Unofficial 1st Infantry Division Magazine of Soldiers and Families

June 2009 www.riley.army.mil

Duty First!

Leading The Army For 92 Years
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil

CreedTEAMWORK 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 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.

1

The Big Red One No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

June 2009 www.riley.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

Public Affairs Office 

ATTN: Editor 

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or visit Duty First online at 

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1st Infantry Division 

Commander

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks

1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim 

Champagne

1st Infantry Division PAO 

Lt. Col. Matt Hackathorn

Editor

Anna Staatz

Staff Writers

Ty Abney

Gary Skidmore

Illustrator 

Tammy Dinger

2

Contents

Danger 6 ... 3

Danger 7 ...3

1ID at War ... 4

1st BDE ... 5

1st SB ... 7

1st CAB ... 9

3rd IBCT ... 11

BRO History ... 13

4th IBCT ... 15

2nd HBCT ... 17

1ID Joins Forces ... 19

Remembering A Day In Infamy ... 21

Living Legend Speaks ... 26
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Commanding General Danger 6

3

This month marks the 92nd birthday of the 1st Infantry Division. It also marks the 92nd anniversary of great 

noncommissioned officer leadership in the division. 

Big Red One NCOs serve as an integral part of the division’s lineage and honors. Heroes and their legendary exploits define the 

division’s legacy. 

Our legacy goes back to World War I, when the division was first activated.

We were first activated in 1917 as the “First Expeditionary Division.” It was formed from regular Army units then in service on the Mexican 

border and at various posts throughout the United States. We already had experienced NCOs in the new division with combat experience.

On July 4, 1917, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment marched through the boulevards of Paris in an effort to boost the 

downtrodden spirits of the French. Two days later, the First Expeditionary Division was re-designated as the 1st Inf. Div. 

In April 1918, the Germans were within 40 miles of Paris. The Big Red One bolstered the exhausted French First Army and 

countered the German threat. The division captured the small village of Cantigny and 250 German Soldiers after 45 minutes. It was 

the first victory for our division, but not the last.

Our division’s NCOs have led Soldiers in many battles since then. We’ve fought in World War II in some of the hardest fought battles 

of the war. We landed in Italy, Africa and on the bloody beaches of Normandy.

1st Inf. Div. NCOs have led the way in Vietnam, Desert Storm and now in the Global War On Terrorism.

The NCO’s mission has changed dramatically over the past eight years during the Global War on Terrorism. In years past, a platoon 

conducted missions with the leadership of the platoon leader and platoon sergeant. Now, sergeants and staff sergeants lead multiple 

missions that have a larger strategic impact. Units and organizations across the Army complete thousands of missions daily.

Many things have changed throughout the history of the Big Red One, except the role of the noncommissioned officer. The NCO has 

always been, and always will be, the backbone of the 1st Infantry Division.

Now...Get After It!

Command Sergeant Major Danger 7

D-Day

6:30 a.m. June 6, 1944. Omaha Beach. A 16-year-old Soldier who falsified his birth certificate so he could join 

the Army is anxiously awaiting his landing on the beach head. The ramp lowers. Soldiers of the 16th Infantry 

Regiment courageously move forward, as they have trained many months to do. Many die on the first step.

Pvt. Joe Argenzio follows the advice shouted by a fellow Soldier and bails over the side of his landing craft, since the open ramp of 

the landing craft seems to have been replaced by a wall of machine gun bullets trained accurately on everyone in the boat. The water 

is over his head. His comrades are falling all around him. His helmet, rifle and ammunition are lost in the cold, choppy waters of the 

English Channel.

Joe Argenzio, fighting by not quitting, survives the bullets and the water and makes his way ashore. He takes cover behind obstacles 

on the beach, then scrambles to the relative safety of a sea wall that provides some relief from the constant barrage of bullets from 

German machine guns. Argenzio grabs a weapon and ammo from a dead Soldier and after some inspiring words from the 16th 

Infantry’s regimental commander Col. George Taylor, the men of what would later be called the “Rangers” begin to make their way 

inland. When they secure a German blockhouse on a hill overlooking the beach, a sign, hastily created, points the way ahead with the 

words – “Danger Forward.”

For the Division there had been other “D-Day” assaults – North Africa, Sicily. But this one was unlike any other, before or since. The 

veterans – sergeants and officers – taught newly arrived Soldiers how to fight and how to get the advantage over the enemy, no matter 

the odds. Many sacrificed their lives but the Division accomplished nearly an impossible mission while heroes felt they were only doing 

their duty. Another chapter was added, not only to the Division history, but to human history.

Those Soldiers of yesterday are not unlike our Soldiers of today. They come from diverse backgrounds and blend together as 

exceptionally capable units. They train to accomplish a variety of missions and are extremely creative in the process. They are guided 

and trained by a cadre of seasoned combat veterans. They persevere against all odds and make the impossible happen routinely. The 

Big Red One Soldiers of today are engaged in battles for freedom far from the comforts of home. They are some of the best this 

generation has to offer. And they serve honorably, as heroes.

