach, said the team was given some dedicated

time to train.

“We took time to train for about six weeks, two to three hours a

day and personally gave up lunch hours to train,” Tellez (205

pounds and over) said. Team members used their lunch hours to

“roll,” a term that describes sparring with a partner.

Story and photos by Mike Heronemus

Editor, Daily Union

28
Besides the toughness they found in competitors, the Fort Riley

fighters and coaches expressed some surprise at their opponents’

mindset. “Their mindset wasn’t to ‘tap out’ (give up),” Moungey

explained.

“There was a lot of pride on the line, but the guys are good about

not trying to hurt each other,” Wilk said.

Gutierrez (170 pounds) said he put his first-round opponent to

sleep when he wouldn’t tap out. “It took him several minutes to

wake up,” he said.

Referees stopped the fighting at times to prevent injury to Soldiers, Durnil added.

Competition was surprisingly better than last year’s, Looney (170

pounds) said. He watched last year’s tournament and this year the

fighters used a lot more technique, he said. “It wasn’t just people

throwing each other around.”

A lot of fighters were black belts in jiu-jitsu, Tellez recalled. He

felt his training efforts to improve ground techniques paid off because “the main thing we were trying to get was submissions, not

just gain points,” he said.

“I’m pretty sure our team racked up more submissions than any

other team there,” he boasted.

Much of the techniques opponents used came as no surprise to

the Fort Riley fighters, they said. But that wasn’t always the case.

Gutierrez said he got taken out in his seventh match by an ankle lock

he hadn’t trained for.

Nyhus recalled facing a 75th Ranger Regt. fighter who had been

a combatives instructor for two years. “He’s a real tough guy. He

did a lot of moves I hadn’t seen before. I would like to learn a lot of

those moves and use them in the future,” he said.

Aaron Chonko lifts Issachar Anderson off the mat before

slamming him back down in their 185-pound and under

combative match for third place during Fort Riley’s AllArmy qualifiers Sept. 9-10.

Larry Jackson (top) gains a position in “the guard” from his opponent, Arnulfo Navarro, in the 140-pound and under

match for third place during Fort Riley’s All-Army qualifiers Sept. 9-10. Jackson ultimately won the match.

29
First Infantry Division band members play musical instruments,

of course, but that isn’t all they do. They must master basic Soldier

skills like any infantryman. They also serve as support personnel for

their company, like any supply sergeant or administrative specialist.

“There is no typical day in the band,” said Chief Warrant Officer

Scott MacDonald, commander and bandmaster of the 1st ID band.

“There’s no typical week. Our days are usually pretty long and very

regimented, depending on what we have scheduled.

“A lot of people think the band is like the fire department,”

MacDonald continued. “We’re just sitting around up here waiting

for someone to hit the alarm and say, ‘We’ve got a ceremony. Call

the band.’ That’s far from the truth.”

Most of the band’s time is spent training for their next commitment, because every mission is different, MacDonald said. Missions vary by season, audience and occasion. The band plays at

changes of command, unit activations and inactivations, for holiday concerts and community relations events, and even for dignitaries and while deployed.

Last year, band members performed a variety of music during

Kansas State University’s Fort Riley Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Less than a month before, they played at the Soldier Salute on

Poyntz in Manhattan.

During the division’s deployment from 2004 to 2005 in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom II, the band’s mission of performing mission to support morale and esprit did not waver.

“The band played in every [Forward Operating Base] in the division footprint when we were downrange,” MacDonald said. “In

addition, there were some band members who went on convoy duty

and did guard duty at guard towers ... but that’s not our primary

responsibility. Even (when) deployed, we play music. Unless the conflict reaches such intensity that

we’re no longer able to do that, our mission continues even while deployed.”

“I think it’s very important,” said band 1SG

Allen Freeman about the mission. “I’ve played

concerts in places like Korea at Christmas, where

it was very evident that we were a very big impact

on morale.”

The smaller part of the band’s musical training

is sustainment training. This is, however, considered as important as their primary mission training, because band members regard their musical

ability as a very perishable skill.

Despite this, the band exists as a mostly selfsustaining organization. Though an Army band’s

main mission is to promote the morale and esprit

of the Army through music, the band is a separate

company, providing its own operations, security,

supply and administrative support.

“My supply sergeant is a trombone player,”

MacDonald said. “My admin sergeant is a saxophone player, but they have to know all these other

jobs as well. Everyone in the band has secondary, and sometimes, a

tertiary responsibility in addition to a primary [military occupational

specialty].”

“We have to wear many hats,” said SSG Keith Cassant, saxophonist, drum major and operations noncommissioned-officer-in-charge.

“We have to be self-sustaining. Unlike other units, we don’t

have admin people attached to us. I’ve held jobs in a [personnel]

shop doing promotions, re-enlistments and awards,” he explained.

Band members learn these added tasks without formal training;

but by the time they are staff sergeants and above, they really know

what they are doing, Freeman said. With performing music, technical training and internal support comes arguably the most important

aspect: Soldiering skills.

“We do so much more than what people realize,” Cassant said.

