Unofficial 1st Infantry Division Magazine of Soldiers and Families March 2009

www.1id.army.mil

Duty First!

Year Of 

The 

NCO

Year Of 

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

The Big Red One

Creed

TEAMWORK is the foundation of the Big Red One. I shall never fail my 

team, for I maintain the standard. My conduct and self-discipline set the 

example for others to follow.

HONORis what I stand for – an American Soldier on dutyfor my country. 

My loyality is intense. I display care formy fellow Soldiers and my chain-ofcommand 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 tomeet 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.

1

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

March 2009 www.1id.army.mil

Duty First!

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

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or visit Duty First online at 

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1st Infantry Division 

Commander

Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins

1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim 

Champagne

1st Infantry Division PAO 

Lt. Col. Matt Hackathorn

 Editor

Gary Skidmore

Staff Writers

Ty Abney

Anna Staatz

Illustrator 

Tammy Dinger

Duty First!

 Brigades

 1st BDE....6

 4th IBCT.....11

 3rd ESC...15

1st CAB.... 17

 1st SB.... 19

 2nd HBCT......20

 1ID at War.....21

3rd IBCT.... 22

 

 Command

 Danger 6 ..... 3 

Danger 7...... 4

contents

2

Features

 AUSA Year Of The NCO....7

 NCO Takes Pride In His Soldiers........8

 Sergeant Audie Murphy Club........9

SAMC Members Give Back To Army......10

 School Project Brings Hope.....12

 BRO History...13

 Culinary Competition .....23

 President Vows Not To Waver....25

 

 1ID at War.....21
Duty First Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Commanding General Danger 6

 Year Of The NCO

Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins

3

No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a 

In 2009, we are celebrating our Army’s most precious resource – 

its Soldiers. This year has been designated 

as the “Year of the NCO.” What it 

means is we’ll be recognizing the roles, 

accomplishments, courage and dedication 

of noncommissioned officers throughout 

history and today. 

Every officer fresh from the basic 

course remembers his first NCO leader 

– because that NCO had the experience 

under his belt and the wisdom to help train 

the young officer. Throughout the history 

of our Army, senior NCOs have helped 

young lieutenants accomplish missions in 

the field and given advice on how to care 

for Soldiers – because that is one of the 

primary tasks of an NCO.

I will never forget one NCO in 

particular who helped mentor me as a 

cadet at Mercer University. One day while 

conducting an in-ranks inspection, he had 

me remove one of my boots. I must admit I was puzzled by the 

fact that he said nothing, just walked away with my boot in hand. 

The next day he came by my dorm room and delivered my boot. It 

looked like a mirror. He said the next inspection I needed to have 

the other boot matching this boot. He expected more from me.

I worked for a solid week on that boot. I learned a wealth of valuable 

lessons from Sgt. 1st Class Brown that I have carried with me 

throughout my career. The time he spent on that one cadet made 

a long-lasting impression. I only hope he is proud of the officer 

he helped me become. As officers, we know that we could not 

accomplish our missions without the solid leadership of our NCOs.

We look to our NCOs to make it happen.

NCOs are also looked to by junior 

enlisted Soldiers. An NCO’s two basic 

and most important responsibilities are 

mission accomplishment and the welfare 

of their Soldiers.

As an NCO, your primary focus 

should always be on your Soldiers 

down the chain. They want to know 

that you’re not concerned about yourself 

and pinning on another stripe. They 

need to know that they can trust you. 

They want to know that you care. 

Sometimes showing them you care means 

steering them in the right direction, 

recognizing mistakes and showing those 

Soldiers how to learn from their mistakes. 

I guarantee you, it won’t be easy. If being 

a good NCO was easy, they would have 

given the job to us officers!

Noncomissioned officers serve as role 

models for more than just Soldiers. Any person in a position 

of leadership can look to an NCO to see how to lead from 

the front. Our division is full of these types of leaders with 

an unmatched work ethic. You can see examples of them 

in every rank – from young buck sergeants all the way up 

to command sergeants major. 

I want to say thank you to all of our noncommissioned 

officers serving in the 1st Infantry Division and on Fort 

Riley. Your service, day in and day out, truly exemplifies 

our division motto: No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice 

too Great. 

Duty First!

Year Of Te NCOY

Command Sergeant Major Danger 7

Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne

Year Of The NCO

4

Big Red One NCOs are the best in the Army. It is our duty 

as NCOs to ensure our Soldiers receive the best training and 

leadership available, so they too will carry on our legacy. 

Anything less would be unworthy of the commitment those 

Soldiers make, and unworthy of the sacrifice of our predecessors 

who fought and died while wearing the Big Red One on their 

left shoulder.

It was Rudyard Kipling who famously called the 

noncommissioned officer corps the “backbone of the Army.” 

At that time, noncommissioned officers were drawn almost 

exclusively from the upper ranks of society 

and as can be expected, had far different 

duties than contemporary NCOs.

The role of the NCO was greatly 

expanded under the direction of GeneralBaron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, 

the German who was appointed second 

inspector general of Washington’s army 

in 1778. 

In the early days of the American 

Revolution there was little standardization 

of NCO responsibilities. In 1778, during 

the long, hard winter at Valley Forge, 

von Steuben standardized NCO duties 

and responsibilities. He emphasized the 

importance of selecting quality Soldiers 

for NCO positions. 

There are many great Soldiers who are 

alumni of the 1st Infantry Division. 

Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Walt Ehlers, a 

squad leader in the 18th Inf. Regt. during 

World War II, who in an early morning 

attack, found his company pinned down in an open field by 

fire from machine-gun nests and two mortar pits. He not only 

destroyed the machine-gun nests and their crews, but on the 

way killed a four-man patrol. Later, his squad was assigned to 

cover the company’s withdrawal from the area when he was 

wounded by a sniper round. More concerned about his men 

than his own safety, he refused to be evacuated. His wounds 

treated and bandaged, he returned to his squad. He later said 

he didn’t want any of his men to be hurt or killed, and he felt 

his obligation was to be there to lead and protect them. Ehlers 

received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that 

day.

Another great Big Red One Soldier was Staff Sgt. James

 

Continued on Page 5

leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a

Year Of Te NCOY

The 1st Infantry Division was the first division organized 

in the United States Army. Our division was the first to cross 

into France, the first to cross the German border in World 

War I, and the first to North Africa, Sicily and the beaches of 

Normandy in World War II. We were the first division to deploy 

to Vietnam. We spearheaded the attack in Desert Storm. The 

Big Red One has always been the best-trained, most highlymotivated and the most competently-led unit from the top 

down. Our legacy has always been to lead from the front and 

our noncommissioned officers have always led the way. 

Two former Big Red One NCOs who have 

spent their lives leading the way are William 

O. Woolridge and William G. Bainbridge.

Woolridge was the first Sergeant Major of 

the Army and was sworn in on July 11, 1966. 

He’d spent much of his time with the 1st Inf. 

Div., and honed his skills as a leader in the 

Big Red One. 

He was first assigned to the Big Red One 

in 1944 and took part in the D-Day landings. 

He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. 

He left the division for a short time and 

returned as a first sergeant of Company K, 

26th Infantry Regiment. 

In 1954, he was assigned as first sergeant 

of Company D, 26th Inf. Regt. 

He was appointed command sergeant 

major of the 3rd Battalion, 26th Infantry 

Regt. in 1956. After another short spell away 

from the division, he once again returned as 

sergeant major of 1st Brigade, then took the 

division to Vietnam as the division command 

sergeant major. 