Though our war fighting capabilities have changed dramatically in the past 65 years, one thing about this division has not changed 

– the heart, the spirit, the camaraderie, the professionalism and the bravery of its Soldiers. The warriors who stormed the beaches of 

Normandy on D-Day lived by the same motto our Soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan live by now and sang the same song we 

sing today. As we reflect on the honorable service and sacrifices this June 6th, let us also rededicate ourselves to the legacy passed to 

us and carry on the heritage in our service – No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great. 

Duty First!

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks

 Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne

NCOs Through History

4

1st Infantry Division at War

1st Infantry Division

Oldest continuously serving division in the United States Army. More than 7,000 

Soldiers from two brigades are deployed.

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

states: Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas.

The Division modularized in fall 2008. Preparing for deployment in early 2010.

1st Brigade, Fort Riley

Trains transition teams. So far, more than 11,000 servicemembers 

have trained and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 

1,800 have redeployed.

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

the Afghan National Army (ANA). The brigade is scheduled to begin in late 2009. 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley

Currently resetting at Fort Riley, Kan., the brigade is training for a second 

deployment to Iraq. The brigade is scheduled to deploy in late summer 2009.

1st Sustainment Brigade, Fort Riley

Provides logistic, human resource and financial management support.

The brigade redeployed to Fort Riley, Kan., in December 2008.

75th Fires Brigade, Fort Sill

Integrates attached ground and air maneuver forces and on 

order functions as a maneuver headquarters in support of 

full spectrum operations. Subordinate battalions currently 

deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Joint 

Task Force - Horn of Africa.

3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 

Afghanistan

 Deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in June 2008. The deployment is 

scheduled to last 12 months, during which Soldiers will conduct counterinsurgency and 

stability operations.

4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood

The 4th MEB has unique staff is composd of engineer, military police, and chemical cells and 

organically has a brigade support battalion and a signal company.

The brigade was activated at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., in October 2008.

3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Iraq

Provides theater logistics command and control for the theater commander 

supporting the Army Forces (ARFOR) and Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) 

mission. Deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in May 2008.

2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Iraq

The brigade departed Fort Riley, Kan., in October 2008 on a 

scheduled 12- month deployment in support of Operation 

Iraqi Freedom.

1st Combat Aviation Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley

Completed a 15 month deployment to Iraq and redeployed to Fort 

Riley, Kan. in December 2008.
5 Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil

BDE ST 1

Run, 

 Jump, 

 Crawl

Sgt. Jonathan Reinegger; 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., 1st Bde., is loaded down with kids from Westwood Elementary 

School as they race against other Soldiers. 

6

By Gary Skidmore

Duty First! Magazine

Sgts. Jonathan Reinegger, James Kinney and Jeffrey 

Walters, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, received enough 

physical training on April 29 to last them a week after playing 

with students from Westwood Elementary School in Junction 

City. They ran, jumped, crawled, carried kids, and were the 

subject of dog piles for several hours during the afternoon.

Supporting the Unified School District 475 “Schools in 

Review” program, several members of the battalion visited 

the classrooms, ate lunch and went to the playground with the 

students. 

Kinney has been married for three years but doesn’t have 

children and loved his day with the kids.

“My wife is a student teacher on Fort Riley so I thought 

it’d be a good opportunity for me to experience what she deals 

with everyday,” Kinney said. “I don’t think she goes through 

a lot of dog piles like I just did, but she enjoys the job. I’m still 

out of breath from the dog pile.”

Sgt. 1st Class Richard Dukes said he thought the 

partnership they have with the school, part of the recent Army

Community Covenant program, was great. 

“One of the good things about this particular program is 

there’s a lot of children with parents in the military and with 

deployments being what they are, it gives kids a connection 

while their military parents are deployed. It’s also great for with 

our involvement in the community. We do a lot with Junction 

City and Grandview Plaza and it helps strengthen our bonds,” 

Dukes said.

Student Support Monitor Jerry Williams, a retired Soldier 

from Fort Riley, knows the importance of having Soldiers 

interact with students.

“It’s terribly important for the kids to see uniforms here,” 

Williams said. “Most are comfortable with Soldiers and since so 

many parents are deployed, it gives our students a reassurance 

and a connection when the battalion comes.”

Still breathing heavy 10 minutes after their run and dog 

piles, Reinegger, Kinney and Walters said there was no doubt 

they’d be back if asked.

“I’m not too sure about carrying so many kids the next time 

we race,” said Reinnegger. 

“And I probably won’t have that many kids dog pile me next 

time,” said Kinney.

“But we’ll be back,” added Dukes.

Sgt. James Kinney; 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., 1st Bde., gets dog piled by students at Westwood Elementary School 

as part of the Schools in Review program.

Duty First!/Skidmore
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil

Charting

a Path 7

STSB 1

By Tyler Abney

Duty First!Magazine

Before a Soldier can complete the Warrior Leader Course and advance to the rank 

of sergeant, he or she must prove they are proficient in a variety of skills and capable of 

leading other Soldiers. 

For 12 Soldiers of the 541st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment 

Brigade, April 8 provided one more chance to sharpen their map reading and land 

navigation skills before attending WLC. 

“When they go to WLC, they teach them land navigation,” said Staff Sgt. Cody 

Anway, 541st CSSB said. “This is designed to give them a first-hand look prior to going 

to the course so they’re not going into it blind. They’ll have a background in it and it 

makes it much easier to successfully negotiate the course.”

The six teams of two Soldiers had two hours to find four points on the range and 

record their locations. Each team was assigned a starting point and given checkpoints 

identified by grid coordinates. Armed with a compass and protractor, Soldiers oriented 

their maps with the specified coordinates and made their way around the range. Each 

point was identified by orange and white metal signs and tagged with a letter. Once 

Soldiers reached what they thought to be the correct location, they recorded the letter 

and progressed to the next location. 

At the end of two hours, or whenever the course was completed, teams returned 

to the starting points where Anway and other noncommissioned officers checked the 

results. While NCOs were there to provide some assistance, the training was not set up 

as a class. 

“We’re not teaching them land navigation,” Anway said. “It’s their unit’s responsibility 

to teach them map reading, the compass and things of that nature prior to going out 

there [WLC]. We run them through this course so they get hands on training and are 

proficient with what their unit should be instilling.”

Spc. Daniel Scott, a truck driver from 541st CSSB, was one Soldier making use of 

the extra practice.

“I’ve taken a couple classes in it, but I wouldn’t say I’m experienced,” Scott said. “I 

want to be able to teach future Soldiers how to do it, just in case they would they would 

ever encounter something that land navigation would be good for.”

By the end of the training, Soldiers unfamiliar with the land navigation skill acquired 

more information and those who had not practiced the maneuvers in a while became 

reacquainted with the practice. 

“Land navigation is a critical skill for all Soldiers, regardless of their MOS,” Anway 

said. “When deployed, Soldiers may be faced with the possibility of being separated 

from their units during a convoy. It’s vital that every Soldier is familiar with map 

reading skills, terrain association and how to use a compass.”

Staff Sgt. Cody Anway helps two Soldiers from 541st 

CSSB orient their map during their land navigation course.

Duty First! Magazine/ Abney

8
9 Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil

CAB ST 1

The first two of 30 new UH-60M Black Hawks taxi to their parking spots after making their first landing at Marshall 

Army Airfield.

By Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Troth

1st Combat Aviation Brigade PAO

The latest in aviation technology for the Army arrived at 

Fort Riley at the end of April in the form of two UH-60M 

Black Hawks. 

The 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 

is the second active duty Army unit to receive the new model 

of Black Hawk. About 30 more are scheduled to arrive before 

December.

At first glance, the new UH-60M Black Hawks looks very 

similar to its sibling, the L model. But open the door and look 

inside and the changes are very obvious.

“The entire aircraft is a digital aircraft,” said Maj. Robert 

Keeter, pilot and operations officer for the “Nightmare.” “It has 

a lot of upgraded computer systems.”

The old round gauges with dials have been replaced with 

four computer monitors that can display numerous functions 

to include instruments, radios or maps. 

“The new Mike model has an integrated computer system 

that will let me pull up a map and as I am flying I can look at 

the map and I can see where I am,” Keeter said. “The map has 

an integrated GPS that moves as I am flying.”

In the earlier versions of the Black Hawk, helicopter pilots 

got a numeric location on their GPS and then had to find that 

point on a map to figure out where they were. The UH-60M 

allows the pilot to see where they are and their destination, 

compared to having to steer toward their destination using a 

needle on the dash.

“The biggest improvement is situation awareness for the 

pilots,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Matt Hastings, pilot. “We 

have four computer screens that will tell us exactly where we 

are at all times and exactly where we are going. The digital 

battle space is playing in front of us and we have multiple ways 

to plug into that.” 

Besides knowing where their aircraft is in relation 

to the ground and their objective, pilots can also use

10

the UH-60M’s map screen to pinpoint enemy activity.

“As I am flying, if I see a threat, I can put that threat on 

the map and e-mail it to everyone else flying and to the TOC 

[the tactical operation center],” said Hastings. “Now everyone 

knows that threat is out there and its location.”

To help maneuver away from that threat, the UH-60M has 

new composite spar wide-chord blades which are wider than 

the earlier models, and will provide more lift at the higher 

altitudes. 

The aircraft also has a partial auto-pilot that will assist the 

pilots when Mother Nature is not cooperating with them.

 “The helicopter will fly the whole thing for you,” said 

Hastings. “So when we are in one of those really dark nights, 

or have bad visibility, the aircraft is taking care of it for us and 

everything is good to go.”

When the mission is over, the computers also help with 

the maintenance of the Black Hawk by keeping track of more 

than 200 parameters from the new Black Hawk database, plus 

dedicated sensors that provide automated data collection and 

advanced mechanical diagnostics to determine the health of 

drive system gears, bearings, and shafts. A PCMCIA card 

logs the data and is then transferred to the helicopters digital 

logbook. 

“The new system and maintenance program is going to 

make less maintenance for our crew chiefs after we are done 

flying,” said Hastings.

Modifications to the Black Hawk don’t stop in the cockpit. 

“The crew chiefs’ seats have been improved,” said Keeter. 

“The crew seats in the older aircraft are stationary facing out, 

you sit in one spot and that is where you are for the flight. With 

the new seats they have some maneuverability – they can slide 

and turn – so the crew chiefs can interact with the passengers 

or cargo easier during flight.”

Their passengers will be safer also as the seats have been 

redesigned and are now more crash worthy.

The UH-60M is vastly different from the first Black Hawk 

that rolled off the assembly line in 1978. But one thing has not 

changed for this medium-lift helicopter – allowing its aircrew 

to accomplish their mission. 

“When we deploy we are going to still have the long days, 

but once you are in the helicopter you are going to be much 

more relaxed,” said Hastings. “Once we learn this helicopter’s 

fullest capabilities and apply them we are going to work less 

hard.” 

CAB PAO/ Sgt. 1st Class Troth

Lt. Col. Andrew Cole, (right) 3-1 AHB commander, 

receives the keys and log book to the battalion’s 

first UH-60M from Maj. Bradley Bruce, the assistant 

program manager for UH-60M fielding.

3-1 AHB pilots look over the modifications on the new 

UH-60M Black Hawk after it arrived at Marshall Army 

Airfield.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Matt Hastings talks to Capt. 

Robert Lanier about the handling of the new UH-60M 

Black Hawk.
11 Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil

IBCT RD 3

By Staff Sgt. Adora Medina

3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team PAO

JALALABAD AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Staff Sgt. Kevin P. Sanders believes he was born to be an infantryman.

Having completed five deployments, he understands the sacrifice and bravery that accompanies combat, so when he witnessed 

an Afghan boy near death, his instincts immediately came into play and he didn’t hesitate to free the child from the electric voltage 

entering his body. 

“I didn’t think about it, I didn’t think anything,” said Sanders. “What I saw was my son when I looked at this little kid, and when his 

body went limp, I thought ‘oh God please do something’ and I didn’t say it out loud, I was talking to myself, and that’s when I lunged 

forward and I grabbed the kid and I pulled him off.” 

The young boy, about the age of six, had touched exposed wires from an electrical box that had been tampered with on the side of 

the road near where Sanders and his team of infantrymen were pulling security last October. 

Sanders said he heard buzzing and didn’t realize that it was the sound of electricity searing the boy’s skin until he thought it was too 

late. He remembers the boy helplessly looking at him and then going limp as if he had given up.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, Combined Joint Task Force-101 commander, presents Staff Sgt. Kevin Sanders with 

the Soldier’s Medal at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, April 14. Sanders, from St. Ann, Mo., saved a 

local Afghan boy from electrocution.

12

“I thought he was dead,” Sanders said. “It all happened in the span of five seconds.”

He knew he had to do something, so he acted fast. He pulled the boy toward him, risking the chance of being electrocuted.

“I jumped towards him and I snatched him up by the back of his neck and I pulled him straight up to me and he was still shaking 

profusely,” Sanders recalled. “I turned around and I kicked my medic’s door three times and I said ‘I need a medic!’ as loud as I could 

scream it.”

Still shaken up by the incident, he held the child in his arms as he quickly explained the situation to the medic on patrol, who acted 

immediately to bandage the child’s burns while Sanders team retrieved an interpreter to explain to the child’s father that he needed to 

be taken to a nearby hospital. 

Nearly six months following the incident, while on patrol, Sanders was relieved to see the young boy playing with his little sister 

now the same area.

For risking his life, Sanders was awarded the Soldier’s Medal in April, at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan with his 

fellow infantrymen and Combined Task Force-101 commander, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, in attendance.

“Putting me in for an award as high as this is...,” Sanders paused to think. “I’m humbled. It’s almost overwhelming. I’m not used to 

being credited for anything that I do.” 

Sanders, who is currently a team leader for the personal security detachment of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s commander, 

Col. John Spiszer, plans to continue on in his military career. Sanders said the Army gives him the structure he’s always needed in his 

life.

“They’re going to have to throw me out of the military,” he said jokingly, “I’ve been doing this job for eight years and I wouldn’t 

give it up for nothing.” 

Sanders emphasized the importance of his job as a Soldier and why he chose the infantryman’s path.

“I do what I do not because of the man to the right and to the left of me. I do what I do not because of college, not because of the 

things that people see you for. I don’t do it for glory, honor, or integrity, and I don’t do it for my country,” Sanders said assertively. “I 

do it for my countrymen and women, but not so much in the sense that you would think. I do it so they won’t have to.”

Staff Sgt. Kevin Sanders, Soldier’s Medal recipient from St. Ann, Mo. is awarded for saving a local Afghan boy from 

electrocution while out on a mission near Jalalabad city, Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, Combined 

Joint Task Force-101 commander presented Sanders with the award at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan.

3IBCT PAO/ Medina
13 Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil 14

Compiled by Duty First! Magazine staff

The 1st Infantry Division’s history begins in 1917 when 

Gen. John “Blackjack” Pershing arrived in France with the 

First American Expeditionary Force. The “Fighting First” 

led the way for American Soldiers in World War I. Names 

like Cantigny, Soissons, St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest 

tell the story of the gallantry of the Soldiers of the division, 

now wearing the famous “Big Red One” patch on their left 

shoulder. 

During World War II, the Big Red One was the first to reach 

England, the first to fight the enemy in North Africa and Sicily, 

the first on the beaches of Normandy in D-Day and the first to 

capture a major German City – Aachen.

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

test. In five days, the division drove inland and cleared a 

beachhead for supplies and troops. Driving eastward across 

France against fanatical resistance, the Soldiers of the 1st Inf. 

Div. spent nearly six months in continuous action with the 

enemy. 

After capturing Aachen, the division still faced months of 

bitter fighting at places like the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle 

of the Bulge. When the war ended, the Big Red One had rolled 

through Germany and into Czechoslovakia.

The 1st Inf. Div. remained in Germany until 1955, first as 

an occupational force, then as partners with the new Germany 

in NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 1955, the 

Big Red One redeployed to Fort Riley.

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

division called to fight in Vietnam. For nearly five years, its 

Soldiers battled the enemy while carrying out programs to aid 

the people of South Vietnam. In April 1970, the colors of the 

1st Inf. Div. returned to Fort Riley. Home again, the Big Red 

One became a dual-based division with its 3rd Brigade in West 

Germany.

Another first was credited to the division when it embarked 

on the beginning of a long series of Return of Forces to 

Germany exercises. These exercises demonstrated the nation’s 

determination and capability to defend, with NATO allies, 

Western Europe.

On Nov. 8, 1990, the 1st Inf. Div. was alerted and over the 

next two months, deployed more than 12,000 Soldiers and 7,000 

pieces of equipment to Saudi Arabia in support of Operations 

Desert Shield/Storm. Another first, the Big Red One led the 

charge into Iraq. After spearheading the armored attack, the 

division broke the enemy’s defense along the Kuwait border 

and cut off the path of retreat for the fleeing Iraq Army.

During the next 100 hours, the Big Red One raced across 

southern Iraq into Kuwait, engaging and destroying all or part 

of 11 enemy divisions. The division fought its way through 

260 kilometers of enemy-held territory, and destroyed more 

than 500 enemy tanks and 480 armored personnel carriers. 

In addition, the division captured more than 11,400 enemy 

prisoners of war – twice as many as any other unit.

On April 10, 1996, the colors of the 1st Inf. Div. moved to the 

German city of Würzburg. Shortly after their arrival, Big Red 

One Soldiers assumed peace enforcement responsibilities in 

Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operations Joint Endeavor/

Guard. The division deployed to the Balkans twice in 1999, 

first as part of Task Force Sabre in Macedonia, then in Kosovo 

with NATO’s Task Force Falcon. This contingent patrolled the 

streets and countryside of Kosovo until June 2000, when it 

turned the mission over to the 1st Armored Division.

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

Regiment joined NATO’s Task Force Falcon in support of 

Operation Joint Guardian for a peacekeeping mission in 

Kosovo. The battalion enforced peace agreements in the 

Multi-National Brigade East Sector. The unit helped create a 

more secure environment and assisted in transition to civilian 

control.

In January 2003, the division primed itself for Operation 

Iraqi Freedom. Big Red One Soldiers formed Headquarters, 

Armed Forces-Turkey and prepared the way for the 4th Infantry 

Division to enter Iraq through Turkey. When the Turkish 

Government denied access through their border, the 4th Inf. 

Div. deployed to Iraq via Kuwait. 

The division took a more direct role in Operation 

Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, when its units deployed to 

Northern Iraq. Operating in the Sunni Triangle Task Force, 

it conducted combat operations while simultaneously helping 

bring stability to the region. 

The rest of the 1st Inf. Div. and Task Force Danger deployed 

to Northern Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. 

The 1st Inf. Div.’s Task Force Danger consisted of Germanybased 1st Inf. Div. units along with the 30th Brigade Combat 

Team “Old Hickory” based in North Carolina, and the 25th 

Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Hawaii. 

The 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to support Operation 

Iraqi Freedom in the fall of 2003 and returned to Fort Riley in 

September 2004. 

As part of the BRAC changes, the division cased its colors 

in Germany July 7, 2006. The 1st Inf. Div. conducted a transfer 

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

command and control of Fort Riley. 

Due to changes in the war strategy, 1st Brigade assumed 

two new missions for the Army in 2006. 

The first mission the brigade was charged with was 

supporting the Army’s transition team training mission where 

brigade Soldiers train thousands of service members from 

across the Army, Air Force and Navy to become Iraqi and 

Afghan military advisors. 

The second mission the brigade was given was to provide 

deployable security force elements that can move anywhere 

the Army wants them. Approximately 2,000 Soldiers from the 

brigade deployed in fall 2006 as security force companies. 

The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which activated 

Jan. 16, 2005, deployed from Fort Riley to Baghdad in support 

of Operation Iraqi Freedom in February 2007. 

The division’s Combat Aviation Brigade., which uncased its 

colors Aug. 1, 2006, and 1st Sustainment Brigade (formerly 

known as DISCOM) have also deployed and returned to Fort 

Riley in support of the Global War on Terrorism. 

The 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat team is currently deployed 

to Afghanistan and the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team is 

currently deployed to Iraq.

Source: The 1st Infantry Division Web site, www.riley.army.

mil.

Photos courtesy of the 1st Infantry Division Museum
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil

Good Leadership Key to 

Reenlistment Success

16

For Sgt. Angel Sosa, a section chief for Btry. B, the family-like atmosphere of the unit had a an influence on his decision to reenlist 

and stay with the unit.

“We are a family here,” said Sosa. “We always look out and take care of each other, no matter what position we’re in. I’m really 

excited to be here, in this unit.”

In addition to the family-like atmosphere, the Btry. B commander, Capt. Scott Steele, said caring for his Soldiers and his leaders is 

what makes the difference in Soldiers choosing to reenlist and remain with the unit.

“The only thing I do is focus on the Soldiers and take care of them,” said Scott Steele. “I’m just blessed with very good leadership. 

My first sergeant and I are on the same page of taking care of everybody and getting things done. We also give the Soldiers the time 

that they need to take care of their family.”

It’s a great feeling for the “Proud American” to see his Soldiers reenlist and know that their decision to stay says a lot about the 

environment around them.

“It’s always great to see Soldiers reenlist,” said Scott Steele. “I love my Soldiers and my battery is the best battery. I would not have 

any other group of Soldiers, officers or NCOs. So, when they reenlist and stay in that means a lot to me because the decision to stay 

always takes a little consideration of where you’re at right now.”

For both of the unit’s commanders, who also happen to be husband and wife, the recipe to creating a successful unit with an 

impressive reenlistment rate is simple; good leadership, a group of great Soldiers, and high regard for the ones you need to lead.

Sgt. Angel Sosa, a section chief with Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team, stands with his unit’s commander, Capt. Scott D. Steele after the battery’s reenlistment ceremony.

4 IBCT PAO/Campbell

15

THIBCT 4

Spc. Joseph P. Hillyart, a Soldier with Battery B, 2nd 

Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry 

Brigade Combat Team, repeats the Oath of Enlistment 

during the unit’s reenlistment ceremony April 21.

By Spc. Shantelle J. Campbell

4th Infantry Brigade PAO

FORT RILEY – There are many reasons why a Soldier 

decides to reenlist. It might be for something as tangible as 

money or it could be for something as intangible as the bond 

the Soldier has formed with his or her peers.

During a recent change of command ceremony for 2nd 

Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, the unit’s former 

commander, Lt. Col. Michael J. Lawson, said the strength and 

spirit of a battalion starts with the commander, but grows with 

empowered officers, noncommissioned officers and Soldiers 

who believe in themselves and in their leadership.

The impressive reenlistment rates of Battery B, 2nd Bn., 

32nd Field Artillery Regt., and Company E, 701st Brigade 

Support Bn., attached to 1st Bn., 28th Infantry Regt., 4th 

Infantry Brigade Combat Team, are due to the leadership 

and the family-like atmosphere that has been created in these 

respective units.

“It’s us being with the Soldiers and interacting with the 

Soldiers in every mission and in everything that they do; we’re 

there with them,” said 1st Sgt. Arnaldo Muniz, first sergeant 

of Co. E, 701st Brigade Support Bn. “Soldiers see that, and 

they know that we’re not just sending them to missions and not 

being there ... we’re sweating just like they are.”

Even though the success of “Excalibur” Company stems 

from the example of the leadership, it’s the hard work and bond 

among the unit’s Soldiers that the company’s commander, 

Capt. Melissa Steele, credits with much of the unit’s success.

“I think it’s all about ownership too,” she said. “We’re just 

the (leaders) of this company, but the Soldiers really own and 

run this company. So, I think just the sense of ownership that 

they have in knowing that they’re the ones doing the work 

day in and day out. They built this unit from the ground up, 

literally, since 2005, and we’ve got NCOs here who are great 

and love their Soldiers. It’s just a good feeling coming into 

work knowing that everyone is on board with what we want to 

do and with what we want to accomplish. And, I think that’s 

what keeps people in the unit knowing that they have a sense 

of purpose in a mission.”

“There’s just a lot of pride,” said Muniz.

During a recent reenlistment ceremony, four Soldiers of 

Btry B. read the Oath of Enlistment and remained with the 

battery.
17 Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil 18

NDHBCT

2 “First Lightning” Soldier 

Becomes U.S. Citizen

By 1st Lt. Tobin Rader

1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment

BAGHDAD – He came to the United States as a child from 

Haiti and spent more than a year wearing an Army uniform, 

but was only recently able to finally call himself an American 

citizen. 

Pfc. Richerson Talleyrand, a radar equipment generator 

mechanic, serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery 

Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, became a 

U.S. citizen during the 13th Multi-National Corps-Iraq 

Naturalization Ceremony in March. 

Talleyrand was born Aug. 30, 1983, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti 

and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents, four brothers and 

two sisters. 

First living in Brooklyn, N.Y., he attended Marine Park 

Middle School and later moved to Coconut Creek, Fla. where 

he met his wife, Nicktha. 

“She is the one who really gives me strength to go on and do 

these things,” Talleyrand said. 

One of the many reasons Talleyrand joined the Army was 

to provide a better life for his family and to see the world as 

well.

Talleyrand was in the Army for about a year before he 

applied for citizenship. He said it took about six months to 

complete the process through several examinations.

“I went to school in the United States and the material for 

becoming a citizen was stuff we learned in the seventh and 

eighth grade,” he said. “I had to refresh myself on some of it, 

but I was well prepared.”

Talleyrand also said that the Army may help him be prepared 

for the civilian world after his service. 

“If I choose to leave the Army when my contract is up, I 

hope that the experience I have gained will help me possibly 

obtain a job with the government,” said Talleyrand. “My goal 

is to finish my schooling and continue to create a better life for 

my family.”

Several dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Gen. 

Raymond Odierno, commander, Multi-National Forces – Iraq, 

and Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander, Multi-National Corps 

– Iraq. 

Talleyrand’s chain of command also was on hand to witness 

him become a U.S. citizen, including Lt. Col. Robert Bailes, 

commander, 1st Bn., 7th FA Regt. and Command Sgt. Maj. 

Garry Hunt, the battalion’s senior enlisted leader. 

“I was surprised to see all of the leadership there,” said 

Talleyrand. “It was nice of them to take time out of their 

schedules to come.”

Talleyrand’s company commander said the ceremony had 

an impact on him. 

 “It amazed me to see 251 Soldiers and noncommissioned 

officers of every branch of the military from 65 different 

countries get their U.S. citizenship,” said Capt. Mark Guelich, 

commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st 

Bn., 7th Field Artillery Regt. “It was quite an impressive 

ceremony.”

Like many young immigrants, Talleyrand once struggled 

with what to do when he grew up and how he would earn his 

citizenship. However, he said the Army was the right choice 

for him. 

 “There is a steady income, good health care and many other 

benefits for me and my family,” he said. “I believe I would 

make the same choice again.” 

Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Turner (left), Pfc. Richerson 

Talleyrand (center) and Capt. Mark Guelich, 

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st 

Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Heavy 

Brigade Combat Team, are shown after Talleyrand’s 

naturalization ceremony.

1st Bn., 7th FA Regt./Lt. Mark Peek
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil 20

Fort Riley, Pittman and Tetu were reunited. 

Pittman said he returned to his office one day to find a note 

from Tetu, thanking him for his efforts.

“My take away is that the MiTT mission is successful 

beyond all calculations,” Tetu said. “And it should never be 

down-played as just an equitable job for a similar captain. 

Those guys do more than we ever had to do. They are dealing 

with so many different paths, different personalities plus the 

language barriers, worries we never had to explore.”

Pittman however, credited success to the communication 

between himself and Tetu and the Iraqi Army’s will to 

succeed.

“Watching the Iraqi army that day, they are very capable 

of defending their country,” Pittman said. “They have the 

determination and will to better their country and I saw that 

first hand. It really changed my view on the Iraqi Army.”

Editor’s Note: While Pittman and Tetu were just two 

pieces of a very large puzzle, several other American Soldiers 

contributed greatly during the assault on Beijat and Qualis. 

Capt. Pittman, Maj. Morgan Southern, Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth 

LaFleur, and Cpt. George Athanasopoulos all received Bronze 

Star Medals with Valor. Maj. Brian Hayes was awarded a 

Combat Action Badge and Sgt. 1st Class Alan Sims was 

awarded the Combat Medical Badge.

Iraqi ground movement Soldiers travel between Beijat and Qualis. Courtesy Photo

19

By Tyler Abney

Duty First! Magazine

Before deploying to Iraq, Capt. David Pittman, 1st Battalion, 

5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade and Lt. Col. Mike 

Tetu, 2-1 General Support Aviation Bn., Combat Aviation 

Brigade had never worked together. In fact, they didn’t even 

know each other. That all changed on Nov. 16, 2008, when 

Pittman and Tetu combined efforts to execute an air assault 

northeast of Baghdad.

While stationed at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, 

Pittman and Tetu held jobs commonly unrelated. Tetu, an air 

mission commander, spent his time patrolling the skies in a 

Black Hawk helicopter, while Pittman roamed the streets in an 

up-armored Humvee. Both wore the 1st Inf. Div. patch on their 

shoulder, both deployed from Fort Riley, but neither knew they 

would act as a single force on a day they would never forget.

Pittman and Tetu participated in Operation Automatic 

Pursuit, a mission which brought together elements of air 

support, Iraqi Security Forces and military transition teams to 

first deceive the enemy, and then strike it down.

At 4:09 a.m., three Chinook helicopters, occupied by 80 

Iraqi Soldiers, six MiTT members and three interpreters, plus 

two Apaches lifted off from Warhorse, appearing to be headed 

for Baghdad. Instead, their attention was focused on the 

village of Beijat, located 18 miles northeast of Baghdad. Three 

additional Chinooks armed with 90 coalition forces followed 

the same routine, but marked for Qualis, a village further north. 

Both, made up mainly of mud huts and small farms, had been 

notorious for housing Al-Qaida weapons caches and attacks 

on ISF convoys, but recent surveillance reported minimal 

insurgent activity – a report that Pittman and Tetu eventually 

discovered to be incorrect. 

It’s not often MiTT teams use helicopters to get where they 

need to be, but the area around Beijat was so densely occupied 

by improvised explosive devices and early warning systems, 

Pittman said success relied on an air assault and the element of 

surprise. He was just one of the MiTT members who assisted 

the Iraqi Army in clearing Beijat, while Tetu served as the air 

mission commander from the sky.

“For us, it was pretty routine,” Tetu said. “The Apaches 

would get up first and secure the area from a distance, using all 

their systems to report and observe if there was anything that 

could impact the landings. We flew a deception route that gave 

an impression we were going somewhere else.”

Tetu was positioned in the command and control chopper.

 As soon as the Chinooks touched down, the assault on the 

village began. Contact was made with four Iraqi insurgents 

seeking shelter in an abandoned Iraqi Army compound. In 

an exchange of fire and grenades, two Iraqi Soldiers were 

wounded and in need of immediate medical attention. The 

nearest medical evacuation was 30 minutes away. 

As the fire fight continued, Pittman and the rest of the MiTT 

Soldiers decided it was time to let the Apaches finish the job. 

He began moving the Iraqi units into a secure position, but 

as he moved on to the next unit, the previous unit reclaimed 

its old position in hopes of eliminating the insurgents. The 

willingness of the ISF to attack the compound showed Pittman 

and Tetu they were serious about taking their country back. It 

also prohibited the Apaches from doing their job.

“What I saw that day is something you can’t teach any 

Soldier,” Pittman said. “It was just natural instinct to really 

want to kill insurgents.”

“What we were commenting on in my helicopter was ‘these 

sons-of-guns’ want to get into the fight,” Tetu said. “Every time 

he’s pulling them back, they’re racing on their own initiative to 

go kill the bad guys. They’re doing what we’ve always wanted 

them to do, but what I was in complete awe of how hard the 

MiTT Soldiers had to work, running up and down the firing 

point to grab the Iraqi Soldiers to clear them from the Apache’s 

line of fire.”

The longer the Apaches waited for an ‘all clear’ to fire, the 

more fuel they burned. Tetu and the rest of the command group 

eventually turned them loose to refuel.

With the wounded Iraqi Soldiers still on the ground and 

MEDEVAC still en route, Tetu’s chopper landed under fire 

to fly the first wounded Soldier to safety. Tetu said an Iraqi 

general was on board his Black Hawk and joined in helping his 

wounded Soldier onto the chopper. 

“What I was most moved by was this general,” Tetu said. “It 

was like something out of the movie Gladiator. It’s all about the 

man who’s leading his army, holding the head of a guy who just 

got hurt. It was very emotional and very moving.”

At the end of the day, two insurgents committed suicide, two 

were captured and four were eliminated. The two wounded Iraqi 

Soldiers survived thanks to an open line of communication and 

quick thinking. 

During the two-hour fire fight, Pittman and Tetu were in 

constant radio contact, but were yet to figure out they were 

both from Fort Riley. Finally, after they both redeployed to

1 ID Soldiers Join 

Forces in Air Assault
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil 22

By Gary Skidmore

Duty First! Magazine

“Two kinds of people are staying on this beach! The dead and 

those who are going to die! Now let’s get the hell out of here!”

Col. George Taylor, commanding officer, 16th Infantry 

Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944

Operation Overlord brought together the land, air and 

sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the 

largest invasion force in human history. The D-Day operation 

delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of 

Normandy, France. The beaches were given the codenames 

UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO and SWORD. