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

Soldiers compete and honor commrades 

during division’s Victory Week activities
 Duty First! August 2011 |1

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

Public Affairs Office 

ATTN: Editor 

Bldg. 580

RM 313

Fort Riley, KS 66442 

Telephone number

COM 785-239-6821 

 DSN 856-6821 

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

1st Infantry Division Commander

Maj. Gen. William Mayville

1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne

1st Infantry Division PAO

Lt. Col. Sophie Gainey

Editor

Jordan Chapman

Staff Writers

Stephanie Hoff

Mollie Miller

Illustrator

Justin Angeles

Maj. Kirk Luedeke, 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. PAO

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

August 2011 | www.riley.army.mil

COVER: Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat 

Team, stands guard during a combat patrol in the Rashid District of Baghdad.

C O N T E N T S

Departments

Features

Danger 6

Saying goodbye to 

CSM, hello to Brothers

Around the Division

Boxer maintains shape 

inside, outside square ring 

Danger 7

Serving in the Big Red One 

has been the highest honor 

PICTORIAL

Victory Week winners 

take center stage 

Reconnecting at BRO reunion

Soldiers, veterans, wounded 

share tales of service to country

Ceremony honors Champagne

Soldiers, friends pay tribute to 

CSM’s career, achievements 

Bidding farewell to division

Command Sgt. Maj. Champagne 

readies for new challenges

Fallen Soldiers honored

Division honors the memories 

of 22 fallen Soldiers

Set in stone

Kansas native makes living 

inscribing memorial stones

Running full tilt

Division kicks off Victory 

Week with annual run

Getting combative

Victory Week brings out best 

in Soldierly competition

2

3

28

10

4

22

14

18

20

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

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

self-discipline set the example for others to follow.

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

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

my fellow Soldiers and my chain of command through courage, 

respect, integrity and compassion.

I have learned to ENDURE, to thrive in adversity. 

The harsh reality of combat gives me the enthusiasm for

realistic training. I am physically and mentally strong to

meet the demanding situations my unit encounters.

We are one in the Big Red One. Our BROTHERHOOD

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

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

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

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

standards of care and equipment, weaponry and tactical and 

technical competence.

My ORGANIZATION is my strength. The BRO is bigger 

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

competitive spirit, intestinal fortitude and the desire to fight 

with all my heart.
As I take a look back at Victory 

Week 2011, I see victory in the 

eyes of our Soldiers. Every day 

of the week was a celebration of not 

only the division’s successes throughout its 94 year history, but a celebration 

of those who have paid the ultimate in 

support of this division, each of whom 

were remembered by Families, spouses 

and friends during this year’s Victory 

Park ceremony. 

It is the Soldiers, NCOs, Officers and 

Family members who make up the Big 

Red One that drive this division forward and make it great. As a veteran of 

the 1st Infantry Division I can truly say 

that it is the people of the division that 

has made this the best assignment location I have ever had the privilege to undertake and I have never been more 

proud to a serve a unit.

During my time as the Command 

Sergeant Major for the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team I was able to see 

what it takes to achieve victory, and I’m 

still proud of everything our Soldiers 

are able to do, day in and day out.

My time as Division Command Sergeant Major has only heightened that 

appreciation and respect, and I urge 

each of you to continue to train hard, so 

when the time comes you can take care 

of your BRO-buddies in their greatest 

times of need. Never forget their value. 

They are your lifeline.

Along that same line, never forget to 

take time for the No. 1 support system in 

each of your lives, your Family. Duty 

First! Family always. Without them, I 

would not be where I am today.

As my retirement approaches, I 

would like to sincerely thank everyone 

who has inspired and pushed me forward from the beginning. You are never 

forgotten. 

For all of you Soldiers and NCOs, remain vigilant, focused and on point!

Now ... get after it!

This past month we said goodbye to the 21st Division Command Sergeant Major, CSM 

Jim Champagne, who retired after 29 

years of service to our Army. He and 

his wife, Lisa, have selflessly served the 

Soldiers and Families of the Big Red 

One for the past six years and their 

leadership will be missed at Fort Riley 

and within the First Infantry Division. 

CSM Champagne began serving the Division as the Brigade CSM for 4th IBCT, 

where he stood up the Brigade and later 

deployed with the Brigade to fight insurgent forces on the streets of Baghdad’s Rashid District. Upon his return 

from Iraq, CSM Champagne was chosen to serve the BRO Soldiers as Danger 

7 and deployed again to Iraq when the 

Division took command of USD-South. 

While CSM Champagne was deployed, 

Lisa served as the senior adviser to the 

Enlisted Spouses Club and as a volunteer supporting family readiness and 

resiliency activities at Fort Riley. The 

Champagnes’ service to our Division 

and the Army has been outstanding 

and will not be forgotten. We bid farewell to Command Sergeant Major Jim 

Champagne, Duty First!

It was my honor to also participate 

with many BRO Soldiers and leaders in 

the Society of the First Infantry Division’s annual reunion. The Society honors the history and accomplishments of 

the men and women of the Big Red 

One, both past and present. This year’s 

reunion was held in Buffalo, N.Y., and 

brought together veterans of the Division from WWII, the Vietnam conflict, 

Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Afghanistan and Iraq. Throughout the reunion the BRO veterans of the past repeatedly told me how proud they are of 

you and your accomplishments. The reunion was a time for us to connect and 

to strengthen the ties of our Division’s 

heraldry and history.

Let me conclude by once again stating 

how proud I am of your accomplishments and what you do every day for 

our Army and for our Nation. No Mission too Difficult, No Sacrifice too Great,

Duty First! 

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

Commanding General DANGER 6 Command Sergeant Major DANGER 7

A time for goodbyes, hellos It’s been an honor

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

These collages of memories tell the 

Army story of a man who has blazed a 

path for others to follow; they tell the 

story of Command Sgt. Maj. Jim 

Champagne, the senior noncommissioned officer of the Big Red One. 

“I have been fortunate throughout 

my career to have served with the 

greatest Soldiers and the greatest leaders in the greatest Army in the world,” 

Champagne said. “It has been a very, 

very good run.” 

While the mountains of mementos 

scattered throughout his office speak 

volumes about Jim Champagne the 

Soldier, they reveal little of the 

17-year-old kid from Massachusetts 

who joined the Army just two weeks 

after his high school graduation.

 “When I came in, all I knew was 

playing sports, partying and chasing 

girls,” Champagne recently reflected. 

“I was looking for something different; I was looking for a challenge.” 

The challenges and the lessons 

came fast in the first days of his career 

as Champagne quickly went from 

hanging around with high school kids 

to serving with paratroopers. 

 “The first day I showed up for 

work at the 82nd Airborne Division in 

1982, my team leader, Sgt. Art Vigil, 

said ‘don’t move, don’t talk, don’t do 

anything unless I tell you to,’” Champagne said. “Every day after that was 

a learning experience with him, he 

taught me all the right things.” 

Having enlisted with the sole purpose of getting money for college, 

Champagne never planned to spend 

more than four years in the Army. 

That plan changed, however, when 

Capt. Terry Callahan and 1st Sgt. Kelly pulled him in to their office 30 days 

before his End Term of Service date.

“They said ‘hey, you’re a pretty 

good Soldier and we would like for 

you to stay,’” Champagne said. 

“That’s all it took to make me realize 

that the Army was a pretty good gig 

and I reenlisted.” 

 That first reenlistment kicked off 

an Army adventure that has taken 

Champagne across the country and 

around the world to places like Fort 

Bragg, N.C., Fort Polk, La., Fort Campbell, Ky., Germany and Vicenza, Italy. 

During his career, Champagne also 

has deployed four times in support of 

Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 

New Dawn.

Although he said that each of his 

assignments has had its great points, 

his best time in the Army has been 

the six years he has spent with the Big 

Red One. 

“I have served with a lot of great 

units, but the 1st Inf. Div. is the best,” 

he said. “There is just a sense of pride 

as you walk around the division footprint and watch the Soldiers put on 

the Big Red One patch and know they 

are part of something special.” 

As the final seconds tick off his career and he begins to tally the scores, 

Champagne has found that the good 

days full of perfect hunting trips, great 

friends, successful missions, and 

amazing adventures with his son, 

Matt, and his wife, Lisa, easily outnumber the bad. 

But he never forgets the bad days. 

“Any day I have to attend a memorial service for a fallen Soldier is my 

worst day in the Army,” he said. “Every one of these Soldiers has a story 

and a Family and I will never forget 

any of them.” 

Looking to the future and the days 

beyond his Nov. 30 retirement date, 

Champagne, who has accepted a job 

as Director of Military Affairs for 

Picerne Military Housing, is excited 

to see what adventures are waiting for 

him down the road. 

“I am comfortable walking away 

right now because I feel like I have accomplished everything that I could,” 

he said. “I have given the Army everything I can and it’s time for the next 

generation to step in and bring our division and our Army to an even higher 

level of excellence.” 

Big Red One's top NCO prepares for retirement, next stage of life

I have served with a lot of 

great units, but the 1st 

Infantry Division is the best.”

— Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, 

senior NCO of the Big Red One

IN AN OFFICE ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF 1ST 

INFANTRY DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, the tale 

of a nearly 30 year Army career is told on walls 

filled with colorful paintings, pictures, posters and 

guidons.

Words like leadership, loyalty and excellence are 

etched into brass plaques attached to frames that 

surround patches from units including the 82nd 

Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division and 

the 1st Infantry Division. 

—More photos, quotes about Command Sgt. Maj. Champagne, pages 6–7

While your presence in our 

ranks will be missed, your 

lasting contributions will 

be realized in those you 

touched as they continue 

to serve.”

—Col. Paul T. Calvert and 

Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Lewis, 

2nd “Dagger” Brigade 

In the short time I have 

worked for Command Sgt. 

Maj. Champagne, I have 

witnessed firsthand the 

professionalism required 

of a noncommissioned 

officer to maintain this 

responsibility...you have 

lived and held yourself to 

the 1st Infantry Division 

standard.”

—Sgt. Shelby Boaz, 

DCSM Executive 

Administrative Assistant

In the long history of great 

Soldiers who have served 

wearing the Big Red 1 patch 

there has never been a finer 

Soldier/leader than Jim 

Champagne. We are who we 

are because of his leadership 

and his example."

Lt. Gen. Vincent Brooks, 

3rd Army Commanding General
6| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! August 2011 |7

CSM Champagne will always be known as the TOP 

NCO who gave back to our 

Soldiers, Families and our 

communities.” 

– Staff Sgt. Holly Burke, 

Audie Murphy Club President

In the relatively short history of 

the K-State–Fort Riley Partnership, no man has done more to 

personally grow this relationship to focus on the Soldier and 

student. Command Sgt. Maj. 

Champagne’s leadership here 

has been epic.” 

—Lt. Col. (Ret.) Art De Groat, 

Director of Military Affairs, 

Kansas State University

(His) passion for the outdoors is seen with anyone 

who has spent time with 

him. The (FROG) wouldn’t 

be what it is today without 

Big Jim’s contributions.”

—Shawn Stratton,

 FROG Board 

1st Sust. Bde. UNCASING

Make a Wish Foundation, HONORARY Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Field

COMMAND SERGEANTS MAJOR CONFERENCE

CONTROLLED DETONATION CONCERT

Forward Operating Base Falcon in Baghdad

Army Birthday 2010

Welcoming

Gen. George W. 

Casey Jr., 

U.S. Army

chief of Staff

Homecoming

Victory Park Memorial

His very fiber epitomizes 

the Soldier in our Army 

today. As a leader he 

builds teams ... amongst 

other leaders.”

—CSM Jim Thomson, 

Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st ID
8| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! August 2011 |9

CSM Jim Champagne, who has 

served as the division’s command sergeant major since 2008, retired after 29 

years of military service. 

Champagne first arrived at Fort 

Riley in 2005 to serve as the command 

sergeant major for the 4th Infantry 

Brigade Combat Team, which he 

helped organize and stand up. Less 

than 18 months after the young brigade was formed, they deployed to 

support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“We’re here to celebrate an American 

hero,” said Maj. Gen. William Mayville, 

commanding general of the 1st Inf. Div. 

and Fort Riley. “His accomplishments 

as a Soldier and a warrior set the standard for the (noncommissioned officers) 

in our Army.” 

Upon the redeployment of the 

“Dragon” Brigade, Champagne assumed his most recent post as command sergeant major for the division. 

As the senior NCO of the Big Red One, 

Champagne served as the commanding 

general’s “right arm,” advising the general and his staff on all enlisted matters. 

He was also responsible for the performance, training, appearance and conduct of the unit’s enlisted Soldiers.

When Champagne took to the podium for the last time as an active duty 

Soldier, he took the opportunity to thank 

the division that has been his home for 

the past six years. 

“The Soldiers of the 1st Division today are still at the tip of the spear. It’s 

truly these great American Soldiers 

that I pay tribute to today. It has been 

my absolute pleasure to serve you over 

these last 29 years and my absolute 

pleasure to be the 21st division sergeant major, Danger 7, here in the 1st 

Infantry Division.” 

Next, Champagne presented his NCO 

sword to Sgt. Stephen Onnen, a sniper 

section leader for 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 4th IBCT, in hopes his legacy will continue on through the young NCO. Champagne noted that he has no doubts of Onnen’s leadership capabilities, that he will 

have a successful career and one day lead 

his Soldiers to greatness. 

“It’s not about Jim Champagne; 

it’s not about Jim’s 29 years of service. 

It’s about the Soldiers that are coming 

after Jim Champagne,” he said. “It’s 

Soldiers like Sgt. Onnen that make 

our future the brightest it can be.” 

Although he no longer will don an 

Army Combat Uniform in the morning, 

Champagne’s next career will allow him 

to continue to support and enhance the 

quality of life for the post’s Soldiers as 

the new Senior Military Advisor for 

Picerne Military Housing. 

“(He) cared about his Soldiers. He 

was known for that. We see the results of 

his efforts everyday in the performance 

of this great division,” Mayville said. 

“He embodies everything that is outstanding in our Army. He is an outstanding leader. He is a trusted ally and mentor to Soldiers. But most of all, to me, he 

is a dedicated friend.” 

Farewell Division bids

Outgoing NCO Champagne stresses future 

Soldiers hold key for Division’s well-being

By Stephanie Hoff

Duty First! Magazine

F OR MORE THAN HALF A DECADE, he’s been a prominent leader within 

the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley. The historic division and post bid 

farewell to its 21st Division Command Sergeant Major on Aug. 25 during a 

retirement ceremony conducted at the post’s Victory Park. 

Stephanie Hoff, Duty First! Magazine

LEFT: Maj. Gen. William Mayville, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, presents Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne a 

Legion of Merit Award August 25 as Champagne’s wife, Lisa, looks on at a retirement ceremony honoring Champagne’s 29 years of service. Champagne most recently served as the division’s command sergeant major and was recognized during a ceremony at Fort Riley’s Victory Park. RIGHT: 

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne presents Sgt. Stephen Onnen, a sniper section leader for 1st Bn., 28th Inf., 4th IBCT, his NCO sword during a 

retirment ceremony Aug. 25. Champagne presented the sword to Onnen in hopes his legacy will continue on through the young NCO.

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, the 1st Inf. Div.’s senior noncommissioned officer, greets 

Command Sgt. Maj. Wylie Hutchison, senior noncommissioned officer for the division’s 4th IBCT, 

Aug. 25. Champagne retiried after 29 years of service. He and his family plan to remain in the 

Junction City area.

It’s not about Jim Champagne; 

it’s not about Jim’s 29 years of 

service. It’s about the Soldiers 

that are coming after Jim 

Champagne.”

— Jim Champagne, 

21st Division CSM at Fort Riley
10| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! August 2011 |11

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

Maj. Gen. William Mayville, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, pauses for a photo with some of the division’s World 

War II veterans Aug. 20 during the 93rd Annual 1st Infantry Division Reunion in Buffalo, N.Y. Twenty 1st Inf. Div. World War II veterans attended the 

2011 four-day reunion. 

1st Infantry Division past, present 

reunite & share memories in N.Y.

Although the dates on the calendar 

indicated the reunion took place Aug. 

17 to 21, it may just as well have read 

June 6, 1944, Aug. 25, 1966, May 14, 

2007, or May 16, 2011, as the Soldiers in 

attendance brought their brothers in 

arms back to a mist-covered field in 

France, to a dark path in the middle of 

an enemy basecamp in Vietnam, to a 

dusty road on the outskirts of Baghdad 

or to an aid station on a desolate hillside in Afghanistan. 

“Every Soldier here has a story and, 

at this reunion, there are men who remember and understand the stories,” 

Sgt. Maj. (ret.) Buddy Wallace, executive director of the Society of the 1st Infantry Division, said. “These men can 

taste the conversations because they 

have smelled the smoke, heard the 

gunfire and know the bond that comes 

from sharing a battlefield from home.” 

Five, 30, 50, even 70 years seemed to 

melt away as the words “so there I 

was” were uttered again and again 

over heaping bowls of peanuts and 

STORIES OF DIFFICULT MISSIONS AND GREAT 

SACRIFICE FLOATED LIKE SMOKE ON A BATTLEFIELD IN THE AIR AROUND THE ADAM’S 

MARK HOTEL IN BUFFALO, N.Y., AS HUNDREDS OF CURRENT AND FORMER SOLDIERS 

GATHERED THERE FOR THE 93RD ANNUAL 1ST 

INFANTRY DIVISION REUNION. 

Story by Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

cold bottles of beer. Men and women 

who served in places like Aachen, Srok 

Dong, Kirkuk and Kandahar laughed, 

shed a few tears, made new friends and 

renewed old bonds as they celebrated 

the story of the Big Red One.

“This storied division has, (during) 

its 94 years of history, seen more than 

its fair share of courage, bravery and 

sacrifice,” said Maj. Gen. William Mayville, commanding general of the 1st 

Infantry Division and Fort Riley. “Rest 

assured that the tradition of heroes past 

continues with the men and women 

who proudly wear the Big Red One 

patch today.”

Getting to know more about the 

BRO Soldiers serving today seemed to 

be a key goal of many of the veterans in 

attendance at the reunion. Gathering 

their active duty brothers into various 

meeting rooms that had been turned 

into “command posts” for the division’s regimental societies, the veterans 

peppered the Soldiers with questions 

about everything from uniforms and 

equipment to enemy tactics. 

(continued on page 13)

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

Vietnam veterans with the 2nd Infantry Regiment Association salute during the posting of 

the colors at the formal dinner portion of the 

93rd annual 1st Infantry Division Reunion in 

Buffalo, N.Y.

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine 

Current 2nd Infantry Regiment Soldiers Sgt. Brian Lake, Sgt. Nicholas Giggey and Sgt. 

Robert Curry, front row, pause for a photo with the veterans of the 2nd Infantry Regiment 

Association. Lake, Giggey and Curry were all wounded in Afghanistan in May and attended 

the 1st Infantry Division Reunion in Buffalo, New York as guests of the 2nd Infantry Regiment Association.

All in the Family

By Mollie Miller

Duty First! Magazine

Spent brass fell like rain on the dirt road surrounding Sgt. Omar 

Avila’s Humvee. Around him a fire 

raged, shooting flames through the 

windows and up through the turret. 

Further out, two men were running 

from the humvee, smoke and flame 

trailing behind them. 

Avila himself was still sitting in 

the blazing Humvee turret manning 

the .50 caliber machine gun, trying to 

push back the dozens of insurgents 

who had set their sights on the men of 

1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, who were busy trying to 

save those injured in the explosion. 

Inside the vehicle, extra ammunition 

was “cooking off” and spraying 

shrapnel everywhere. 

“It was like a movie,” Avila said 

of the day he almost died. “I was 

sure that was it for me.” 

 The date was May 14, 2007, and, 

during a patrol through the streets of 

Adhamiyah, Iraq, Avila’s humvee had 

struck a “huge” improvised explosive 

device. The explosion ruptured the fuel 

tank and the fire started soon after. 

When he realized there was “incoming” following the IED, Avila used his 

50 cal. to hold off the insurgents until 

the fire got too hot to stay. The jump 

from the turret he made to escape the 

fire broke both his legs. Laying on the 

ground, still burning from the fire inside the vehicle, Avila was put out by a 

member of his patrol and pulled into 

another humvee for evacuation. 

(continued on page 12)

Reunion attendees welcome 

BRO wounded warriors
12| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! August 2011 |13

(continued from page 11)

As the young Soldiers told stories of 

new technologies, berets, patrol caps and 

improvised explosive devices, an understanding seemed to emerge among the veterans and active duty Soldiers that though 

the places and faces are different, the heart 

of the BRO Soldier, the dedication to the 

mission and to the men and women on the 

left and right, hasn’t changed at all. 

“Whether we shared a piece of dirt or 

not, we are all still brothers,” BRO Vietnam veteran Bob Douglass said. 

Members of the current BRO formation agree with Douglass. 

“It’s amazing to talk to these guys 

and realize just how much we all have in 

common,” Iraq veteran Maj. Aaron 

Welch said. “This is like being with extended Family.” 

The future of the BRO appears bright 

to both the division’s current and past 

leaders and Soldiers. 

“This division is blessed with some of 

the finest Soldiers in our Army,” Mayville said. “I assure you, our accomplishments today reflect admirably on the 

history of (the Big Red One).” 

The veterans agreed that the future of 

the 1st Inf. Div. is in very good hands. 

“We all understand what it takes to 

wear this patch and to march on into battle when we know it is dangerous to even 

stand up,” Brig. Gen. (ret.) William J. Mullen III said. “We are blessed to have people like these who stand to defend our 

freedoms today.” 

(continued from page 11)

The extent of his injuries quickly became clear and 

he was evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany, and then to 

San Antonio, Texas, to be treated for his severe burns. 

He remained there for almost a year as he recovered 

from the third and fourth degree burns that covered 75 

percent of his body. 

Although four years have passed since his injury 

and Avila is now officially “retired,” the infantry sergeant remains committed to his division—just as the 

Soldiers and veterans of the Big Red One remain committed to him and to the hundreds of division Soldiers 

like him injured while serving. 

“We still think about them all the time,” Maj. Aaron 

Welch, 1st Inf. Div. operations research systems analyst, said. “We want them to know that they are still 

very much a part of us.” 

The division’s continuing commitment to BRO 

wounded warriors was clear Aug. 17 to 21 when several injured BRO Soldiers traveled to Buffalo, N.Y., to 

attend the 93rd Annual 1st Infantry Division Reunion. 

The Soldiers, whose trips were sponsored by the Society of the 1st Infantry Division as well as a few of the 

division’s regimental associations, spent the week telling their stories, making new friends and celebrating 

the BRO family that still welcomes them. 

“We wanted to bring some of the wounded guys out 

here to meet us and enjoy the reunion,” Bob Douglass, 

president of the 2nd Infantry Regiment Association, 

said. “We wanted to show these guys how much we 

love them, that we are here to help them and that ... we 

are going to take care of them.” 

Sgt. Brian Lake, assigned to the division’s 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team, was injured by an improvised explosive 

device blast May 16 in Afghanistan. Lake, one of the 

wounded warriors sponsored by the 2nd Infantry Regiment Association, said he was excited to be back 

among his BRO brothers. 

“This is a great opportunity to get to know the history from the guys who lived it first hand,” he said.

Luckily for Lake, “the guys” seemed more than happy to share their stories. Long tales of battles, of buddies lost, of friends made and of the struggles some 

faced when they returned home from war were told 

throughout the reunion. With every tale, though, the 

veterans sprinkled insights into the veteran’s affairs 

system, the awards process, disability payments, and 

retirement. Regardless of the topic of the story, however, the care and concern the veterans had for the 

wounded warriors was clear. 

“When these guys started fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, we said they just can’t be treated the way we 

were treated,” Vietnam veteran John Kerins said. “We 

have an obligation to make sure they are treated right, 

treated the way we wanted to be treated.” 

Though they are not currently technically “in the 

fight,” the 1st Inf. Div. wounded warriors present at the 

reunion still crave the camaraderie of the Big Red One 

brotherhood and are happy to know that they still have 

a place to the left and right of their brothers in arms. 

“Don’t count us out just because we got injured,” 

Avila told an Army reporter in 2010. “We are still, and 

always will be, Family.”

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

ABOVE: Veterans, Soldiers and Family members of the 1st Infantry Division get ready to watch the Buffalo Bison take on the Toledo Mud Hens during a AAA baseball game Aug. 19 at Coca Cola field in Buffalo, N.Y. Four of the division’s wounded warriors and one 1st Engineer veteran, Ron Labinski, threw out the game’s first pitches. BELOW: First Sgt. Gloria Cain, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, gives division veteran Paul 

Miller a kiss on the cheek Aug. 19 during the division’s 93rd Annual Reunion in Buffalo, N.Y.

Mollie Miller, Duty First! Magazine

1st Infantry Division wounded warrior retired Sgt. Jay Fain 

throws out the first pitch before the Buffalo Bison baseball 

game Aug. 19 in Buffalo, N.Y. Fain was in Buffalo attending the 

93rd annual 1st Infantry Division Reunion. He joined three other 

division wounded warriors and one division veteran to throw out 

the first pitch before the AAA baseball game.

We wanted to show these guys how much we 

love them, that we are here to help them and 

that...we are going to take care of them.”

—Bob Douglass, president, 

2nd Infantry Regiment Association
14

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! August 2011 |15

1st Infantry Division remembers 22 Soldiers who gave lives Mother Nature herself 

seemed to hold her 

breath as Sgt. 1st Class Ma-

ria Estremera pulled back 

the red sheet to reveal the 

names of 11 fallen 1st Infan-

try Division Soldiers June 

29 at Victory Park. Across a 

thin sidewalk, Sgt. 1st Class 

Nelson Gamio pulled back 

an identical red sheet to 

reveal the names of 11 more 

fallen division Soldiers.

Story & photos by Mollie Miller

OPPOSITE 

PAGE: A 

memorial 

wreath stands 

at the base of 

the Fallen 

Soldier 

Memorial in 

Victory Park on 

Fort Riley June 

29 following 

the Victory Park 

Ceremony. 

Twenty-two 

Soldiers who 

died while 

serving with the 

division in Iraq 

or Afghanistan 

during the past 

18 months 

were honored 

during the 

ceremony. 

RIGHT: Hannah 

Maher makes a 

rubbing of the 

memorial stone 

honoring her 

dad, Sgt. Brent 

Maher, 

following the 

Victory Park 

Ceremony. 
16| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! August 2011 |17

(continued from page 15)

“Today, we memorialize the courage 

and patriotism of 22 Soldiers who gave 

their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Maj. 

Gen. William Mayville, commanding 

general of the 1st Infantry Division and 

Fort Riley, said. “(Our missions) were successful because of the dedication, selflessness and courage displayed by the men 

and women we honor today.” 

The Victory Park Ceremony, held annually in conjunction with the division’s 

Victory Week, honors Soldiers who have 

died while assigned or attached to the 1st 

Infantry Division during a deployment to 

Iraq or Afghanistan. The 22 Soldiers honored June 29 served as advisers, as security partners, as members of the Devil, 

Dagger and Duke brigades, and, most 

simply, as American Soldiers doing what 

they could to keep their nation safe. 

“Each day, it is our duty to remember 

and honor these men and women 

through our deeds and actions,” Mayville said. “Make no mistake; the 22 Soldiers we honor today and their Families 

Sgt. 1st Class Maria Estremera pulls back a red sheet to reveal the names of 11 fallen 1st Infantry Division Soldiers June 29 during a ceremony at 

Victory Park on Fort Riley. In total, 22 Soldiers who died while serving with the division in Iraq or Afghanistan during the past 18 months were honored during the ceremony. 

More victory

week coverage

A native Kansan has made a living inscribing 

stones, including those at Victory Park.

Check out the Victory Week winners in 

combatives.

Pictorial spread captures winning individuals, 

units during Victory Week.

are forever part of the Big Red One.” 

David and Annavee Hinkley are grateful for the Big Red One and the Army 

Family that has embraced them since their 

daughter, Sgt. Faith Hinkley, was killed in 

Iraq Aug. 7, 2010. 

“The Army family has supported us 

and made things a little easier over the last 

10 months,” David said. 

Annavee said her daughter was always 

in the middle of everything, always very 

busy doing things including cheerleading 

and marching band competitions. 

“It would take a long time to talk about 

everything she did,” David said. 

A third generation Soldier, Faith enlisted in the Army following her freshmen 

year at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. 

“We tried to talk her out of it,” Annavee said. “I reminded her that there was a 

war going on overseas but she just looked 

me straight in the eyes and said, ‘mama, 

I’m not afraid.’”

Faith, who was assigned to the 502nd 

Military Intelligence Battalion at the time 

of her death, is now listed among the 498 

Soldiers whose names are etched into 

mirrored black granite blocks that line 

the walkway in Victory Park. But she, 

like the rest of the Soldiers honored in 

the sacred park next to 1st Inf. Div. headquarters, is more than just an etching in 

stone. Faith and all the Soldiers, David 

said, not only served but also lived.

“We can never repay the price these 

kids have had to pay,” he said. “We can 

never forget any of them.” 

Jordan Chapman, Duty First! Magazine

1st Inf. Div. Soldiers making up the 21-gun salute stand ready during the Victory Park Memorial 

ceremony June 29. The crowd was completely silent as they honored 22 of their fallen brethern. 

Each day, it is our duty to 

remember and honor 

these men and women 

through our deeds and 

actions. Make no 

mistake; the 22 Soldiers 

we honor today and their 

Families are forever part 

of the Big Red One.”

— Maj. Gen. William Mayville,

commanding general, 1st Inf. Div. & Fort Riley

Fallen Soldiers

honored during

Victory Week

Pfc. Scott G. Barnett Sgt. Kristopher J. Gould

Staff Sgt. Mecolus C. McDaniel

1st Lt. Robert F. Welch III

Sgt. Brent M. Maher

Spc. Joseph A. Kennedy

1st Lt. Demetrius M. Frison

Spc. Michael T. Snelgrove

Capt. Joy A. Gapuzan

Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur

Sgt. Lakeshia M. Bailey

Pfc. Charlie Anton

Sgt. Anthony O. Magee

Spc. Jacob P. Dohrenwend

Sgt. Faith Hinkley

Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart Sgt. Lashawn D. Evans

Spc. Jose A. Torre, Jr.

Pfc. David D. Finch

Pfc. David R. Jones, Jr.

Spc. Dylan T. Reid

Sgt. John F. Burner III
18| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! August 2011 |19

Bell has been charged with 

creating the stones that are being placed along the walkway 

in Fort Riley’s Victory Park to 

honor 498 Big Red One Soldiers 

lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The simple markers, cut from 

African black granite, are etched 

with the Soldiers’ names, units, 

the year of their death and the 

division patch. 

“I wish we never had to lose 

any Soldiers, that we never had 

to put together memorials like 

this,” Bell said. “But we have 

(lost Soldiers) and now we must 

honor these men and women 

who have fallen so that we 

might live in freedom.”

Bell is no stranger to building monuments honoring the 

dead. The Bell family has been 

in the memorial and monument 

business in Kansas and Oklahoma going back five generations and Jim Bell himself entered the profession in 1968. 

During the past 40-plus years, 

the stonecutter has come to understand that the memorials he 

and his team create belong 

much more to the living than to 

the dead. 

“We do this work because 

someone lived,” Bell said. 

“These stones provide a place 

where the living can go and 

remember.” 

For those who come to visit the memorial in Victory 

Park, memories of the Soldiers listed on the granite 

markers might take them to a 

summer afternoon in Grand 

Prairie, Texas, where the fourwheelers were fast and the 

laughs were many or to a tubing adventure down New 

York’s Connetquot River. 

Victory Park is a place rich 

with memory because behind 

each etched name there is a 

story—and there are people 

who remember those stories. 

“Victory Park is a place of remembrance,” Master Sgt. Jeffrey Dran, 1st Inf. Div. headquarters commandant, said. 

“This is a testament to the bravery and dedication of our greatest assets, the volunteer Soldiers 

of this great country.” 

This testament to bravery 

should certainly stand the test 

of time according to Bell. Once 

the granite is sandblasted to reveal the names, dates, units 

and patches, the stones should 

be easy to read for many years 

to come. 

“Fifty years from now, people will come to this park and 

look at these stones and know 

that their father, uncle, grandmother was a part of something 

important,” Bell said. 

While it is true Bell wishes 

memorials like the one in Victory 

Park would never have to be created, he knows that as long as 

there are wars to be fought, there 

will be fallen Soldiers who must 

be honored. So, for those Soldiers 

and for their friends and Family, 

he will do his best work. 

“We are passionate about 

doing the right thing for these 

Soldiers and for the ones they 

left behind,” he said. “We are 

proud to be able to produce 

these stones for the division and 

be a part of honoring these brave 

men and women.” 

Beloit native helps memorialize fallen Soldiers

S

urrounded by several 

black granite rectangles bearing the 1st 

Infantry Division patch, 

Jim Bell looked around and 

uttered a few words that 

perhaps had not been 

heard within Bell Memorials since the shop in Beloit, 

Kan., opened in 1946. 

“I wish we never had to 

do this,” he said. 

ABOVE: Blank black granite stones stand ready to be etched with the names of fallen 1st Infantry Division Soldiers. 

OPPOSITE PAGE: Darren Lorence, a sandblaster with Bell Memorials, prepares a 1st Infantry Division memorial 

stone in his workshop in Beloit, Kan. Bell Memorials was responsible for creating the 22 memorial stones recently added to the Victory Park Fallen Soldier Monument. 
20| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! August 2011 |21

By Stephanie Hoff

Duty First! Magazine

For the second consecutive year, Fort Riley 

and the 1st Infantry Division started off Victory Week with a series of bangs underneath 

looming clouds and falling rain. 

“Old Thunder,”a Civil War replica cannon, was 

answered by clashing thunder as nearly 10,000 Soldiers began their 4-mile Victory Run around the 

Custer Hill roadways to kick off the weeklong 2011 

Victory Week celebration.

The early morning run on June 27 took place and 

has been a recent tradition to the celebratory week in 

honor of the Big Red One’s rich lineage and history. 

The run was led by Maj. Gen. William Mayville, 

commanding general of the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, 

Brig. Gen. Randall Dragon, deputy commanding general for support, and newly arrived Brig. Gen. Paul 

Funk, deputy commander for maneuver.

Toward the end of the run, the leading command 

team stepped to the side to watch cheer on and motivate the NCOs, Soldiers and officers passing by.

 The run marked the first participation in Victory 

Week for Mayville and Funk since assuming their new 

leadership roles with the 1st Inf. Div. 

Rear detachments from deployed 1st and 2nd 

heavy brigade combat teams and the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team also represented their organizations by running with the unit’s cased colors. 

The Victory Week celebrations continued throughout the week with various sporting events, a ceremony honoring service members of the 1st Inf. Div. and 

Fort Riley who have fallen in the past year, and culminated with the presentation of the Victory Cup; an 

award presented to the unit with the most accumulated points from the sporting events. 

Sgt. Roland Hale, Combat Aviation Brigade PAo

ABOVE: The 1st Infantry Division Command team leads the Division Run to start Victory Week 2011 on June 27. 

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: Maj. Gen. William Mayville, commanding general of the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, front left, 

and Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, right, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley’s command sergeant major lead the 

4-mile division run on Custer Hill. The Division Run kicked off Victory Week, a celebration of the Big Red One’s 

lineage and history. MIDDLE & BOTTOM: Nearly 10,000 Soldiers representing each of the units assigned to the 1st 

Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, participated in the Victory Week 4-mile division run.

Stephanie Hoff, Duty First! Magazine Stephanie Hoff, Duty First! Magazine Stephanie Hoff, Duty First! Magazine

Division 4-mile run ushers in BRO's Victory Week 
22| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! August 2011 |23

 “(Competing) was really fun,” said 

Pfc. Jason Rucker of 601st Aviation Support Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, who received a second place finish in his division, though it was his 

first time participating in the tournament. His accomplishment awarded 

him a spot on the 1st Inf. Div.’s Combatives team during the All-Army tournament held July 20 to 23. 

Modern Army combatives is considered to be relatively new and came into 

existence when the Army decided it wanted to redo the way military hand-to-hand 

combat was taught. The current techniques 

instructed use experts from a variety of 

martial arts and wrestling disciplines.

Staff Sgt. Lonnie Kincaid has participated in combatives for nearly six 

years and has competed twice in the 

All-Army tournament. He said the 

self-defense and fighting skills Soldiers receive from the experience is the part 

that he finds most rewarding.

“My favorite part is the actual fighting. I always worry about some of the 

guys in my unit and if they can defend 

themselves,” Kincaid said. “They can 

come in with no fighting experience 

whatsoever and it teaches them how to 

fight and how to defend themselves. That 

actually makes me feel more comfortable 

if we go to war and get in that situation, I 

have a lot more confidence knowing my 

guys are combatives trained.” 

Kincaid would go on to win first 

place in the over-205-pound division 

for the Victory Week Combatives Tournament, a feeling that he described as 

“awesome.” 

The “Big Red One” and Fort Riley’s 

celebration of Victory Week included 

numerous sporting events, which culminated with the championships for 

the combatives tournament.

2011 Victory Week sporting events 

conclude with Combatives Finals

By Stephanie Hoff

Duty First! Magazine

Not many people leave for work in the morning knowing they will literally 

get in to a fight or two during the course of their day. Soldiers who entered 

in the Victory Week’s 2011 Combatives Tournament woke up to that precise feeling.

It was a packed house as the 14 remaining Soldiers took to the fighting cage June 

30 at Fort Riley’s King Field House. The Soldiers, all representing different 1st Infantry Division units, were entering their third and final day of tournament play.

The first-place winners of the Victory 

Week Combatives Tournament were:

125 pounds—Sgt. Clancy Henderson, DHHB

140 pounds—Spc. Steve Benjamin, 601st 

ASB, CAB

155 pounds—Pvt. Erick Ratliff, 2nd Bn., 34th 

Armor, 1st HBCT

170 pounds—Sgt. Matthew Arrington, 2nd 

Bn., 16th Inf., 4th IBCT 

185 pounds—Sgt. Scott Kay, 1st Bn., 4th 

Cavalry, 4th IBCT

Under 205 pounds—Sgt. Jacob Temeyck, 2nd 

Bn., 16th Inf., 4th IBCT 

Over 205 pounds—Staff Sgt. Lonnie Kincaid, 

1st Engineer Bn., 4th IBCT

Combatives

Winners

Stephanie Hoff, Duty First! Magazine

FROM LEFT: Spc. Steve Benjamin, top, of 601st ASB, CAB, 1st Inf. Div., competes against Sgt. Tommy Kesterson of 1st Sustainment Brigade during 

the Victory Week Combatives Tournament, June 30 at King Field House. Benjamin defeated Kesterson to recieve the first place finish for the 140 

pound category; Pvt. Joseph Sundstrom, top, of 2nd Bn., 32nd Field Artillery, 4th IBCT, pins down Pvt. Erick Ratliff of 2nd Bn., 34th Armor, 1st 

HCBT. Sundstrom received the first-place honors in the 155 pound division; Staff Sgt. Lonnie Kincaid, top right, of 1st Eng. Bn., 4th IBCT, defeats 

Pvt. John Heinen of 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., 4th IBCT, to take home the first-place prize in the over-205 pounds division.

Stephanie Hoff, Duty First! Magazine

Pfc. Claude Byrd of 75th Fires Brigade, top, 

competes against Sgt. Matthew Arrington 

of 2nd Bn., 16th Inf., 4th IBCT, in the 

170 pound division of the finals for 

the Victory Week Combatives Tournament on June 30 at King Field 

House. Arrington defeated Byrd 

and assisted the ‘Rangers’ battalion in recieving the top unit 

honors for the tournament. 
24| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! August 2011 |25

Victory Week is an annual event honoring the history of the Big 

Red One and celebrating the strength and courage of the men and 

women who have made the division what it is today. 

Lambert said the strength and courage of the veterans of the 2nd 

Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., 25 of whom were visiting during Victory Week, 

helped his unit focus on the things they needed to do to claim the 

Victory Cup. 

“The commanders and 1st sergeants put a lot of effort into putting the right guys on the right rosters and made sure we built in 

time for everyone to practice,” he said. “We wanted to ensure that 

we performed to our potential.” 

The Rangers were not the only unit honored during the ceremony. Soldiers from the 1st Engineers; 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry 

Regiment; 701st Brigade Support Battalion; 2nd General Support 

Aviation Battalion; 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade; MEDDAC; U.S. Army Garrison; 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment; 

and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Aviation 

Brigade, were recognized for first place finishes in various events. 

Staff Sgt. Gualberto Ortiz was also recognized during the ceremony 

as the winner of a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan raffled by Briggs Auto 

Group during Victory Week. 

By Mollie Miller 

1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

A strong desire to celebrate the veterans of the 16th Infantry Regiment spurred the “Rangers” of 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, to victory during the 

2011 Victory Cup competition. 

“We wanted to honor their legacy by doing well during the 

events,” Lt. Col. Kevin Lambert, 2nd Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. commander, said. “I think we made them proud.” 

The Rangers win came following a Victory Week competition 

highlighted by events that included swimming, wrestling, climbing, weightlifting, shooting and more. In total, the Ranger Soldiers 

placed first in six of the week’s 19 events: the 10-mile run, the victory warrior competition, water polo, the rock climbing competition, flag football and combatives. 

“It’s been a great week and I want to thank everyone for coming 

out and giving 110 percent to this effort,” Maj. Gen. William Mayville, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, said during the June 30 Victory Cup Ceremony on Custer Hill 

Parade Field. “I’m proud of you, I’m proud of what you have done, 

I’m proud of who you are and I’m proud of what you represent.” 

‘Rangers’ win Victory Cup

Sand Volleyball: 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Softball: 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment

Golf: 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

Rock Climbing: 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment Weightlifting: 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment 

Gaming; 9-Ball: 1st Engineer Battalion; MEDDAC

Color Guard: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 

1st Combat Aviation Brigade

10 Mile Run: 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment Bowling: USAG Combatives: 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment

Victory Warrior Comp.: 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment Trap Shoot: 1st Engineer Battalion

 Dodge Ball: 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment Tug of War: 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion

Flag Football: 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment

Water Polo: 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment

5-on-5 Basketball: 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

Kickball: 701st Brigade Support Battalion

OVERALL WINNERS: 

2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
26| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! August 2011 |27

Around the Division — 75th FIRES

By Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kucera | Ist Inf. Div. PAO 

SOLDIERS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND CITIZENS OF THE LAWTON-FORT SILL REGION 

ENJOYED A CHALLENGING, YET RATHER 

FULFILLING, SATURDAY MORNING RUN 

DURING THE 75TH FIRES BRIGADE’S 32ND 

ANNUAL DIAMOND BRIGADE RUN AT 

FORT SILL ON JUNE 4. 

In the event’s 32nd year, partnered with 

Fort Sill’s Family and Morale, Welfare and 

Recreation, the 5K and 10K sanctioned run is 

more of a fundraiser for local charitable organizations than just a Saturday morning 

stroll. The past year alone saw the Diamond 

Chapter of the United States Army Field Artillery Association (USAFAA) present checks 

of $2,000 and $1,000 to the Lawton Armed 

Services YMCA and the Lawton Boys & Girls 

Club, respectively. 

Despite a delay in some logistical matters, 

the brigade managed to sell out of the popular 

T-shirts for the event, guaranteeing another 

highly successful Diamond Brigade Run. 

Lt. Col. Roderick Herron, brigade deputy 

commander, has played an integral part and 

participated in previous runs through the 

years. Though this was his last year to participate, he still helped design awards given for 

overall winners, T-shirt designs and much of 

the framework which helps keep the fundraiser going strong. When presenting the donation 

from the 31st Annual DBR, on behalf of the 

Diamond Chapter of the USAFAA, he made 

sure the event’s organizers and all the Soldiers, 

in addition to the countless number of anonymous donators were are personally thanked. 

“Without all of that support, the number of 

hours, planning and following up over and 

over with so many different contacts, this 

would be nothing more than an average unit 

run,” Herron says, “but it’s not. This is a huge 

fundraiser, in its 32nd year, and that’s nothing 

that should go unnoticed.” 

Herron also said even though he will not be 

here for next year’s run, he hopes to see the 

event grow ever larger.

Look for the 33rd Annual Diamond Brigade 

Run in May or June, 2012.

Fort Sill hosts 32nd Annual Diamond Brigade Run

Staff Sgt. William Sallette, 75th Fires Brigade PAO

FROM TOP: About 400 runners stand ready to take off for the 32nd Annual Diamond Brigade Run held at Fort Sill, 

Okla., June 4. The event combined a 1-mile fun run, 5K run and 10K sanctioned run. Proceeds from T-shirt and 

registration fees helped raise funds for local charitable organizations; Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, participate in the unit run portion of the 32nd Annual Diamond Brigade Run;75th Fires Brigade 

Command team (left to right), Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Roderick Herron, Brigade Command Sergeant Major 

Cmd. Sgt. Major Sam Young and Acting Brigade Commander Lt. Col. Gavin Gardner pose with overall winner’s in 

the male bracket of the 32nd Annual Diamond Brigade Run at Fort Sill, Okla., June 4. 
28| www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision Duty First! August 2011 |29

Around the Division — 3rd IBCT

Lopez, a six-year Army veteran 

presently serving in eastern Afghanistan, dabbled in other sports growing 

up, especially running. It wasn’t until 

his senior year in high school, however, that he discovered what would 

prove to be a passion for a life in the 

squared circle.

“I found a level of comfort in boxing that wasn’t there in track and 

cross country,” said Lopez. 

An amateur fighting record of 12-0 

fueled his boxing interests further, 

and after joining the Army in 2005, 

those desires continued to grow. 

With an eye to his future, a duty assignment at the often-frigid Fort Wainwright, Alaska, allowed him to take 

care of a couple goals simultaneously. 

“Going to school and boxing was pretty much all I did in Alaska,” he said.

Deciding to test himself further, he 

entered the All-Army Boxing Competition in December 2005 and proceeded 

to make the team. Before being able to 

compete as a member of the team, however, professional duties intervened 

with an unexpected and most unfortunate twist. 

While deployed to Iraq in 2006, Lopez suffered a leg injury caused by an 

improvised explosive device that struck 

the vehicle he was travelling in just outside Taji. The injuries were severe 

enough for him to take a forced layoff 

from boxing-related activities for more 

than a year. 

Now that he’s fully recovered, Lopez has tailored his diet and fitness 

regimens toward his boxing goals. For 

someone who may be trying to lose 

weight, the 5,000 daily calories that Lopez eats might sound unbelievable.

“I eat about five or six small meals 

spread throughout the day,” he said, 

with red meat eaten sparingly every 

couple weeks.

His main dietary staples are almonds, mixed nuts, whey protein, 

chicken and fish. Sodas and fried 

foods are avoided completely, all 

part of a diet that properly fuels an 

extensive training regiment. 

“I have a routine that I go through 

with about three to four others,” Lopez said. 

His boxing-specific exercises consist of pushing and flipping heavy 

tires, beating on tires with a sledge 

hammer, and working on the speed 

bag and heavy bag at Forward Operating Base Salerno’s specialized gym, 

aptly referred to as “The Dojo” by its 

numerous patrons. 

On top of his busy work and exercise schedules, he still finds the necessary time to carry four online college courses through the University 

of Louisville, with the goal of earning a degree in anthropology. His 

Army enlistment will expire in April 

2012, when he’ll look forward to becoming a full-time student at the U 

of L campus. 

A future in boxing also looms, but 

whether or not he succeeds in fighting 

professionally one day as he hopes to, his 

efforts have still borne much fruit.

TF Duke boxer navigates life in 

square ring by staying in correct shape 

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan—As 

violent as boxing can be, many participants have also spoken of its therapeutic 

or physical benefits upon the mind and 

body. For U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Lopez, a 

native of Los Angeles and a signal support 

specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat 

Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force 

Duke, both attributes certainly hold true.

Story by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. John Zumer | Task Force Duke PAO 

Staff Sgt. Ben K. Navratil

ABOVE FROM LEFT: U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Lopez, a Los Angeles native and signal support specialist with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, swings a sledgehammer at a tire in the Forward Operating Base Salerno gym July 

7; Lopez trains on a speed bag at the Forward Operating Base Salerno gym; Lopez spars with another Soldier. Lopez has been training to be a boxer 

since he was in high school. BELOW: Sgt. Lopez practices his striking technique in a mirror. He had an amateur fight record of 12-0 before joining 

the Army in 2005. OPPOSITE PAGE: Sgt. Lopez stretches after a workout in the Forward Operating Base Salerno gym July 7.
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION 

ABOUT THE BIG RED ONE?

www.riley.army.mil

www.facebook.com/1stInfantryDivision

twitter.com/fightingfirst

www.flickr.com/photos/firstinfantrydivision

www.facebook.com/FortRiley

www.facebook.com/4thManeuverEnhancementBrigade

www.facebook.com/2hbct1id