“A lot of people probably don’t even realize we do weapons qualifications, Army physical fitness tests and [common task training].

We’re Soldiers as well.”

While there is no typical day or week, Freeman said the more

common activities among band members during any given day include physical training in the morning, squad leader or platoon sergeant time for mentoring and counseling, any training the division

requires, concert-band rehearsal, small group rehearsal, administrative time and, on Thursdays, Sergeant’s Time training.

Soldiers come into the musical branch having a varying level of

experience and skill. Yet, these variations are not considered discrepancies and are irrelevant as far as rank is concerned, Freeman said.

“We have a lot of different ability levels within the band,”

MacDonald said.

“We have such a great variety,” he added. “It’s never really a

problem putting all that together. Everything we do is based on teamwork, because that’s what you have to do musically ... you can’t have

one part of the team drop out or the music might fall apart.”

Story by SPC Stephen Baack

Editor, 1st ID PAO

The 1st Infantry Division Band plays its way down Poyntz Avenue during

the Soldier Salute on Poyntz Aug. 24 in Manhattan.

Photo by Anna Morelock

30
The commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley held a press

conference at the post headquarters Dec. 20

to discuss the accelerated conversion of two

future Big Red One brigade combat teams.

MG Carter Ham spoke about the Department of Army’s announcement for the accelerated conversion of 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored

Division and 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division to modular brigade combat teams.

The effective date of the conversion is

now set for April 16, 2007, which is 11 months

earlier than anticipated.

“The reason for the acceleration for these

two brigades is to place two more brigade combat teams in the Army’s inventory,” Ham said.

The decision to increase the Army’s inventory is meant to relieve stress on the current force, and fulfill vital roles in the defense

of the nation and the transformed Army.

In the autumn of 2007, 3rd Bde., 1st AD is

scheduled to reflag as 2nd Brigade, 1st ID.

That new brigade will feature two combat-arms battalions (one focused on mechanized infantry and the other on armor), a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition squadron, an artillery battalion and a

support battalion.

“This is a heavy brigade combat team, so

we have to get the tanks, the Bradley fighting vehicles, the artillery pieces and all of

that heavy equipment back to Fort Riley to

equip this unit,” Ham said.

Before the unit can convert to a heavy

brigade combat team, they need to transfer

their current mission to 1st Brigade.

“Currently, the 3rd Brigade is specifically

organized for a piece of the Transition Team

training mission,” Ham said. “Once the 3rd

Brigade commander transfers his mission to

the 1st Brigade it will allow him to focus

solely and intently on building this new

heavy brigade combat team.”

The 3rd Bde. will start transferring their

responsibility of training the Transition

Teams to the Division’s 1st Bde. The transfer will include moving some of the Soldiers

from the 3rd Bde. to 1st Bde., Ham said.

“Many of the Soldiers are happy we will

be standing up the brigade,” said Col. Norb

Jocz, commander of 3rd Bde., 1st AD. “They

look at it as another opportunity, another challenge. Other Soldiers are happy they will be

able to continue the transition team training

as they move to the 1st Brigade.”

Once the Soldiers transfer to 1st Bde., that

organization will be in charge of the entire

Transition Team mission, Ham said.

“We don’t see any slowdown, any shortcomings, whatsoever, for that mission,” said

Ham. “And that mission remains our very,

very highest priority.

“There are challenges to be sure, but I’ve

got every confidence in the leadership of

this brigade,” Ham said. “Many of you have

seen the growth of the 4th Brigade, so we

know how to do this.”

The brigade will have about 3,800 Soldiers

when fully formed. The unit will gain personnel and equipment over the next year, and will

conduct training at the individual and collective levels throughout the build-up.

 “We have to get the Soldiers in place

and train them from the individual tasks to

collective training so that the unit is available to deploy in 2008 if they are needed,”

Ham said.

“We have been directed by the Department

of the Army to have that brigade ready to deploy by 2008,” Ham said. “It is important to

recognize that we do not have specific instructions to deploy that brigade.”

Along with 3rd Bde., 1st AD, major

changes are happening for 3rd Bde., 1st ID.

The 1st ID’s 3rd Bde. is slated to stand up

and convert to a modular infantry brigade

combat team comprising about 3,400 Soldiers.

Due to limited availability of facilities for

the unit and family members at Fort Knox,

Ky., the Army will initially form and train the

brigade at Fort Hood, Texas. The Brigade is

scheduled to deploy, return to Fort Hood,

and then re-station to its permanent home at

Fort Knox in the Fiscal Year 2009 time frame.

During the accelerated conversion, Fort

Riley will continue building at a brisk pace.

The post will execute more than $330 million

in construction this year to meet the demands

of housing the estimated 18,300 Soldiers who

will be here once the Division is fully formed.

Story by SGT Nicole Clarke

CAB PAO

31

Photo by SPC Stephen Baack

Mock Iraqi Security Forces from the 3rd Brigade play a vital role in Transition Team training. The 3rd Brigade also oversaw all Mission Readiness

Exercises for Transition Team training.