CSM Bainbridge was the 5th Sergeant Major of the Army. 

He entered the Army in June 1943 and left the Army after 

World War II. In 1951, he was recalled to active duty and served 

at numerous installations, including Fort Riley. 

In 1962, Bainbridge returned to Fort Riley where he served 

with the 1st Inf. Div. as command sergeant major of the 1st 

Battle Group, 28th Inf. Regt., later reorganized as 1st Battalion, 

28th Inf. Regt. In 1965, he took the battalion to Vietnam where 

he served under Woolridge. 

As noncommissioned officers in the Big Red 

One, it is not enough to meet the standard. In the 

1st Inf. Div., exceeding the standard is the standard. 
5 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of

The creed has existed in different versions for a number of 

years. Long into their careers, sergeants remember reciting 

the NCO Creed during their induction into the NCO Corps. 

Many NCO’s offices or homes have a copy hanging on a 

wall. Some have intricate etchings in metal on a wooden 

plaque, or printed in fine calligraphy. But take a quick glance 

at any copy of the NCO Creed and you will see no author’s 

name at the bottom. The origin of the NCO Creed is a story 

of its own.

In 1973, the Army was in turmoil. Of the postVietnam developments in American military policy, the 

most influential in shaping the Army was the advent of 

the modern volunteer army. With the inception of the 

Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course, many young 

sergeants were not the skilled trainers of the past and were 

only trained to perform a specific job – that of squad leader 

in Vietnam. The noncommissioned officer system was under 

development and the Army was rewriting its Field Manual 

22-100, Leadership, to set a road map for leaders to follow.

Of those working on the challenges at hand, one of 

the only NCO-pure instructional departments at the U.S 

Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga., was the NCO 

Subcommittee of the Command and Leadership Committee 

in the Leadership Department. Besides training Soldiers at 

the Noncommissioned Officers Academy, these NCOs also 

developed instructional material and worked as part of the 

team developing model leadership programs of instruction.

During one brainstorming session, Sgt. 1st Class Earle 

Brigham recalls writing three letters on a plain white sheet 

of paper... N-C-O. From those three letters they began to 

build the NCO Creed. The idea behind developing a creed 

was to give noncommissioned officers a “yardstick by which 

to measure themselves.”

When it was ultimately approved, the NCO Creed was 

printed on the inside cover of the special texts issued to 

students attending the NCO courses at Fort Benning, 

beginning in 1974. Though the NCO Creed was submitted 

higher for approval and distribution Army-wide, it was not 

formalized by an official Army publication until 11 years 

later.

Though it has been rewritten in different ways, the NCO 

Creed still begins its paragraphs with those three letters: 

N-C-O. It continues to guide and reinforce the values of each 

new generation of noncommissioned officers.

History Of The 

NCO Creed Year Of Te NCONCO Creed Y

Bondsteel, 2nd Bn., 2nd Inf. Regt., who was serving as a 

platoon sergeant near Lang Sau, Vietnam. 

His company was directed to assist a friendly unit 

endangered by intense fire from a North Vietnamese battalion 

located in a heavily fortified base camp. 

Bondsteel organized his platoon and spearheaded the 

attack by destroying four enemy-occupied bunkers. Although 

wounded by an enemy grenade, he refused medical attention 

and continued his assault by destroying two more enemy 

bunkers. 

He continued to rally his men and led them through the 

entrenched enemy until his company was relieved. 

Bondsteel is credited with personally destroying 10 enemy 

bunkers.

Never before in military history have NCOs, who deal at 

the lowest tactical level where operational success or failure is 

determined, been so critical. This is because of the changing 

nature of conflict. 

As the age of mass-infantry warfare closes and the battlefield 

disperses and empties out over vast deserts, jungles and poor, 

sprawling cities, armies increasingly operate unconventionally 

in small, autonomous units, at the level of the platoon and 

below, where sergeants reign supreme. 

We have been at war for more than eight years and continue 

to fight unconventionally in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Big 

Red One NCOs have honed their skills and are now key to 

ensuring our Soldiers are prepared for the fight, not only now 

but in the future.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren declared 2009 the Year 

of the NCO. He spoke in Washington, D.C. in October and told 

the crowd, “If you want to see what right looks like, then ask 

an NCO, or better yet, watch an NCO.” 

He said NCOs lead the way in education, in training and 

discipline. And they share their strength of character with 

every Soldier they lead, every officer they support and every 

civilian with whom they serve.

The secretary is right. As NCOs, you lead the way. As 

Kipling wrote, you are the backbone of the Army, and as many 

Big Red One officers will testify, NCOs are the heart and soul 

of the 1st Inf. Div.

The 1st Inf. Div. does have the best NCOs in the Army. It’s 

true, you do more than meet the standard and you take your 

mission of preparing your Soldiers for war seriously. Being 

an NCO is not always easy. There are lots of long days ahead. 

Many of those days will turn into long nights. But in the end, 

when you finally go home, you should do so knowing you have 

done your best to exceed the standard.

Now ... get after it!

Danger 7

Continued from Page 4

6

 the Army”. I am proud of the Corps of country Noncommissioned Officers 

BDE ST

By Tyler Abney

Duty First! Magazine

For the past 12 years, the US Army has not only provided a 

job, but a way of life for Staff Sgt. Stephen Sims, Headquarters 

and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team.

The 37-year-old Sims was stationed at Camp Casey, Korea, 

Camp Monteith, Kosovo; and recently 

saw combat in Iraq. In addition to his 

international travels, Sims served stints 

at Fort Carson, Colo., Fort Benning, Ga. 

and finally here at Fort Riley – a long way 

from home for a guy raised on NASCAR, 

Southeastern Conference football and 

southern hospitality.

“I grew up in the south, in the woods playing 

G.I. Joe, hunting and was around race trucks,” 

Sims said. “My uncle used to drive a dirt car 

and when I was at Fort Benning, I helped 

him out. My other uncle had a mud truck.” 

“When I was about 24, I got in a bad 

situation,” Sims said. “The way I was heading, 

I was either going to prison, or I was going to 

be killed. So I decided to go into the military. I 

just got mixed up with the wrong crowd doing 

the wrong thing. I was 24, divorced and wild. 

“The Army got my head screwed on 

straight and showed me there was more to life 

than what I was doing,” said Sims. “Besides 

my family, it’s been one of the biggest parts 

of my life.”

Although he initially thought he would 

join the Marine Corps, Sims is happy with 

his commitment to the Army – one he 

solidified when he re-enlisted indefinitely on Jan. 9, 2009. 

Sims said after his first six-year enlistment, he took a year 

long break, but decided he missed the job and traveling.

Over time, Sims advanced and became an NCO, a job he 

said has both challenges and rewards.

Sims fought in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 and said he loved 

playing the motivator. He said he had no problem yelling in 

difficult situations if it meant Soldiers would push the limits 

and get the mission accomplished. Sims may have raised his

voice, but he said fellow Soldiers always knew they could count 

on him.

“The best part [of being an NCO] is the look on their faces 

when they accomplish something they didn’t think they could 

do,” Sims said. “An NCO is the grunt – the guy that does most 

of the dirty work and gets little credit. The one that has to 

translate from the officer to the Soldier, the 

one that accomplishes the mission.” 

Currently, Sims works as an improvised 

explosive device instructor at Camp 

Funston, teaching Iraq and Afghanistanbound Soldiers what they need to know 

about explosives. Sims takes great pride in 

knowing he has a hand in better preparing 

Soldiers for their pending deployments. 

He said one of the best things to ever 

happen to him on the job was when a 

woman in the Navy approached him during 

a break and told him she was scared to 

deploy – just what Sims wanted. Some 

instructors at the IED course conduct 

their classes as most teachers do. Show 

the slides, give the information and hope 

everyone understands. Not Sims. His goal 

is to put enough fear in students’ minds so 

they won’t ever forget what he had to say. 

 “IEDs weren’t really heard of when we 

went, so we didn’t get any [training],” Sims 

said. But now it’s more focused on IED 

training, which is better, especially when 

they go search houses or cars. 

“The main thing we try to do is not just 

locate the IED, but also teach them to locate the components of 

the IED, so when they go into a house they can say, ‘This guy 

is an IED maker or a possible IED maker.’

“To me, it’s always been my duty as an American to help 

protect what’s here,” he said. “I know it’s not for everybody and 

the military is what you make it. Overall, I definitely suggest 

people come in for at least two or three years. It’s a good 

experience and helps you grow up and see different things.”

Staff Sgt. Stephen Sims, 

Headquarters and Headquarters 

Company, 1st Brigade Combat 

Team, shows the different 

components of an IED during a 

training course at Camp Funston.

Duty First!/Abney

Leading Is A Way 

Of Life

Year Of Te NCOY

1

ST
7 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, 

By Gary Skidmore

Duty First! Magazine

Most Soldiers know it, it’s mentioned at most ceremonies 

and now leaders at the highest levels of the Army have 

recognized it. Noncommissioned officers are the backbone of 

the United States Army.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren declared 2009 as “the 

Year of the Noncommissioned Officer” during his keynote 

address at the 2008 AUSA annual meeting and exposition, 

Oct. 6-8.

“At the front of every Army mission in the United States 

or overseas, you’ll find a noncommissioned officer,” he said. 

“They know their mission, but most importantly, they know 

their Soldiers.

“Today’s NCO operates autonomously, and always with 

confidence and competence,” he said. “Our NCOs are trusted 

like no other NCO in the world.” 

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey echoed 

Geren by saying the noncommissioned officer corps is what 

keeps the Army together. 

“As I travel around the Army, it’s clear to me that it is our 

noncommissioned officer corps that is providing the glue that’s 

not only holding this force together at a difficult time, but 

enabling us to accomplish the near impossible every day,” he 

said. 

Casey said the Army will accelerate NCO development of 

strategic initiatives, develop new initiatives that enhance the 

training, education, capability, and use of the NCO corps, and 

showcase the NCO story to the Army and the American people.

“If you want to see what right looks like, ask an NCO, or 

better yet, watch an NCO,” said Geren. “They are the keepers 

of our standards, a lofty phrase that has substantive meaning 

on the grounds in every place around the world where you find 

an American Soldier.

“From the recruiting station to basic training, over a career 

of service from Benning to Baghdad, combat, civil affairs, 

medics, logisticians, natural disasters at home, graveside at 

Arlington, Active Guard and Reserve, our NCOs lead,” he said.

“And our NCOs lead the way in education, in training, and 

discipline. And they share their strength of character with every 

Soldier they lead, every officer they support, and every civilian 

with whom they serve.”

Geren Announces 

Year Of The NCO

Year Of Te NCOY

(Left to right) Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes, Chief of Staff of the Army 

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., and Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston announce the Year of the 

Noncommissioned Officer during a press conference Jan. 5, at the Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Courtesy Photo

8

 the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which 

Staff Sgt. Randy Hubbard works with his horse, Winchester, prior to a practice for the inaugural parade on Jan. 12.

By Anna Staatz

Duty First! Magazine

 When Staff Sgt. Randy Hubbard joined the Army in 1994, 

it was to be a tanker. He never would have imagined that his 

path in the Army would include a trip past the presidential 

reviewing stand on inauguration day 2009.

Hubbard worked as a tanker from 1994-2000, spending the 

entire time in Vilsek, Germany. He was medically discharged 

after his hand was pinched while working on a tank.

“I lost a lot of the sensation in my hand because of that 

injury,” he said.

Hubbard didn’t leave the Army willingly. For five years, he 

fought his medical discharge until it was finally overturned. 

“I love what I do,” Hubbard said. “There is nothing better to 

me than being a Soldier.”

He re-entered the Army in 2005 as a transportation 

management coordinator and was stationed at Camp Darby, 

Italy. He deployed to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain 

Division in 2006. After returning from deployment, Hubbard 

got the first stateside assignment of his career: Fort Riley, 

Kan. 

While in-processing at Fort Riley, Hubbard heard a briefing 

from the former 1st Sergeant of the Commanding General’s 

Mounted Color Guard.

“He said they had a platoon sergeant slot and because 

there’s not a lot of platoon sergeant jobs available in my MOS, I 

thought coming here was an excellent opportunity to get some 

leadership time,” Hubbard said.

Dealing with horses and training Soldiers to ride for many 

of the parades, competitions and public events the color 

guard participates in is a far cry from the duties of most 

noncommissioned officers. The unit is one of the most oftenseen Army units in the Midwest.

The unit learned in late 2008 that it had been accepted to 

participate in the parade following the presidential inauguration 

in January 2009, and quickly began preparation.

Saddles and sabers were polished and the unit had several 

special practices to help acclimate its horses to an urban 

environment with lots of noise and people. Fourteen of the 

unit’s Soldiers rode in formation during the parade.

“I am extremely proud of each one of my Soldiers, their 

perseverance under the circumstances and their dedication,” 

Hubbard said of a very long and cold inauguration day. The 

Soldiers’ day started at 3 a.m. The parade – scheduled to start 

at 2 p.m.— was delayed by several hours. The unit passed the 

reviewing stand about 7 p.m. 

“These guys were cold and hungry, and they just did what 

they needed to do, and they looked good doing it,” Hubbard said.

It’s hard to miss the pride Hubbard has in his Soldiers when 

he talks about them.

“As an NCO, the greatest reflection of what I do isn’t in 

me,” Hubbard said. “It’s in my Soldiers. If they succeed, I am 

successful. If they fail, it’s my fault.”

Hubbard has about six months left in his time with the 

CGMCG. Once that time is up, he hopes to be able to take a 

slot in Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Inf. Div., 

and deploy.

NCO Takes Pride In His Soldiers

Duty First!/Staatz

Year Of Te NCOY
9 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, 

Sergeant Audie 

Murphy Club

By Anna Staatz

Duty First! Magazine

Only a few noncommissioned officers in the Army become 

members of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, and in the 1st 

Infantry Division, the number of club members is growing.

The club was set up in the 1980s to honor the legendary 

Audie Murphy, who was also an actor, songwriter and poet. 

Murphy was the son of sharecroppers, and was the most 

decorated combat Soldier of World War II.

He received more than 33 awards and decorations, including 

the Medal of Honor, and was credited with killing more than 

240 enemy Soldiers and wounding many others. Murphy 

was wounded three times while participating in nine major 

campaigns across the European Theater. After he completed 

his military service, Murphy went on to several creative 

endeavors, including the big screen, where he starred in his 

own autobiographical movie, “To Hell and Back.”

The club to commemorate Murphy and honor 

noncommissioned officers began at Fort Hood 23 years ago and 

spread across the Army. In 1991, then - III Corps Commander, 

Lt. Gen. Pete Taylor and Command Sgt. Maj. Richard B. 

Cayton expanded the Fort Hood installation club to include all 

of III Corps. This included Fort Riley, 

Kan.; Fort Sill, Okla.; Fort 

Bliss, Texas; Fort 

Polk, La.; 

and Fort 

Carson, 

Colo. 

I n 

1 9 9 3 , 

Cayton 

w a s 

voted into 

the Sergeant 

Audie Murphy 

Club by the membership 

and then became the Forces Command, 

command sergeant major. Soon thereafter, the club became

FORSCOM wide, including the Reserves and National Guard, 

with installations retaining the selection process for their own 

NCOs. In 1998, it was estimated that the club membership was 

more then 3,000 Soldiers. 

The SAMC at Fort Riley has been in existence for more than 

10 years, and currently has more than 40 members.

“The Audie Murphy club is an organization that doesn’t 

just recognize the top 1 percent of noncommissioned officers, 

it’s an organization that gives back to the community and the 

installations that they are assigned to,” said Command Sgt. 

Maj. Jim Champagne, division command sergeant major. 

“It takes an extraordinary individual and noncommissioned 

officer to be able to do everything they do in the Army and 

then turn around and volunteer their time to their community 

and their installation. They have to juggle a lot of balls to be 

able to accomplish that.”

The club meets at noon on the first and third Tuesday of 

every month at the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team dining 

facility.

Membership is open to sergeants between the ranks of E-5 

and E-7. They must be sponsored by a current SAMC member 

and pass a board process in order to be inducted. Once in, they 

are members for life.

 Champagne said 

membership in the 

SAMC continues 

to increase. 

He tasks 

i ncom i ng 

c l u b 

m e m b e r s 

w i t h 

m e n t o r i n g 

one sergeant 

to become a club 

member within 12 months 

of their induction.

“I challenge all our noncommissioned officers 

to seek to be a SAMC member,” Champagne said.

Year Of Te NCOY

Twenty-two Soldiers were inducted into Fort Riley’s Sgt. Audie Murphy Club June 30 during a ceremony at 1st 

Division Headquarters.

Duty First!/Staatz

10

 or personal safety. Competence is my watchword. My two basic 

Staff Sgt. Leila Moser, DENTAC, proudly displays 

her promotion certificate. Moser was recently 

selected for the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.

Duty First! /Abney

By Anna Staatz

Duty First! Magazine

To some, being a member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy 

Club means being one of the Army’s best noncommissioned 

officers. Each member pursues the medallion for various 

reasons, but all have a desire to be extremely proficient at what 

they do.

1st Sgt. Brian Sowder

First Sgt. Brian Sowder joined the Army 19 years ago for 

the benefits of the GI Bill and to travel around the world. It 

wasn’t long before he found the Army was “his calling.” 

Sowder, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, didn’t join the SAMC until 

his recent deployment to Iraq.

Sowder said he always knew about the club, but never had 

the opportunity to go to the board before coming to Fort Riley. 

He balanced combat demands with studying for the board and 

was selected while in Baghdad.

“I am pretty sure my driver and gunner were proficient with 

the Audie Murphy biography and could recite it in their sleep 

while I was studying for the selection board,” Sowder said. “I 

would have them check for errors in my memory before and 

after every patrol.”

Sowder decided to go to the selection board because all of 

his squad leaders wanted to go.

“As a platoon sergeant, I wanted to understand the pressure 

my men were under and help them prepare for the selection 

board,” Sowder said.

The benefits are two-fold, Sowder said. First, it gives NCOs

the opportunity to share knowledge and expertise with each 

other. It also gives them a chance to be involved and help 

local communities. The Fort Riley SAMC participates in the 

Adopt-a-Highway program; provides local youth a scholarship 

opportunity and sets up and conducts the annual Dr. Mary E. 

Walker volunteer recognition ceremony.

“I would encourage all NCOs who think they have what it 

takes to be a member of the SAMC to see their chain of command 

and start to go through the selection process,” Sowder said. 

Staff Sgt. Liela Moser

Staff Sgt. Liela Moser, Fort Riley Dental Activity, was 

recently selected for the SAMC. Moser said she always wanted 

to be part of the SAMC because the members she has come in 

contact with during her time in the Army have all been people 

she has looked up to.

Moser was first acquainted with the SAMC at Fort Riley 

when she helped 1st Sgt. Ray Chase with a ceremony. Chase, a 

SAMC member, told Moser she should look into the club. Moser 

pursued studying and going to the selection board through her 

chain of command. 

“It is a tough and challenging board,” Moser said. “You have 

to be on point; there is no room for mistakes.”

Moser said she gained a lot from preparing for the board and 

knows that expectations are high of SAMC members.

“Every time I meet an NCO who is part of the club, the 

expectations are high, and I look up to them,” Moser said. They 

are knowledgeable and squared away. I have gained so much 

knowledge just from preparing for the board.”

Moser added that she also looks forward to opportunities to 

give back to the very supportive local communities.

1st Sgt. Brian Sowder participates in a field training 

exercise at Fort Riley. Sowder joined the Sergeant 

Audie Murphy Club while deployed to Iraq with 2nd 

Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Courtesy Photo

SAMC Members Give Back To 

Army, Community

Moser added that she also looks forward to opportunities to 

Year Of Te NCOY

“I challenge all our noncommissioned officers 
11 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment

THIBCT

1st Sgt. Phillip Mays, in Baghdad during a recent 

deployment to Iraq. Mays, 2nd Bn., 16th Inf. 

Regt., 4th Inf. Brigade Combat Team, deployed 

for 15 months from February 2007 to April 2008.

By Anna Staatz

Duty First! Magazine

As a boy, 1st Sgt. Phillip Mays, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry 

Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, remembers his 

Irish grandfather talking about politics and the military. 

His grandfather served in World War II, earning the Combat 

Infantryman Badge.

“He said it wasn’t he himself who earned it, but collectively 

he and his fellow comrades, his brothers in arms, did,” Mays 

said. “He died when I was young, and I knew at an early age I 

would join the Army and test myself as he did.”

Mays was an 18-year-old newlywed when he enlisted in the 

Army. His first assignment was at Fort Campbell, Ky., where 

he served with 2nd Bn., 502nd Inf. Regt., as a rifleman, SAW 

gunner, team leader and squad leader. After four and a half 

years at Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division, Mays

your career. My success as a junior NCO stemmed from the 

coaching, teaching and mentoring of the senior NCOs who 

‘raised’ me.”

As a squad leader, Mays thrived. Even though he said it was 

an honor to be moved to a senior position in which he was 

responsible for more Soldiers, he is quick to say that he misses 

being in the middle of all the action.

“My transition from NCO to senior NCO was bittersweet,” 

Mays said. “There is no greater honor than to lead men in combat, 

but my kinetic door kicking days were over. Sure, I am still in 

the thick of things as the platoon or company senior assault 

leader, but I am no longer the tip of the spear. In the Army, the 

infantry specifically, the position of squad leader is the best job 

in the world. You have a great level of responsibility, yet you 

are always in the thick of things. Squad leaders have the biggest 

and most direct impact and influence on our young Soldiers.”

Mays said the current combat environments require 

Hungry And Humble

Courtesy Photo

Year Of Te NCOY

4

was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., 

serving as a squad leader and platoon 

sergeant. From Fort Lewis, Mays 

went to Fort Benning, Ga., for two 

years, where he was a drill sergeant 

and senior drill sergeant.

His fourth assignment was Fort 

Riley. Mays has served with the 

“Ranger” battalion since he arrived 

at Fort Riley, deploying in support of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom with the rest 

of the 4th IBCT in 2007. 

Mays’ time in the Army has been 

on the fast track. The transition from 

young Soldier to NCO and then senior 

NCO and 1st Sergeant happened 

during a quick 13 years.

Looking back, he said his initial 

transition to a junior noncommissioned 

officer was a huge wakeup call, and he 

compared it to mortar rounds jarring a 

combat outpost.

“Here I am, 21 years old and now 

responsible for the lives of three 

other men,” Mays said. “I now have 

to lead, train and motivate other men. 

As an NCO, you directly impact 

the lives of many men throughout

Soldiers and NCOs to be creative and 

think outside the box. Preparation is 

everything, he noted, commenting 

that the last thing he wanted was 

junior NCOs on a plane, flying over 

an ocean, wondering if they had done 

everything they possibly could to 

prepare themselves and their men for 

what they will face in combat.

“I hope what my Soldiers learn from 

me is to remain hungry and humble,” 

Mays said. “We are rough and tough 

men who are asked sometimes to 

do the unthinkable. It is paramount 

that we take care of each other as we 

would a blood brother.”

Mays will remain with the 

“Rangers” as the unit trains during the 

coming months and will deploy with 

it and the remainder of the 4th IBCT 

when it leaves Fort Riley later this year.

“Being an NCO, a leader of 

Soldiers, is an undisputed honor 

which I will cherish for the rest of my 

life,” Mays said. “My passion in life 

is to deploy, fight and win, bringing 

everyone home from our future 

endeavors.”

12

School Project Brings Hope, 

Education To Nangarhar

Capt. Elisabeth Leon, Nangarhar Provincial 

Reconstruction Team lead engineer, joins Maliki Surial 

School headmistress Gulali Jamal Zai in placing a 

ceremonial brick .

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction 

Team are welcomed by school girls dressed 

in traditional Afghan clothing during the 

groundbreaking ceremony for a girls school in 

Behsood District.

3rd IBCT PAO/Hart

 of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain

By USAF Capt. Dustin Hart

3rd IBCT PAO

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Members of the 

Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team demonstrated 

their commitment to furthering education during a Jan. 11 

ground-breaking ceremony for the Maliki Surial girls’ school 

in Behsood District.

Soldiers in the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are 

responsible for security in the Nangarhar area, where the 

school is located.

“Currently, the girls attend an open-air school where they 

sit outdoors, ” said Capt. Elisabeth Leon, Nangarhar PRT lead 

engineer. “When the weather turns bad, they simply can’t go 

to school.”

The new school will feature 10 classrooms for more than 

1,400 girls. The school is expected to be completed in the next

nine months. 

“Education is very important for girls,” said Gulali Jamal 

Zai, Maliki Surial’s headmistress. “Females are responsible 

for the household and can in turn educate their children and 

husbands within the house.”

Before the Taliban government was defeated in 2001, less 

than one million children attended school in Afghanistan, 

virtually none were females. Since then, the number has grown 

to more than six million children, with 35 percent of these 

students being female according to International Security 

Assistance Force-Afghanistan statistics.

“This school is a sign that the hopes, opportunities and 

dreams of Afghan females are coming true,” said Leon.

The PRT is currently working with the Ministry of Education 

on 15 boys and girls school projects throughout Nangarhar 

province. These are part of 50 projects, worth more than $70 

million, that the PRT is working throughout the province.
13 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil 14

tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. 

 By Anna Staatz

Duty First! Magazine

The history of the noncommissioned officer 

traces back to the birth of the Continental Army. 

In the beginning, like many traditions of the 

Army, the noncommissioned officer had a blended 

background from the French and British military 

traditions. As time has gone on, however, the Army 

noncommissioned officer has evolved from those 

early European roots and proven to be the strongest 

and toughest when it comes to accomplishing 

victory on the battlefield. Command Sgt. Maj. 

Jim Champagne, 1st Infantry Division command 

sergeant major, listed six high points of NCO history.

Friedrich von Steuben

In 1778, during the winter at Valley Forge, 

Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben was 

tasked by Gen. George Washington to outline the 

duties and responsibilities of a new rank within the 

U.S. Army, the sergeant.

“If you go back and read the original order,” said 

Champagne, “you will see that we are still using 

some the same concepts as noncommissioned 

officers today.”

From the American Revolution to World War 

II, the noncommissioned officer received his 

promotion from the regimental commander.

The NCO Chevrons

In 1821, the War Department made the 

first mention of noncommissioned officer 

chevrons. A general order directed that sergeants major and quartermaster sergeants wear a worsted chevron on each arm 

below the elbow and corporals wear one on the right arm above the elbow.

In 1902, the chevron was turned point up and reduced in size. The former chevrons worn by sergeants were 10 inches and 

as uniforms became more form-fitting and smaller, the chevrons worn were adjusted as well.

The Women’s Army Corps

Champagne said another high point in the history of the NCO was the creation of the women’s Army Corps during World War

II. For the most part, women served in administrative, 

technical, vehicle, food, supply, communications, 

mechanical and electrical positions.

“This is the first time in the Army’s history that we now 

have female NCOs, in World War II, when they started the 

Women’s Army Corps,” Champagne said.

Sergeant Major of the Army

In 1966, the Army Chief of Staff announced the 

position of Sergeant Major of the Army. The first person to 

hold the position was Command Sergeant Major William 

Woolridge, who was also a former “Danger 7,” serving as 

the Big Red One’s top NCO in 1965.

“We as a division have the distinct honor to have had 

the first sergeant major of the Army come from our ranks,” 

Champagne said.

NCOES System

In 1971, the noncommissioned officer’s education 

system kicked off, offering school opportunities pertinent 

to Soldiers advancing in their fields. Schools such as WLC, 

BNCOC, ANCOC and the sergeant’s major academy are 

all part of the NCOES.

“We really have to credit Sergeant Major of the Army 

[William] Bainbridge with procuring the money to really 

develop and grow the system,” Champagne said, noting 

that Bainbridge was a former “Black Lion” sergeant major.

The Present 

Noncommissioned Officer

Noncommissioned officers handle a 

much different set of responsibilities than 

they did in 1778.

“What the present day noncommissioned officer is doing on the battlefield is absolutely incredible,” Champagne said. “He is 

expected to do today what field grade officers were doing in World War II and Korea.”

The responsibility of NCOs continues to increase, Champagne said, with young sergeants leading Soldiers in combat zones.

“At my level, it’s all about how I set the example for the junior noncommissioned officers who will lead our Soldiers into 

combat,” Champagne said. “I’m very proud to be a noncommissioned officer. In 1982, when I came in the Army at 17 years old, I 

never thought I would be a division command sergeant major. I have to credit all the leaders and Soldiers I’ve had in the past that 

have helped me get to this position.”

victory on the battlefield. Command Sgt. Maj. 

Jim Champagne, 1st Infantry Division command 

sergeant major, listed six high points of NCO history.

Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben was 

tasked by Gen. George Washington to outline the 

duties and responsibilities of a new rank within the 

U.S. Army, the sergeant.

Noncommissioned Officer

much different set of responsibilities than 

they did in 1778.

expected to do today what field grade officers were doing in World War II and Korea.”

combat,” Champagne said. “I’m very proud to be a noncommissioned officer. In 1982, when I came in the Army at 17 years old, I 

never thought I would be a division command sergeant major. I have to credit all the leaders and Soldiers I’ve had in the past that 

Champagne, “you will see that we are still using 

some the same concepts as noncommissioned 

officers today.”

II, the noncommissioned officer received his 

promotion from the regimental commander.

first mention of noncommissioned officer 

 By

Duty First! Magazine

traces back to the birth of the Continental Army. 

In the beginning, like many traditions of the 

Army, the noncommissioned officer had a blended 

background from the French and British military 

traditions. As time has gone on, however, the Army 

noncommissioned officer has evolved from those 

early European roots and proven to be the strongest 

and toughest when it comes to accomplishing 

victory on the battlefield. Command Sgt. Maj. 

Year Of Te NCOY

Year Of Te NCOY

CSM John D, Fourhman

2005-2008
Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

Iraqis, Sustainers, PRT, Cavalry Troopers Join 

Forces To Build Economic Momentum Near Balad

15

All soldiers are entitled to. outstanding leadership; I will provide that

Forces To Build Economic Momentum

ESC RD

Compiled by 3rd ESC PAO

BALAD, Iraq – In a combined effort to boost the local 

economy, Iraqi business owners hosted coalition forces and 

members of the Balad Provincial Reconstruction Team 

recently to discuss expansion of local businesses using Iraqi 

trucking initiatives. 

The owner of the Balad Canning Factory provided leaders 

from 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary); 3rd 

Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment; Multi-National Corps-Iraq; 

Multi-National Forces-Iraq and the Salah ad Din PRT a tour 

of his business and a local market to better understand the 

potential for growth in the Balad area. The ultimate objective 

was to forge a partnership that harnesses the 3rd ESC’s logistics 

expertise of national and regional Iraqi trucking initiatives to 

rapidly expand existing local businesses by allowing them 

Ahmed Ibrahim Aghab, owner of Balad Canning Factory, gives a tour of his business in Balad, Iraq, to Dr. Frank 

R. Gunter, chief of economics, Multi-National Corps-Iraq; Lt. Col. David M. Hodne, commander of 3rd Squadron, 

4th Cavalry Regiment; members of 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the Balad Satellite Provincial 

Reconstruction Team on Jan. 17.

to market and distribute their products throughout Iraq. 

“As you increase your ability to distribute your products, 

your customers will be able to come to you to purchase goods 

– and you can increase your production by shipping throughout 

Iraq. I think your products can go a lot further by increasing the 

trucking capability.” said Col. Curt Higdon, 3rd ESC assistant 

chief of staff G3, during an exchange with Ahmed Ibrahim 

Aghab, owner of the Balad Canning Factory.

 According to Higdon, the Balad Canning Factory is a prime 

example of an existing Iraqi business that could rapidly expand 

if partnered with national distribution efforts such as the 

Iraqi Trucking Network or regional ones like Iraqi Trucking 

Companies. Higdon hopes to couple the ESC’s logistics and 

distribution expertise, the local PRT’s economic knowledge, 

and 3rd Sqdn. 4th Cav. Regt.’s community engagement skills to 

help determined Iraqi business owners continue their economic 

momentum. 

16

leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above

Currently, the factory is operating only four of 12 production 

lines due to a lack of trucking assets and ongoing renovation. 

The factory has new boilers and is capable of producing 

bagged snacks, bottled water and milk, in addition to canned 

goods. Adding a reliable trucking partnership will allow the 

factory to reach its potential, bringing jobs and a reliable buyer 

of fresh local produce to the community. 

“Some of these folks don’t have the means to move their 

goods,” said Lt. Col. David M. Hodne, commander of 3rd 

Sqdn, 4th Cav. Regt. Later this spring, Hodne and his cavalry 

troopers plan to work with farmers in rural areas around 

Balad and the canning factory to expand markets for local 

agricultural products to multiple regions across Iraq.

Balad Satellite Provincial Reconstruction Team Leader 

Joe Pinon added that investments such as those made at the 

canning factory are critical for building economic momentum. 

Ahmed Ibrahim Aghab, owner of the Balad Canning Factory discusses with Dr. Frank R. Gunter, chief of economics 

for Multi-National Corps-Iraq the new boiler recently installed at the factory. The BCF currently has four of 12 

production lines in renovation with the aid of grant funds through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s 

Inma Agribusiness Program.

Photos by Brian Barbour

Iraqis need to be educated on the importance of investing in 

their own economy to sustain future growth, Pinon said. 

The opportunity to partner with the canning factory 

surfaced during an Iraqi Business Industrial Zone meeting 

where members of the 3rd ESC in discussion with the local PRT 

realized too few jobs were being created that would provide for 

long term economic gain of the local populace. 

The independently owned and operated canning factory 

employs approximately 150 - 200 people but has the potential 

to expand production and provide another 1,000 jobs with the 

right partnerships. 

All partners hope future planning efforts between eager 

Iraqis, battle space owners, logistics experts – coupled with 

the PRT’s ability to organize businessmen and local political 

leaders – will provide the opportunity for increased agriculture 

and economic development throughout the region. 
17 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never

STCAB

By Anna Staatz

Duty First! Magazine

For Soldiers in the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, the low 

rumble of six Apache helicopters approaching Marshall Army 

Airfield Jan. 17 wasn’t just about welcoming aircraft back to 

Fort Riley. The Apaches’ landing signified the safe completion 

of a combat deployment.

“This is a big step,” said Staff Sgt. Roland Irizarry, a 

maintenance supervisor in the brigade. “We were one of the 

last brigades to do a 15-month tour ensuring freedom for the 

Iraqi people, and this means we’ve done it and completed it 

[our mission] safely.”

The 1st CAB deployed from Fort Riley in September 2007 and 

began returning to the post in November 2008 without a single 

combat death, something the brigade’s former commander, Col. 

Jess Farrington, said was a “major accomplishment.” He also 

lauded the brigade’s part in reducing enemy activity in their 

assigned area of Iraq while deployed.

“There was almost a 70 percent reduction in enemy activity 

during our tour,” Farrington said. “That frames where we have 

just come from.”

Bringing the aircraft back to Fort Riley signifies not only the 

completion of one mission, but also the beginning of another 

for the “Demon” Brigade.

“Bringing them [the helicopters] back to Fort Riley is great,” 

Farrington said. “It’s good to be back in the Kansas area, and the 

Fort Riley area. ...It also means getting back into the training 

mode, which is the next phase for us, to train this brigade again 

for whatever our nation calls upon us to do.”

During its deployment, the brigade oversaw the operation 

and maintenance of 200 manned and unmanned aircraft. The 

unit’s helicopters logged more than 170,000 hours in flight time

during the deployment.

The first flight of helicopters to return to Fort Riley following the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade’s deployment to Iraq 

approach Marshall Army Airfield on Jan. 17.

1

ST

18

leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending

While in Iraq, the brigade’s Soldiers conducted nearly 

18,000 missions, identifying and engaging enemy targets 300 

times. CAB Soldiers were also responsible for the discovery or 

defeat of 56 improvised explosive devices and the destruction 

of more than 125 insurgent vehicles and structures. In addition, 

the brigade was responsible for transporting more than 91,000 

personnel and about 4,000 tons of cargo around Multi-National 

Division North.

A second flight of Apaches and a single Black Hawk 

helicopter arrived later Jan. 17. The brigade will eventually 

have Kiowa, Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters at 

Fort Riley. It is anticipated that all of the unit’s aircraft will be 

at Fort Riley by mid-summer.

The first flight of helicopters to return to Fort Riley following 

the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade’s deployment to Iraq 

settle on Marshall Army Airfield after their flight home.

Apache crews prepare to park and disembark from their aircraft. The helicopters were the first of the 1st Combat 

Aviation Brigade’s aircraft to return to Fort Riley.

Duty First! /Staatz
19 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

both rewards and punishment. Officers of my unit will have maximum 

STSB

By Tyler Abney

Duty First! Magazine

A giant American flag covered the wall at King Field House 

as Soldiers, Families and local community leaders gathered to 

welcome the 1st Sustainment Brigade back to Fort Riley.

The Jan. 29 ceremony marked the official return of the 

brigade. The unit’s colors were uncased as its 305 Soldiers 

were able to close the book on a 15-month deployment. 

 “This is truly an exciting day for not only the 1st Sustainment 

Brigade, but also the 1st Infantry Division,” Brig. Gen. Perry 

Wiggins, commanding general, 1st Infantry Division and 

Fort Riley said. “The men and women standing before you 

in formation are truly the best we have in America. They are 

dedicated, disciplined and professional Soldiers who spent 

15 months bravely standing on-point for this nation...through 

your untiring efforts, you’ve penned another proud chapter in 

the storied history of the 1st Infantry Division.”

During their deployment, the unit commanded seven 

battalions, providing food, water and supplies to Soldiers in 

Baghdad.

In addition, the brigade conducted maintenance operations, 

financial management, human resource support and convoy 

security. They issued and delivered 200 million gallons of 

fuel, 6.6 million rounds of ammunition, 170,000 meals, and 12 

million cases of bottled water.

Wiggins said training an Army to fight is much easier than 

training an Army to sustain itself and logistical capability is 

the ultimate marker of a mature and professional Army. 

Following Wiggins’ remarks, Col. Kevin O’Connell, brigade 

commander addressed the Soldiers of the brigade. 

“The CG talked about the myriad of accomplishments the 

brigade conducted while deployed down range,” O’Connell 

said. “But let me say this as humbly and modestly as possible. 

What you’re looking at, in the formation here today, represents 

the premier sustainment brigade in the Army. Never before 

has a sustainment brigade supported on the scale, scope, 

complexity and magnitude or had such a strategic impact as 

the 1st Sustainment Brigade over our 15-month deployment.

“As you know, Baghdad is the capitol of Iraq and the seat

of government. The population center results in a safer 

Iraq’s ability in the Middle East and a safer world that we 

live in. I couldn’t be more proud of our Soldiers’ incredible 

performance.”

1st Sustainment Brigade, Commander Col. Kevin O’Connell 

and Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Cardoza uncase the 

brigade’s colors during a welcome home ceremony Jan. 

29 at King Field House. The unit returned home from 

Baghdad, in December 2008, after a 15-month deployment.

1

ST

Duty First! /Abney

20

time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I

NDHBCT

By Spc. Dustin Roberts

2nd HBCT PAO

BAGHDAD – Photographers and journalists from numerous 

Baghdad media outlets attended an Arabic media roundtable 

Jan. 11, hosted by the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

The discussion, led by Col. Joseph Martin, commander 

of 2nd HBCT, informed local media of the Dagger Brigade’s 

mission, sparked story ideas and answered specific questions 

from the media. 

“It is very important that the public, who read Iraqi 

newspapers and watch Iraqi television, are informed on not 

only the mission of coalition forces, but specifically the mission 

of the Dagger Brigade,” said Mohammed Asadi, Arabic media 

coordinator for the “Dagger” Brigade. “I think the best way to 

inform the public is to bring the local media to the brigade and 

inform them about the mission.” 

Some of the press were interested in the role the Dagger 

Brigade played on election day and how the new security 

agreement, enacted Jan. 1, will affect the security of the 

population. “These two events are very large milestones for 

the history of Iraq,” Asadi said. “I know that the people are 

wondering how coalition forces will be involved from now 

on.”

Martin said the Dagger Brigade and Iraqi security forces 

carefully planned the details of patrols and searches to ensure 

election day was safe.

Another question asked was if the Soldiers have ever 

put thought into fighting terrorism not only physically but 

by providing services and jobs to the people in the Dagger 

Brigade’s areas of operation.

“What we are doing about these issues is working closely 

with the Iraqi government and the belladiyah to continue to 

foster an environment of normalcy,” Martin said. “Economic 

growth, more money and more jobs for people are all direct 

results of a foundation of good security.”

A journalist from the Iraqi publication Politics Today, 

reads over notes during a media roundtable with the 2nd 

Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – 

Baghdad at Forward Operating Base Prosperity Jan. 11. 

The purpose of the session was to inform media of the 

brigade’s mission in northwest Baghdad. 

A journalist from the Iraqi publication Politics Today

Dagger Brigade Hosts 

Media Roundtable

 2nd HBCT/Roberts 

2

ND
21 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will

22

be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates

IBCT RD

By Sgt. Charles Brice

3rd IBCT PAO

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – The Soldiers of 

Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team, are teaming up with the Afghan National Police 

to boost security and provide supplies for the local Afghans of 

Khogyani and Shirazad Districts, in the Nangarhar province 

of northeastern Afghanistan.

The planning and coordination of improvements is 

accomplished through key leader engagements conducted by 

both parties.

“We conduct these visits with the leadership to make sure 

they are taken care of on supplies and issues,” said Sgt. 1st 

Class Albert Huggins, 1st Platoon leader of Co. A.

Huggins said measures toward protecting local citizens 

around voter registration sites were emphasized at a recent 

meeting between key leaders.

ANP leaders also talked about supplies needed in order to 

Combined Forces Boost Security 

In Nangarhar Province

maintain jobs during the winter months and plan ahead for the 

spring. 

“Things are okay over here with the district center,” said 

Abdul Haq, sub-governor of the Shirazad District. “Taliban 

comes from Pakistan during the spring time and attacks the 

local villages. Now that the mountains have snowed over, the 

attacks are down to a minimum.”

The newly-constructed walls of the district center play 

a small role in the security of the area, which has improved 

significantly in the past few months.

“The locals of the area are much happier because of the 

security boost,” Haq said. “Along with the help of the Americans, 

our forces in the area have improved on their actions.”

As the relationship between the two forces builds, locals in 

the area are beginning to see progress.

“We are here to support the ANP in the Shirazad District 

in order to make things better for the people,” Huggins said. 

“Safety, security and the welfare of the people are our main 

concern.” 

Soldiers of Co. A, Special Troops Battalion, conduct a key 

leader engagement at the Shirazad District Center, meeting 

with Sub-Governor Abdul Haq. During the meeting they 

discussed the security and welfare of the Afghan people.

3IBCT/Brice

Soldiers of Co. A, Special Troop Battalion, discuss 

the security and welfare of the Afghan locals 

with the executive officer and captain of the ANP. 

3
23 Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence

the true test began, creating a four-course meal meeting the 

standards of the American Culinary Federation. The teams 

went head-to-head in their preparation of a dish featuring fish. 

The other dishes were up to them. Each team made a salad, an 

entrée, and a dessert to finish the three remaining courses.

Since both teams had relatively little experience, the cookoff was a good starting point and exercise in teamwork. “Even 

when stuff slips away, or when something messes up, the team 

is always there to back you up and make you feel better,” said 

first-year culinary team member Megan Fatseas.

Pvt. Bradley Barta, a member of the 701st Brigade Support 

Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, joined the team 

after redeploying from Iraq. He enjoyed the high-pressure 

environment of his first competition.

“I’m having a blast,” Barta said.

After both teams presented their dishes and the judges made 

their observations, there was a small break to clean up before 

the three judges congratulated both teams for their work. The 

judges based their critique on practical information, instead of 

assigning scores.

“We’re not going to get into points,” said Giunta. “Because 

if you really want to hear numbers from us, you’re going to 

miss the key points in the food and what we saw.”

At the end of the contest, both teams were admired for their 

professionalism, dedication and persistence in their craft. Since 

the competition was a scrimmage, there were no winners or 

losers.

The contest serves as practice for the 1st Inf. Div. team, 

which will go to Fort Lee, Va., in March to take place in an 

Army-wide culinary competition.

By Sgt. Cody Harding

1st Inf. Div. PAO

The feeling in the air was tense as five students from Johnson 

County Community College stood side-by-side with the Big 

Red One’s hand-picked team. Both teams listened closely as a 

line in the proverbial sand was drawn. 

The two teams didn’t face each other with pistols or blades, 

but with utensils and seasonings. The first 1st Infantry Division 

culinary competition was about to begin.

The contest served two purposes for both the college and the 

Soldiers of the Big Red One. For the students, it was practice 

to help them prepare before traveling to Chicago for a regionwide contest, said John Head, culinary instructor at JCCC.

“It’s not a competition against the Fort Riley team,” Head 

said. “It’s a competition against the professional standards of 

the American Culinary Federation.”

For the Soldiers, the contest is only the first part of the 1st 

Inf. Div. culinary competition, which is separated into various 

events. The contest is scheduled to take place in various months 

during 2009, said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Travis Smith, the 

division’s command food advisor.

“The purpose of these competitions is to showcase what the 

cooks do on a daily basis,” said Smith. “The public can see what 

they do, as well as provide an environment where the cook is 

challenged to provide 

a higher standard.”

Three respected 

chefs, including 

Steven Giunta, 

one of 50 certified 

master chefs in the 

world, evaluated the 

teams in two areas: 

standard skills and 

the food itself.

As with any 

gourmet meal, 

the first step was 

preparation. Teams 

had to prove they 

were ready to step 

up to the grill with 

the proper utensils 

and ingredients. 

After the 

judges evaluated 

their preparation 

p e r f o r m a n c e , 

From the left, chef Martin Heuser, certified master chef 

Stephen Giunta, and chef Felix Sturmer test the entries of the 

1st Infantry Division culinary contest. The chefs have “nearly 

a century’s worth of experience” between them, said Giunta.

Spc. Thao Vangsoua prepares 

a Sole fish at the 1st Infantry 

Division Culinary competition 

here Jan. 22.

1st Inf. Div. PAO/ Harding

Culinary Competition

24

of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I
Duty First www.1id.army.mil Duty First www.1id.army.mil

President Vows Not To Waver In 

America’s Defense

25

will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are 

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama pledged a 

“prudent use” of military power as the nation works toward 

“ushering in a new era of peace” Jan. 20 in his inaugural 

address to the nation. 

“Our security emanates from the justness of our cause, 

the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility 

and restraint,” he said from the west side of the Capitol after 

taking the oath of office as the 44th president. An estimated 

two million people crowded the National Mall and surrounding 

area to hear his address.

The use of these principles will allow America to develop 

greater understanding of other nations and greater cooperation 

against common threats from them, he said. 

“We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and 

forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan,” Obama said. “With 

old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the 

nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.” 

Obama said Americans will not apologize for their way of 

life, nor waver in its defense. “And for those who seek to advance 

their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we 

say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; 

you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you,” he said. 

America is a country of doers and risk-takers; 

it is an immigrant country where each generation worked hard 

to provide for the next, he said. 

“For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and 

traveled across oceans in search of a new life,” Obama said. 

“For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured 

the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. 

“For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and 

Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn,” he continued. “Time 

and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed 

and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a 

better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our 

individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth 

or wealth or faction.” 

Americans today must continue this journey, he said. It is 

time for hard decisions and a time of change. “Our time of 

standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off 

unpleasant decisions, that time has surely passed,” he said. 

“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, 

and begin again the work of remaking America.” 

Obama rejected the idea that the nation has to choose 

between its safety and its ideals. “Our Founding Fathers – faced 

with perils that we can scarcely imagine – drafted a charter to 

assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded 

by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, 

and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.” 

In the United States, all languages 

Photos by David McNew

26

professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!

are spoken, all religions are practiced, and all good people are 

welcomed, he said. “And because we have tasted the bitter 

swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that 

dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but 

believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines 

of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, 

our common humanity shall reveal itself and that America 

must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace,” he said. 

Obama reached out to 

the nations of the world in 

his speech. He told them 

that America “is a friend 

of each nation, and every 

man, woman and child who 

seeks a future of peace and 

dignity, and that we are 

ready to lead once more.” 

He also spoke to the 

Muslim world, saying 

America seeks a new way 

forward, based on mutual 

interest and respect. 

“As we consider the 

road that unfolds before 

us, we remember with 

humble gratitude those brave 

Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and 

distant mountains,” the president said. “They have something 

to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington (National 

Cemetery) whisper through the ages. We honor them not only 

because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they 

embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in 

something greater than themselves.” 

He called on all Americans to shoulder that burden of 

service. He said it is the faith and determination of the 

American people upon which this nation relies. 

“Greatness is never a given. It must be earned,” he said. 

“Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for 

less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those 

who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of 

riches and fame.” 

The faith and determination of Americans can serve the 

nation well in a time rife with challenges. 

“Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of 

violence and hatred,” the president said. “Our economy is 

badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility 

on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard 

choices and prepare the nation for a new age.”

Americans have lost their homes, their jobs, their businesses 

and health care is too costly, he said. Schools are failing too 

many, and the American energy policy plays into the hands of 

the nation’s enemies. 

“These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and 

statistics,” he said. 

These are disturbing, but 

more disturbing is a sapping 

of confidence and the fear 

that with this decline the next 

generation must lower its 

sights, he said. 

“Today I say to you that the 

challenges we face are real,” 

the president said. “They are 

serious, and they are many. 

They will not be met easily 

or in a short span of time. But 

know this, America: They 

will be met.” 

While the challenges of 

this age are new, the values 

that have seen the country 

through in the past will best serve the nation, Obama said. 

“Honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and 

curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old, but 

these things are true,” he said. 

America must return to these truths, he said. “What is 

required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition 

on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, 

our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly 

accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there 

is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, 

than giving our all to a difficult task,” Obama said. 

“This is the price and the promise of citizenship,” he said. 

“This is the source of our confidence, the knowledge that God 

calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.” 

If Americans seize this responsibility, then the challenges 

will be surmounted, he said. 

“Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were 

tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn 

back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and 

God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom 

and delivered it safely to future generations,” Obama said. 
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