Ranger School

Training for

Success

Midnight Flyers

Vietnam Veteran

Advisor

Cup O’

Joe

May 2008

www.1id.army.mil

Unofficial 1st Infantry Division Magazine of Soldiers and Families
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

1

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

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

self-discipline sets the example for others to follow. HONOR is what I stand for-an American Soldier on duty

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

my fellow Soldiers and my chain-of-command through courage,

respect, integrity and compassion.

I have learned to 

ENDURE, to thrive in adversity. 

The harsh reality of combat gives me the enthusiam for

realistic training. I am physically and mentally strong to

meet the demanding situations my unit encounters.

We are one in the Big Red One. Our 

BROTHERHOOD

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

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

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

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

high standards of care and equipment, weaponry and tactical

and technical competence.

My 

ORGANIZATION is my strength. The BRO is bigger 

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

competitive spirit, intestinal fortitude and the desire to fight 

with all my heart.

bro creed

U.S. Army Photo

2

1st Infantry Division Commander

Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin

Acting 1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. James Savitski

1st Infantry Division PAO

Lt. Col. Christian Kubik

1st Infantry Division PAO NCOIC

Master Sgt. Amanda Glenn

Editor

Sgt. 1st Class Pamella Voss

Assistant Editor

Laura Stroda

Staff Writer

Francisca Vega

Layout and Design

Floyd Hansford M/VISC

contents

Command 3 Danger 6: Live the Legacy 4 Danger 7: Do the Right Thing 

Brigades

 5 1st BDE – Mounted Combat Patrols 

 7 2nd HBCT – New Ride 

 8 3rd IBCT - Ranger School

 9 3rd ESC - Techniques, Tactics and Procedures

10 1st ID at War

1 1 4th IBCT – Battlemind Focus

13 BRO History 

15 1st CAB - Midnight Flyers

17 1st SB – Train Runs Through Taji

19 75th Fires - Training to Fight Terrorism

Features

21 Big Red One Coffee - Cup O’ Joe

22 Opsec Poster 

23 Vietnam Veteran/Advisor

25 TT Poster

Duty First!

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

May 2008 www.1id.army.mil

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 monthly. 

Story and photos submissions are 

welcome and should be sent to: 

1st Infantry Division

Public Affairs Office 

ATTN: Editor 

Bldg. 580

RM 135

Fort Riley, Kan. 66442. 

Telephone number 

785-239-8126 or 785-239-2402 

DSN 856-2402 or 856-3616 fax 

785-239-2592 

or visit Duty First online at 

www.1id.army.mil.

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Gul Alisan

Editor’s Comment: In the April issue 

of Duty First! the Demon Brigade was

misidentified as Diamondbacks.
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

 What does it mean to be a Soldier in the Big Red One? 

When Soldiers and leaders from other Divisions see that 

bold No. 1 on your shoulder, they don’t see just another 

unit patch. They see “pride,” history,” and “esprit.” They 

look at you with a great deal of respect because they know 

you are one of a distinguished team of time-honored and 

proven professionals. 

Why? Because no other unit in 

the U.S. Army enjoys a longer and 

more distinguished history than the 

1st Infantry Division. We are literally 

the “First” Division, formed on June 

8, 1917 as the First Expeditionary 

Division, with 28,000 Soldiers. We 

won the first American victory at the 

Battle of Cantigny on May 28, 1918. 

Since then, the 1st Division has 

helped shape the history of our great 

nation, serving with distinction in 

WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the Cold War, 

Gulf War, in Bosnia and Kosovo, and 

most recently with valor and victories 

in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are one 

of the most well-known and respected 

military units, not just in the U.S. 

Army, but in the world. 

You may have already earned this respect with your 

duty to the Division and nation, or you may be a brand new 

Soldier straight out of AIT. Regardless, when you stick that 

shoulder patch on your uniform, you accept an obligation 

3

Commanding General Danger 6

Live the Legacy...

Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin

to uphold the prestige and heritage of this great 1st Division. 

You have an obligation to honor those many generations of 

BRO Soldiers who fought before, and who fight now for our 

nation. You have a commitment to respect the blood shed 

by our BRO veterans in the last 91 years of wars around the 

world in the defense of our nation. 

By wearing this patch, you say to the world that you 

understand your heritage and history, 

and that you eat, sleep, breathe, and live 

the high standards of your Division. 

Life in the Big Red One is one of 

rigor, of high standards and challenges, 

of tough tours of duty in foreign lands, 

prosecuting the military mission of the 

United States of America. 

Life in the Big Red One is one of 

pride and esprit de corps, borne of those 

rigors in training and in combat, carried 

on the shoulders of those Soldiers of 

yesteryear who forged our identity of 

valor and distinction. 

You are a Soldier in the Big Red One. 

Wear that bold No. 1 with honor and 

pride – pride in being a Soldier of the 

Long Red Line of your proud Fighting 

First heritage. Ask yourself daily if 

you are “living the legacy” of this great Division Make 

your Division motto your personal creed: No mission too 

difficult. No Sacrifice too great. Duty First! 

By wearing this patch, you say to the world that you understand 

your heritage and history, and that you eat, sleep, breathe, and 

live the high standards of the 1st Infantry Division. 

In the last few Duty First! magazines, Danger 6 and 

I have addressed valuable issues to help you grow as 

leaders. I’ll continue that trend this month by talking 

about training. However, it’s probably not the type of 

training you’re thinking about.

The training I will talk about has nothing to do with 

firing weapons and squad, platoon or company collective 

training such as conducting a cordon and 

search or gunnery. Believe it or not, the 

training I will talk about is probably the 

hardest of all the training you will ever 

do. This has to do with training your 

Soldiers to “Do the Right Thing!”

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Just 

tell your Soldiers not to do something 

and they obey – right?! The truth of the 

matter is this is hard. We are all different. 

We have different values, different views, 

different ways of coping with situations 

and different leadership styles. 

So how, as a leader, do you train or 

instill in your Soldiers to ‘do the right 

thing’ and to live up to the Army Values? 

The best way is by your personal example. 

Like I mentioned before in my previous 

article your Soldiers are watching you all 

the time – on and off duty. 

An African proverb states: “If you don’t know who 

you are, anyone can name you. And, if anyone can name 

you, you’ll answer to anything.” I believe these words are 

applicable. If you don’t know who you are, how can you 

know your Soldiers? If you don’t know your Soldiers, how 

can you perform the mission properly? In my opinion, 

you will be unsuccessful, because you will answer to what 

you think should be said or done and not to what is right 

thing to do. We must show our Soldiers what “right looks 

like.”

Leaders and Soldiers of strong moral character are the 

ultimate resource for any military organization and they 

are by definition Soldiers with integrity – individuals 

whose actions are consistent with their beliefs. A person 

of integrity must have the moral courage to take a stand 

and do what is right. They talk the talk and walk the 

walk.

This fits right into what Danger 6 says about having 

pride in the division also. When our Soldiers see us doing 

the right thing and leading with a strong moral compass, 

they know they are in a unit with conviction and will be 

proud to serve with that unit.

The environment in which we must operate today 

poses a severe threat to consistent moral behavior. In the 

Army today, men and women in uniform face a confusing 

variety of inconsistencies in what 

is right and wrong. In such an 

environment, confusion, frustration 

and doubt multiply rapidly. This is 

a matter of concern with me. These 

elements hinder effectiveness, 

and how effectively your Soldiers 

perform their primary mission 

depends on you.

Have you trained your Soldiers 

to “do the right thing” in the heat 

of battle or more importantly when 

all alone. Will they know and do 

the right thing when faced with 

the most emotional wrenching 

conditions with suffering and death 

around them and against an enemy 

that doesn’t play by all the rules? 

Have you trained and talked 

to your Soldiers about what Army Values really mean? 

One day in the future, one of your Soldiers will need the 

personal courage to make moral decisions for which they 

will have to take responsibility. Will they think back to 

the training you gave them to make that right ethical and 

moral decision?

The moral framework within which the Army functions 

is our Army Values. Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless 

Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage are 

not just words. They are the fundamental values of our 

Army and American society. We must shape and apply 

these moral values throughout our military training and 

lifestyle. If we are going to expect our Soldiers to live 

these values, we must show them how to do it.

 Bottom line: you must conduct yourselves at all times 

as Soldiers of honor whose integrity, loyalty, and courage 

are exemplary. These qualities are necessary and essential 

in garrison and on the battlefield if our Division is to be 

No. 1. Lastly, place your Duty First! 

4

Command Sergeant Major Danger 7

Command Sgt. Maj. James Savitski (Acting Division CSM)

Do the Right Thing!
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

5 1st bDe

A Humvee on a Transition Team convoy is hit with a mock improvised explosive device.

A Transition Team convoy responds to an 

ambush of small arms fire from OPFOR.

61st bDE

FORT RILEY, Kan. – As soon as an American 

convoy leaves its Forward Operating Base in Iraq or 

Afghanistan, the team is prone to enemy attack. 

The same can be said in training at Fort Riley’s FOB 

Army Strong, the home of Transition Team training. 

Conducted by the 1st “Devil” Brigade, 1st Infantry 

Division, Transition Teams do an awful lot of Humvee 

driving at Fort Riley to prepare for mounted combat 

patrols downrange. 

MCP training is composed of three levels: The 

constructive level, in which Soldiers hone individual 

skills, complete drivers training, qualify with weapons, 

learn combat life-saver skills, and develop standard 

operating procedures.

The team members experience the virtual phase, or 

participate in simulated mounted combat patrols similar 

to a video game. 

The third level is the live phase, where team members 

drive real vehicles, combat “enemy” forces and use real 

weapons. 

Team members are trained and tested with five different 

scenarios on mounted combat patrol operations: insurgent 

attacks, how team members control their weapons, sniper 

attacks, ambushes, evacuating casualties, and improvised 

explosive device attacks. 

Teams of opposing forces (the bad guys) can strike 

a convoy anytime after they leave their headquarters at 

FOB Army Strong to other areas of Fort Riley. 

The OPFOR is equipped with foreign automatic 

weapons and blank rounds, paintball guns and simulated 

improvised explosive devices made of carbon dioxide 

and baby powder. 

“We try and catch the convoys off guard and kind of 

give them a wakeup call,” said Sgt. Jacob Long, 1st Bde. 

OPFOR team. “This really teaches you to keep your eyes 

open.” 

TT members are on constant lookout when on the 

road. The gunner’s job is to be in control of the mounted 

crew-served weapon (machine gun) and is the primary 

element of observation and direct fire power. 

The vehicle/truck commander (in the passenger seat) 

is responsible for the general performance of the vehicle 

and crew during operations. The TC’s responsibilities 

include navigation, radio communication and directing 

fire.

The other passengers’ duties may include observation, 

forming dismounted teams when the time comes to stop 

and exit the vehicles and direct fire on the enemy. 

“Every person involved in a MCP is responsible for 

something and vital to the mission,” said Master Sgt. 

Curtis Stanley, 1st Bde. training noncommissioned 

officer-in-charge. “It’s important everyone acts as a team 

and communicates on the road.” 

Communication goes hand in hand with being attentive 

when teams conduct their MCP live fire exercise. 

“If you’re not staying alert, that’s when something is 

going to jump up and bite you and you wish you would 

have been alert,” Stanley added. 

While using live rounds in the exercise, the first enemy 

contact is the complex attack, where the enemy attacks 

the convoy with machine guns and rocket-propelled 

grenades.

The second is the frontal residual attack, where the 

enemy repositions themselves from the previous attack 

site to create an ambush. 

The third attack is the complex IED attack, in which 

the enemy detonates an initial and secondary IED. 

After the real IED attack, the fourth step is a planted 

fake IED, followed by an enemy ambush.

The last step of the convoy can arguably be the hardest, 

said Stanley: an IED has caused a vehicle to be destroyed 

or damaged and there are casualties. The team’s mission 

is to recover the vehicle and evacuate the wounded. 

“Here is where you make your mistakes,” Stanley 

said. “If you learn here and develop your SOPs here, 

convoys can go a lot smoother downrange.” 

By the end of the 60 day training module at Fort 

Riley, the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who form today’s 

Transition Teams are ready to conduct convoy operations 

in their host nation of Iraq or Afghanistan.

 Spc. Dustin Roberts

1st BDE PAO

Transition Teams:

Training

 for success on

Fort Riley
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

72nd HBCTSpc. Theresa M Wiersgalla

2nd HBCT, PAO

Editor’s Note: This story was written and submitted 

prior to the re-flagging of the brigade.

FORT RILEY, Kan. – Soldiers of Company D. 1-41 

Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat 

Team, 1st Armored Division conducted a convoy livefire exercise with the M1151 up-armored Humvee. The 

exercise was a first for the brigade on the up-armored 

system, commonly used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Today we are conducting convoy live-fire training as a 

part of the 1-41 CAB transition to becoming motorized,” 

said Capt. Andrew Chovancek, Co. D., Commander. 

“All four of our companies are out training with this 

vehicle.”

1-41 CAB is a part of the modular brigade concept 

introduced to better equip units with all the assets needed 

in combat. As a combined arms battalion there are now 

two infantry companies and two armor companies to a 

CAB, instead of just infantry or armor companies in each 

battalion.

“Our brigade passed down four or five 1151s to the 

battalion – my company was assigned three vehicles 

to conduct training preparing us for deployment,” said 

Chovancek.

There are many differences between the 1151 (uparmored) and the 1025 (basic military issue Humvee), 

said Chovancek. The main difference is in the armor 

package that provides extra protection for Soldiers. It can 

be field-installed or removed by the vehicle crew, rather 

than requiring a depot retrofit.

There is a public address system built into the internal 

intercom system so the crew can speak to one another in 

the vehicle over the noise of the engine. The PA system 

also allows them to speak outside the vehicle – warning 

people outside the vehicle to move away from the convoy. 

One of the benefits of the siren is being able to speak or 

have a translator use the PA to speak to people outside 

the vehicle so there is no miscommunication from using 

hand and arm gestures, said Chovancek.

The units will have an opportunity to put this training 

to the test during their upcoming rotation to the National 

Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. 

Training like this not only gets the Soldiers prepared 

for future missions, it also keeps them motivated to do a 

great job.

“My Soldiers are excited to have this opportunity to 

train on this vehicle, it gives them a platform of training 

on something more realistic than the brand we’ve been 

training on so far – and they are doing an outstanding job 

training,” said Chovancek.

Soldiers of Co. D. 1-41 CAB, mount a 

240B machine gun to their up-armored 

humvee prior to a qualification run on 

Range 18. The live fire exercise was the 

first for the Brigade utilizing the M1151 

up-armored humvee.

New Ride 83rd ibct

Sgt. Todd Goodman

3rd IBCT, PAO

FORT HOOD, Texas – Ranger school isn’t about 

learning tactics. It’s about finding a person’s breaking 

point, then stepping on the gas and producing a leader.

“You learn more about yourself than anything else,” 

said Staff Sgt. Steven Smith, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry 

Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry 

Division. “It pushes you to your limits both physically and 

mentally and you either keep going or you don’t.”

And it’s during this time of physical and mental 

anguish that the candidate is expected to lead. It could be 

in the Appalachian mountains of northern Georgia or the 

swamps of southern Florida. The point is to do it under 

harsh conditions.

“I had the worst pain in my entire life during the 

mountain phase of Ranger school,” Smith said. “My boots 

got wet, then dried out and shrunk a little bit, which caused 

rubbing on the back of my heel. I had a blood blister four 

inches long and two inches wide. I was halfway up the 

mountain and knew I had to stay three feet from the buddy 

in front of me. That’s when you find out how much you 

really can take. I just kept saying over and over, ‘I can’t 

stop.’”

Ranger school teaches Soldiers to lead troops in the 

worst possible conditions – terrain wise and while dealing 

with food and sleep deprivation. During a two-day period 

of the 62-day school, Soldiers got no sleep and only one 

meal.

“Everyone’s fuse was about an inch long,” Smith said. 

“That’s why we only fired blanks during the school. Giving 

hungry, sleep-deprived Soldiers live rounds wouldn’t have 

been a good idea.”

Capt. Trevor Voelkel, 2-2 Co. C commander, said under 

those circumstances a person’s personality can morph into 

something ugly.

“You may be a nice guy, real friendly, but when I take 

away your food and your sleep, I don’t want to say that 

your true self comes out, but your weaknesses can begin 

to show,” Voelkel said. “I became more nit-picky and 

irritable.”

2-2 has the most enlisted Rangers of any battalion in 

the brigade. And it’s not a large number, either. There are 

780 Soldiers in 2-2, with seven Rangers below the grade 

of E-7 and three senior NCO Rangers. With officers, it’s a 

different story. All infantry officers have the opportunity to 

go Ranger after the officer basic course. But with enlisted 

Soldiers, it’s an opportunity that may take a while to come 

to fruition, if at all.

Smith worked four years to get into Ranger school. 

Either a deployment would interrupt his class date or the 

unit didn’t have enough money. It costs about $14,000 to 

send someone to Ranger school. 

“For the enlisted Soldier, it’s not easy to get a slot,” he 

said. “The great thing about this unit is that we are allowed 

to go.”

Well, not everyone is allowed. It is a privilege to go 

to Ranger school. Candidates must be at least a corporal 

and impress their higher ups with their leadership qualities 

and physical prowess. Is this guy a team player? Does he 

work well under pressure? A Soldier may be a super stud 

in garrison, but until he is deprived of sleep and food and 

put under stressors, there is no way of judging how he will 

react. 

“The commander and I will identify someone we think 

can succeed in Ranger school and we’ll prompt them to 

go,” 1st Sgt. Mark Kane, 2-2 C Co., said. “And sometimes 

they don’t have a decision whether they are going to go 

or not. With the self promotion Army, it’s a way to further 

your career. It’s the premiere leadership school that we 

have.”

When a Soldier is identified and the packet and physical 

completed, he can be on his way within a couple of weeks. 

Ranger school isn’t rocket science, Voelkel said, but there 

is one thing every candidate should know.

“It’s not hard. It sucks,” Voelkel said. 

Ranger School

Turning Soldiers

into Leaders

Sgt. Steven Smith a 3-1 Soldier with 2-2 Inf. 

Regt. completes a rope climbing exercise. 

Smith is one of a handful in his battalion 

who has completed Ranger school.

photo by Sgt. Todd Goodman
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

9 3rd esc Pvt. Amanda Tucker

3rd ESC, PAO

FORT Campbell, Ky. – The 3rd Sustainment 

Command (Expeditionary) conducted its first Mission 

Readiness Exercise at Fort Campbell, Ky., as an 

expeditionary sustainment command versus a corp 

support command. 

The MRX provided the 3rd ESC the opportunity to 

serve as the single headquarters for operational level 

sustainment and command-four of the five sustainment 

brigades that will actually deploy with them.

The 3rd ESC Soldiers rode chartered busses more 

than two hours to the Kentucky-Tennessee border for 

the exercise. The command’s Soldiers left behind their 

homes and Families for two weeks in order to focus on 

the realism of this crucial training. 

“During the MRX it is my intent to thoroughly test the 

headquarters and staff in an environment that replicates 

the mission we are scheduled to assume in theater,” said 

Brig. Gen. Michael J. Lally, the Commanding General 

for the 3rd ESC. 

The MRX is a major training event to ensure the 

staff knows how to work together, set up the Joint 

Operations Center (JOC) and fusion cell, use information 

management systems and take command and control of 

the subordinate brigades. 

“The MRX is important because it brings the staff 

together to practice techniques, tactics, and procedure,” 

said Lally. 

The unit spent the time in training simulating what 

their mission would be in Iraq. 

In the exercise’s JOC, they ran through scenarios 

ranging from Soldier deaths and improvised explosive 

device attacks to religious protests and fuel spills. 

Every so often a loud booming voice would come over 

the loudspeaker saying, “Attention in the JOC,” with a 

new simulated mission. After the mission was released, 

staff sections sprang to life, acting and interacting in the 

way that they will when they deploy.

The 3rd ESC started preparing for the MRX in 

November, said Lally, and the unit in December started to 

talk to subordinate brigades, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 

16th Sustainment Brigade, 287th Sustainment Brigade 

and 371st Sustainment Brigade.

“Usually it takes 18-24 months to set up an exercise 

this big. The 3rd ESC had it ready in four,” Lally said.

This unit had to work out its own logistics ranging from 

the arrival of the command’s Soldiers, to where those 

Soldiers would eat their meals while on Fort Campbell. 

In just four months, the 3rd ESC overcame the 

significant challenges of getting the people to run the 

exercise, finding the money to pay for it and convincing 

the National Guard, U.S. Army Europe and the Reserves 

to let Soldiers come train with us, said Lally. 

Once permission was obtained, Soldiers came from 

as far as Fort Lewis, Wash., Germany and even Iraq to 

participate in this exercise. 

“I think the subordinate brigades are doing very well,” 

said Lally. “In two of the brigades, this is their first time 

in an exercise like this. Another two of the brigades have 

done this before, but they have new people. It is really 

realistic because they had to deploy to come here, set up 

their operations center, run the exercise, tear down their 

operation center, and then deploy back home.”

“This training exercise is fairly accurate to what 

actually goes on (during) a deployment,” said retired 

Gen. James T. Hill, a senior mentor for the exercise.

Hill addressed the unit saying, “You belong to the best 

Army in the world. I say that to you because it was not 

always that way. Those of us who are past leaders and are 

now on the outside looking in have a tremendous respect 

for those who now wear the uniform. I am in awe of the 

level of success in which you guys do your job.”

Brig. Gen. Michael J. Lally, commander of the 3d Sustainment 

Command (Expeditionary), conducts a mock interview. 

Scenarios like this were performed during a three week Mission 

Readiness Exercise conducted at Fort Campbell, Ky.

techniques, tactics 

and procedures

10 1st Infantry Division at War 1st id at war

1st Infantry Division

Oldest continuously serving division in the United States Army. Over 3,000 Soldiers 

in two brigades and multiple subordinate units deployed.

Primarily located in Fort Riley, Kan.; training responsibility extends to three other 

states: Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas.

Preparing for modularization in summer/fall FY09, with deployment thereafter.

1st Brigade, Fort Riley

Trains transition team. So far more than 7,000 servicemembers trained and deployed to 

Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 1,200 redeployed.

Transition Teams live and work with Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the Afghan National 

Army (ANA).

Scheduled to modularize FY09.

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Iraq

Re-deployed from support of Operation Iraqi Freedom April 2008.

Recently completed combat and civil military operations in conjunction with 

Iraqi Army and Police in the Rashid District of Baghdad to restore and ensure 

long term peace and stability in that region.

1st Sustainment Brigade, Iraq

Provides logistic, human resource and financial management for 80,000 Soldiers and 

20,000 civilians and contractors throughout Multi-National Division-Baghdad and area 

support for Multi-National Division-Central.

Deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom September 2007.

1st Combat Aviation Brigade Combat Team, Iraq

Conducts 360-degree battlefield operations with cutting edge 

technology to support ground troops.

Deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom October 2007.

3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Fort Knox

Returned from deployment in fall 2006.

Provide theater logistics command and control for the theater commander supporting the Army Forces (ARFOR) and Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) mission.

Scheduled to deploy in summer/fall FY08.

75th Fires Brigade, Fort Sill

Integrates attached ground and air maneuver forces and on 

order functions as a maneuver headquarters in support of 

full spectrum operations.

Separate battalions currently deployed in support of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley

Preparation for rotation to the National Training Center in 

Fort Irwin, Calf., in early summer 2008.

Scheduled to deploy in summer/fall 2008.

3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Hood

One of the Army’s newest brigades, recently returned from the 

National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calf.

Deploys in support of Operation Enduring Freedom June 

2008.
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

114th IbCT

Spc. Francisca Vega

1st Inf. Div., Pao

FORT RILEY, Kan. – “Reunion is not an event, it 

is a process,” said Jill O’Sullivan, Family Readiness 

Center coordinator. 

For Soldiers and Familes of the 4th Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team redeploying from a 15-month tour in 

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, their reunion is 

being looked at with a Battlemind Focus. 

Many things change for both the Family and Soldier 

during a long deployment, but to help Families make the 

reunion process more successful, the “Dragons” have 

embraced this concept.

“Reintegration helps the Soldier begin the mental 

transition from ‘Battlemind’ to ‘Home Again’ thinking,” 

said Capt. Donald Reeves, Headquarters and Headquarters 

Company Rear Detachment commander. 

Soldiers forward deployed are required to go through 

Battlemind Training prior to their unit’s transfer of 

authority, he added. Once Soldiers return, within the first 

10 days of being home they attend Family Reunification 

Training that their spouses are encouraged to attend with 

them.

Not only can this process bring short-term joy to the 

Family units, but it is also being looked at as preventative 

medicine as well. 

 “If you reintegrate properly you spell out success for 

the Soldiers,” said 1st Sgt. Sean Polwort, 1st Sgt. for 

4th IBCT’s Rear Detachment. “If you just shake a leg 

at it and check the box, you’re bound to have systemic 

problems down the road.”

Conducting the training also allows the unit to 

identify high risk personnel who may need additional 

help making the transition, said Reeves. After they are 

identified, the unit can fulfill its obligation to the Soldier 

and take the necessary actions to ensure those Soldiers 

are taken care of. 

“Rear detachment commanders have scheduled 

Battlemind Training for all the spouses in the rear,” 

said Reeves. “Spouses that are unable to attend will get 

the Battlemind Training resource packet sent to their 

address.” 

The training is geared to helping both halves understand 

the changes that have occurred during the separation, and 

how to reunite with their spouse and Family smoothly.

“The Family dynamic has changed,” said O’Sullivan. 

“There may be a power struggle, communication issues, 

and confused Family roles. Kids, especially adolescents, 

Battlemind

Shifting From The

Spc. Mark Schellhase hugs his daughter, Jessica, and his son, 

Zach, during an April 10 redeployment ceremony at Fort Riley. 

Schellhase was part of the first main body redeployment of the 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

Members of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry 

Division, are welcomed back to Fort Riley on April 10.

Families and friends cheer for members of the 4th Infantry 

Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, as they file into 

formation during a redeployment ceremony.

124th IbCT

BELLATE IMPAVIDE

Focus

can be very resistant to change.”

But issues are not always apparent right away. 

“Most problems start popping up after what we call the ‘honeymoon phase’ has 

passed,” O’Sullivan said. “Every Family is different, so I can’t really say how long 

the reintegration process takes. Some spouses give the Soldier 30 days to get with the 

program, but there is no set time.”

After communication, O’Sullivan added, both sides have to remember to be patient, 

flexible and compromising because a lot of things have changed. Expectations also 

need to be realistic. 

Some issues or conflict with in the Family units may require more attention or help. 

In this case it is important to know that there are several resources the Army offers to 

Soldiers. 

Soldiers can go to Military One Source, Mental Health Services, or even the Family 

Life Consultants on base, said O’Sullivan.

Army Community Service also offers many services to Family members, Soldiers 

and dependents. 
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

13 14

The Division’s history began in 1917 when 

General John “Blackjack” Pershing arrived in France 

with the First American Expeditionary Force. The 

“Fighting First” led the way for American troops 

in World War I. Names like Cantigny, Soissons, St. 

Mihiel and the Argonne Forest tell the story of the 

gallantry of the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, 

now wearing the famous “Big Red One” patch on 

their left shoulder.

During World War II, the 1st Infantry Division 

was the first to reach England, the first to fight the 

enemy in North Africa and Sicily, the first on the 

beaches of Normandy in D-Day and the first to 

capture a major German City – Aachen.

The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, provided the 

supreme test. In five days, the division drove inland 

and cleared a beachhead for supplies and troops. 

Driving eastward across France against fanatical 

resistance, the Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division 

spent nearly six months in continuous action with 

the enemy. 

After capturing Aachen, the 1st Infantry Division 

still faced months of bitter fighting at places like the 

Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. When 

the War ended, the Big Red One had rolled through 

Germany and into Czechoslovakia.

The 1st Infantry Division remained in Germany 

until 1955, first as occupation troops, then as 

partners with the new Germany in NATO, the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 1955, the Big Red 

One redeployed to Fort Riley Kansas.

In the summer of 1965, the Big Red One was the 

first division called to fight in Vietnam. For nearly five 

years, its Soldiers battled the enemy while carrying 

out programs to aid the people of South Vietnam. In 

April 1970, the colors of the 1st Infantry Division 

returned to Fort Riley. Home again, the Big Red One 

became a dual based division with its 3rd Brigade in 

West Germany.

Another first was credited to the Division when it 

embarked on the beginning of a long series of Return 

of Forces to Germany exercises. These exercises 

demonstrated our nation’s determination and 

capability to defend, with our NATO allies, Western 

Europe.

On Nov. 8, 1990, the 1st Infantry Division was 

alerted and over the next two months, deployed more 

than 12,000 soldiers and 7,000 pieces of equipment to 

Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield/

Storm. Another first, the Big Red One led the charge 

into Iraq. After spearheading the armored attack into 

Iraq, by February 27, 1991 the division broke the 

enemy’s defense along the Kuwait border and cut off 

the path of retreat for the fleeing Iraq Army.

During the next 100 hours, the Division raced across 

southern Iraq into Kuwait, engaging and destroying 

all or part of 11 enemy divisions. The Division 

fought its way through 260 kilometers of enemy-held 

territory, and destroyed more than 500 enemy tanks 

and 480 armored personnel carriers. In addition, the 

Division captured more than 11,400 enemy prisoners 

of war – twice as many as any other unit.

On April 10, 1996, the colors of the 1st Infantry 

Division moved to the German city of Würzburg. 

Shortly after their arrival, the Big Red One Soldiers 

assumed peace enforcement responsibilities in BosniaHerzegovina in support of Operations Joint Endeavor/

Guard. The Division deployed to the Balkans twice in 

1999, first as part of Task Force Sabre in Macedonia, 

then in Kosovo with NATO’s Task Force Falcon on 

10 June. This contingent patrolled the streets and 

countryside of Kosovo until June 2000, when it turned 

the mission over to the 1st Armored Division.

In November 2002, the 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armored 

Regiment joined NATO’s Task Force Falcon in support 

of Operation Joint Guardian for a peacekeeping 

mission in Kosovo. The 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armored 

Regiment enforced peace agreements in the MultiNational Brigade East Sector. The 2-63 helped create 

a more secure environment and assisted in transition 

to civilian control.

In January 2003, the division primed itself for 

Operation Iraqi Freedom. Big Red One soldiers formed 

Headquarters, Armed Forces-Turkey and prepared the 

way for the 4th Infantry Division to enter Iraq through 

Turkey. When the Turkish Government denied access 

through their border, ARFOR-T collapsed the lines of 

communication it had built and the 4th ID deployed to 

Iraq via Kuwait. 

The division took a more direct role in Operation 

Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, when the 1st Battalion, 

63rd Armored Regiment deployed to Northern Iraq. 

Operating in the Sunni Triangle, Task Force 1-63 

conducted combat operations while simultaneously 

helping bring stability to the region.

As Task Force 1-63 returned home to Germany in 

February 2004, the rest of the 1st Infantry Division 

and Task Force Danger deployed to Northern Iraq in 

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 1st Infantry 

Division’s Task Force Danger consists of Germanybased 1st Infantry Division units along with the 30th 

Brigade Combat Team “Old Hickory” based in North 

Carolina, and the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd 

Brigade Combat Team from Hawaii. 

The 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to 

support Operation Iraqi Freedom in the fall of 

2003 and returned to Fort Riley in September 

2004. 

The 1st Inf. Div. conducted a transfer of 

authority with the 24th Inf. Div. on Aug. 1, 2006, 

assuming command and control of Fort Riley. 

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed from 

Germany in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 

in 2006. 

Due to changes in the war strategy, 1st Brigade 

took the lead for the U.S. Army, Airforce and 

Navy in training Transition Teams. 

The 4th Inf. Bde. Combat Team, which stood 

up Jan. 16, 2005, deployed from Fort Riley to 

the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi 

Freedom in February 2007. 

The Division’s 1st Combat Aviation Bde., 

which uncased its colors Aug. 1, 2006, and 

1st Sustainment Bde. (formerly known as 

DISCOM) 

deployed in 2007 in support of the Global War 

on Terrorism. 

The 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division uncased 

its colors at Fort Hood, Texas, in April 2007.

In March 2008, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat 

Team, 1st Armor Division, re-flagged and became 

2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry 

Division. 

“NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT,

NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT”

“DUTY FIRST”

A Short History of the

Big Red One
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

15

Flyers Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez

1st CAB, PAO

Two CH-47 Chinook pilots assigned to 

Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation 

Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, conduct 

pre-flight checks. 

Sgt. Gregory Moseley, CH-47 Chinook 

flight engineer assigned to Company B, 

2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 

1st Aviation Regiment, conducts pre-flight 

checks. 

Photos by U.S. Army Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez

1st Cab

16

aircraft facilitate sling load operations.

“You can either use a tandem load or a center-of-cargo 

sling load to move cargo. The tandem load takes a forward 

and aft line hooked and secured to the cargo, while the 

center-of-cargo sling load is just a sling connected to the 

center cargo hook of the helicopter,” said Saucedo.

Chinook crews load passengers along with any 

equipment they may have. With hundreds of Soldiers 

and civilian contractors requiring transportation in Iraq, 

the Chinook is the mode of travel many are using instead 

of moving by ground. 

“I enjoy the service the helicopters provide. It’s really 

convenient, because I do a lot of flying between Tikrit, 

Mosul and Kirkuk. The service makes my job a whole 

lot easier,” said Staff Sergeant Valentine Smith, 5th 

Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

Chinook air crews recognize the positive impact they 

have on the remote bases in northern Iraq. 

“It makes me feel good to see Soldiers ride with 

us because it keeps them off the roads. By riding on 

a Chinook, Soldiers are kept from facing improvised 

explosive devices,” said Velsor.

TIKRIT, Iraq – From air assaults to passenger 

transport, the Army’s biggest helicopters dominate the 

skies of northern Iraq. The CH-47 Chinooks belonging 

to 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation 

Regiment, “Fighting Eagles” transport troops into battle 

along with mail, passengers and cargo between bases 

within Multi-National Division-North.

The Fighting Eagles are part of the Combat Aviation 

Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., 

flying in support of Task Force Iron. Since the start of 

their deployment last fall the 2-1 GSAB has moved 

2,400 plus tons of cargo, transported more than 30,000 

passengers and flown in excess of 400 combat missions. 

The Chinook is the favorite mode of travel for ground 

unit commanders. Since the Chinook can carry 30 plus 

combat troops and all their equipment, it is the preferred 

rotary-wing aircraft for moving large amounts of cargo 

and Soldiers in northern Iraq.

“Chinooks are often favored by ground forces, because 

of their ability to move large numbers of Soldiers along 

with their gear and small vehicles,” said Maj. Scott 

Bovee, 2-1 GSAB operations officer. 

Moving troops and cargo by CH-47 Chinook takes 

the talents of several crewmembers working together to 

ensure the mission is accomplished in a safe manner. 

“The crew is made up of two pilots, one crew chief, 

one flight engineer and one gunner,” said Sgt. Joshua 

Velsor, Company B, 2-1 GSAB, Chinook crew chief. 

“The crew chief makes sure the aircraft is ready to fly 

and that passengers and cargo are loaded safely.” 

A typical day for a CH-47 crew starts early. Crews 

come in and check the Chinook from top to bottom 

making sure the aircraft are safe and flyable.

“I normally wake up in the morning like around 

four, then after breakfast I come out check the technical 

manuals, get the bird ready,” said Spc. Raymond Sauseda, 

Co. B, 2-1 GSAB Chinook crew chief. “I and the other 

crewmembers then get with the pilots and start our runups and conduct pre-flight checks to make sure there are 

no problems with the birds.

“We look at the mission plans and check the routes 

being flown and go over where we will be going and load 

any equipment in preparation for our mission.”

Crews not only prepare the Chinooks for flight, but 

also prepare the cargo being moved during the mission. 

“As we receive cargo we load it onto the aircraft. 

Sometimes we receive pallets of mail, ammo and anything 

the Soldiers need moved. We also move Humvees and 

Gator carts, we just have to put the seats up and make 

sure the units prepare the vehicles properly,” said Velsor. 

A Chinook not only carries cargo inside the aircraft, 

but it can also sling load cargo to the bottom of the 

helicopter. Cargo hooks located on the bottom of the 

1st cab

A CH-47 Chinook belonging to 2nd General Support Aviation 

Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, sits loaded with passengers 

and cargo before a mission on March 5.
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

“The Multi-National CorpsIraq future operation cell, the 

316th Expeditionary Sustainment 

Command, the Taji Base Defense 

Operations Cell and the Soldiers of 

the 1st Sustainment Brigade came 

together and proved that joint efforts 

do work with close coordination and 

rehearsals,” stated Baldwin. “I am 

very proud of what the Iraqi people 

want to reestablish in regards to 

improving their lives.”

This increased use of the IRR will 

equate to increased income generated 

by local, national, and eventually 

international trade; overall, the rail 

industry will provide solid jobs for 

the Iraqi people as exampled by the 

conductor Mustapha who has been 

employed by the IRR for over 27 

years.

“I am very lucky to be a part of 

history in the making by helping to 

make a train run through,” stated 

Baldwin. 

181st sb

Waving to spectators and honking the horn of his bright, green and yellow, locomotive, 

Mustapha the train conductor is the first Iraqi Republic Railways worker to make the journey 

along the old tracks between the central Baghdad rail yard in Baghdad and Camp Taji, in many 

years. 

Ensuring security along the train route Spc. Justin Cox, a native of Visalia, Cal., and artilleryman with Headquarters and Headquarters 

Battery, Detachment 1, 143rd Field Artillery, 1st Sustainment Brigade and Spc. Steven Copestick, a mechanic and Clemson, N.J. native, 

with the 536th Maintenance Company, get eyes on the train as it makes its approach to Camp Taji, Iraq. 

171st sb

Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude

1st SB, PAO 

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Waving to spectators 

and honking the horn of his bright green 

and yellow locomotive, Mustapha the 

train conductor was the first Iraqi Republic 

Railways worker to make the journey along 

the old tracks between the central Baghdad 

rail yard in Baghdad and Camp Taji in many 

years.

 This historical journey was part of a proofof-purpose designed to rebuild the tattered 

railway and stimulate the young economy; it 

was one small step in that direction for sure. 

“An increased use of the rail infrastructure 

will translate to big dinars for the Iraqi 

economy,” said Maj. Ira Baldwin, Laurinburg, 

N.C., native and mobility chief for the 1st 

Sustainment Brigade. 

As far as coalition forces are concerned, 

the new train will enable large movements of cargo 

between the port at Um Qasar and Camp Taji, creating 

greater logistical economies-of-scale. 

“Since Taji is the closest secured location nearest 

Logistics Support Area Anaconda, the trains will allow 

a faster movement between the two,” stated Baldwin. 

“This will reduce the costs of moving cargo as compared 

to over the road, but the greater benefit is that trains 

will take a great number of Soldiers off the road which 

translates to lives saved.” 

This concern for safety translated to a heavy presence of 

security forces on Camp Taji. Soldiers from Macedonia were 

on hand to inspect, Soldiers from Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 

11th Field Artillery Regiment opened the rail gates, and 

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Detachment 1, 143rd 

Field Artillery, 1st Sustainment Brigade, Soldiers provided 

over watch.

 “We are on the lookout for any suspicious activities along 

the route line,” stated Spc. Justin Cox, a 

native of Visalia, Calif., and artilleryman 

with HHB, Det. 1, 143rd FA. 

Although there was no call for 

security intervention, like all things in 

life, this exercise did not come without 

challenges.

“There were at least two attempts 

prior to the successful engine proof 

of purpose,” said Baldwin. “The 

conductor’s house was raided and his 

son was arrested the night prior to the 

first scheduled POP; then later, there 

was another train carrying petroleum 

originating from Bajyi that was 

hijacked.” 

In spite of the challenges, the train 

movement was a success – especially 

compared to what occurred repeatedly 

back in 2004 at the height of the 

insurgency where seemingly every train 

was a moving target. 

A giant train is an odd site to see on Camp Taji, Iraq, where trucks are the king of transport. 

This Iraqi Republic Railways train is part of a proof-of-purpose designed to rebuild the tattered 

railway and stimulate the young economy; it was one small step in that direction for sure. “An 

increased use of the rail infrastructure will translate to big dinars for the Iraqi economy,” said 

Maj. Ira Baldwin

Train Runs Through Taji U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude, 1st Sustainment Brigade, PAO

Maj. Ira Baldwin, Laurinburg, N.C. native, and mobility chief for the 1st Sustainment 

Brigade, looks on as Soldiers from Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment 

opened the rail gates at Camp Taji, and let a train enter for the first time in several years. “I 

am very lucky to be a part of history in the making by helping to make a train run through,” 

stated Baldwin. 
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

19

Maj. Deanna Bague

Fort Bliss, PAO

MCGREGOR RANGE, N.M. – Members from 3rd 

Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, recently learned 

detainee operations under the instruction of observer 

controller/trainers from Task Force Outlaw, 5th Armored 

Brigade. 

The 3-13th is a multiple-launch rocket system unit from 

Fort Sill, Okla. whose core mission is to provide fire support 

through cannon, missile or rocket, said Capt. Eric Treschl, 

Battery C commander. But the unit has been designated 

by U.S. Forces Command to deploy and assume an “in 

lieu of” mission as military police companies conducting 

detainee operations in southern Iraq, said Lt. Col. John 

Kelly, battalion commander. 

“Never having done this mission before, (I think) the 

training here is top notch,” said Kelly. “Task Force Outlaw 

and the 5th Armored Brigade are doing an outstanding job 

preparing these Soldiers to take on this mission.”

The 3-13th has faced several challenges, said Treschl. 

The unit was completing their MLRS tasks last summer 

when they received a warning order to change their mission 

from field artillery to security force training. Treschl said 

they complied, but after their third month of training for 

convoy security protection, they switched back to field 

artillery. Within 90 days the unit was shooting rockets 

again, said Treschl.

“We came back from a live fire and they told us we 

would be doing detainee ops,” said Spc. Jason Carter, fire 

direction control specialist, Battery B, 3-13th FA Regt.

“When they told us we would be supporting detainee 

operations, I looked at it as a chance to do something 

75th fires bde Training to Fight Terrorism

with Cuffs, Not Rockets

Members of 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment prepare to search 

a detainment facility during a training exercise at McGregor Range, N.M.

2075th Fires BDE

different, a chance to do something new,” said Sgt. 

Joshua Jehl, MLRS gunner, also from Btry B.

The unit’s struggles weren’t over, said Sgt. 

1st Class Randy Wolfe, operations sergeant. The 

all-male field artillery unit was short of Soldiers 

needed to meet the strength requirement for the 

detainee operations mission. So they used Soldiers 

from other units under their higher headquarters, 

the 75th Fires Bde., to augment the 3-13th. 

Wolfe was originally the senior fire control 

noncommissioned officer for the 1st Bn., 17th FA 

Regt., before he volunteered to transfer. He said it 

was a close call, because his request was almost 

not granted.

“I volunteered, my chain of command told me 

no,” said Wolfe. “I ended up sending some of my 

Soldiers over; a few weeks later, a slot opened up 

and I was able to come over. It’s hard to send your 

Soldiers off to do a mission and you don’t do it. 

As (a leader), you feel that if you are going to send 

Soldiers to do it, you need to be willing to do it 

yourself.”

Kelly said he understands the compelling 

aspiration to be with one’s Soldiers when they 

deploy. He will not be deploying with his unit.

“That is not something I’m proud of, but ... this 

is what the Army has asked us to do,” said Kelly. 

“My leader philosophy is always (to) recognize 

that I got to prepare the team to execute with or 

without my presence.”

The active-duty unit will be reporting to the 

304th MP Bn. under the command of Lt. Col. 

Carol Haas. The 304th is a Reserve unit based at 

Nashville, Tenn. Haas said both units cross trained 

while they were here training and immersed into 

the living conditions they would encounter in 

theater. 

“We are very excited to have the active duty 

element as part of our mission and as part of our 

command and control,” said Hass. “Everything is 

working out very well from comments I have had 

from both units.”

Treschl said he attributes a lot of credit to the 

unit’s Family Readiness Group for including all of 

the additional Soldiers the 3-13th received. He said 

the FRG is a vital part of the deployment when it 

comes to taking care of young Soldiers and Family 

members, and has almost tripled as a result of the 

augmentation.

“I’ve been blessed with our FRG leader Michelle 

Moore,” said Treschl. “She is a great asset to this 

organization and a volunteer in every sense of the 

word.”

Spc. Kevin Prueter, B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery 

Regiment, searches a mock detainee during a training exercise.

Spc. Kevin Prueter, front, and Sgt. Dustin Siegert, both from 

3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, hold down a mock 

detainee who attempted to stab Prueter during a training 

A member of 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment conducts 

a search of a housing unit inside a mock detainment compound 

at McGregor Range, N.M

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, patrol a 

mock detainment facility during a training exercise at McGregor 

Range, N.M.
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

22

Careless Keystrokes

opsec

Can Kill

Don’t let your emails or blogs make someone a target

Operation Security (OPSEC)

Designed by Fort Riley M/VISC, printed by DAPS

21BRO community COffee

Spc. Francisca Vega

1st Inf. Div., PAO

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Army conducts 

ceremonies to give thanks, pay tribute and 

celebrate events ... but some people pay tribute 

in their own way. 

A Marine veteran is offering his thanks to 

the local armed forces servicemembers and 

Families by making a unique blend of coffee 

called “Duty First.” 

“I know that when we (the creators of ‘Duty 

First’ coffee) were making ‘Duty First’ I wanted 

a coffee that was fuller bodied and less acidic. 

When we were picking the beans we were 

trying to pick some that were more diverse, 

from around the world, so we could add that 

side, because the Soldiers on Fort Riley have 

been around the world,” said Wade Radina, 

maker of the blend.

The home-roasted coffee blend boasts three 

different types of beans from Indonesia, Africa 

and South America. Each type is roasted 

separately, but later combined to be pleasing to 

the palate. 

Making the coffee for the servicemembers 

cannot only be a good act performed for others, 

but it can also be a rewarding act to take part 

in.

“I’m very proud,” said Ryan McCants, who 

has been roasting coffee professionally for two 

years. “It’s the best way I can do it. It’s a really 

unique thing to be apart of.”

Servicemember, coffee roaster or neither – 

anyone can enjoy the coffee. 

“It definitely has its following,” Radina said. 

“I think it’s one of our best blends.”

The coffee is sold in a trendy, little internet 

café in the Aggieville business district of 

Manhattan, Kan. Some of the proceeds go 

to support wounded Soldiers through the 

Association of the United States Army.

“I have a strong conviction that locallyowned businesses should be involved in their 

community,” Radina said. “It’s a small way 

to be supporting the troops, but of course, I’m 

a veteran. I don’t think most people get the 

sacrifice.”

A sacrifice the 1st Infantry Division knows 

all too well with its motto often shortened to 

“Duty First!”

“I love the slogan and what it represents. So 

it’s nice to tie in my passion, which is coffee 

with what I believe in,” said Radina.

Cup

O’

Joe
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

24vietnam veteran/advisor

units in the Afghan National Army 

in everything from individual Soldier 

skills to company level maneuver 

tactics and some counterinsurgency.

“They were just forming up a lot 

of their younger units,” Voyer recalls. 

“They really didn’t get any training 

as far as how to act as team members, 

squad members, platoon members or 

companies, and that is what we were 

doing.”

During this deployment Voyer 

expects to function more as a mentor 

than a trainer. 

“They should be more confident,” 

he said. “Their leadership should 

be better trained and better able to 

perform their duties. If I was going to 

be company level mentor again I would 

expect to go out more, to interact with 

the population of the villages and 

towns that are within the AO (area of 

operation) that they’re working in.

“Basically it is an ANA mission,” he added. 

“They have to take the lead. Especially in the 

counterinsurgency.”

It’s been 37 plus years since first joining the Army and 

throughout the break in service, the hardships and growing 

pain he is proud of his commitment to the Army and to 

duty he says, “It’s the best thing I ever did.”

23vietnam veteran/advisor Spc. Francisca Vega

1st Inf. Div., PAO

FORT RILEY, Kan. – People change as they grow 

up. Some people change and grow with the Army. Most 

of the population does not, but like many 1st Infantry 

Division Soldiers before him, Louis Voyer, a master 

sergeant currently training on Fort Riley’s Camp 

Funston with a Military Transition Team has made the 

choice to place duty first. 

“I joined in 1966 when I was 17 (because) I was 

getting into trouble like you wouldn’t believe,” said 

Voyer, also a National Guardsman from Massachusetts. 

“So I had to get off the streets.

 “It made me grow up and stop being a punk,” he 

added

But the Army didn’t begin as part-time for this 

Soldier. 

“I started off as a truck driver in the Active Army,” 

said Voyer. “I was with a couple of units, three or four 

as a matter of fact. I volunteered for infantry down there 

in 1969.”

After he finished his tours in Vietnam, he came home 

and left the Army.

“I had a bad taste in my mouth back in ‘71 when I 

got out of the Army, and that was because of the way 

they treated Vietnam vets back then,” Voyer said. “It 

was almost like whatever we tried to bring to the table 

to help things go along a lot smoother, a lot better as far 

as training, we were totally ignored and pushed off, so 

it left me with a bad taste.” 

Time went by, and though memories are not forgotten, 

the call to country could not be shaken off. 

“I look at it this way. There is God, your country 

and your Family. Those are my loyalties right there,” 

Voyer said. “When I put this uniform on, whether I’m a reservist or whether I’m full time, it makes no difference. I 

put it on, I do what needs to be done. It’s just the way I look 

at it. I put this uniform on and if I have to go three, five or six 

tours of duty, then that’s what I have to do.

 “Stand in the mirror and look at yourself wearing this 

uniform,” he added. “Ask yourself, what is my job? What is 

my function? Why did I put this uniform on? When you put 

this on there’s one thing first. It’s duty first.”

With that mentality, Voyer is gearing up once again to go 

back to Afghanistan for his second voluntary deployment.

“I think there will be a big difference,” he said. “If there 

isn’t a big difference then somebody messed up between the 

last time I was there and now. 

In his previous deployment he was training company 

“Devils” Glean from Vietnam Experience
Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Duty First www.1id.army.mil

26Soldier’s Creed

I am a Warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States and

live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and 

proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the 

United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

25tt poster

Transition Teams advise, teach, and 

mentor Iraqi Security Forces and the 

Afghan National Army 

Transition Teams provide direct 

access to Coalition capabilities 

such as air support, artillery, 

medical evacuation, and intelligence 

gathering. 

Transition Teams are critical to the 

transfer of security responsibility to 

the Iraqi and Afghan governments. 

Dedicating the 1st Infantry Division 

Headquarters and one of the 

Division’s Brigades to the Transition 

Team mission demonstrates full 

commitment by the US Army. 

The consolidation of training at Fort 

Riley provides standardization of high 

quality training and effective use of 

resources.

TT Mission

“As the Iraqis stand up, we’ll stand down.”

- George W. Bush, United States President
Find out what your Division is 

doing: www.1id.army.mil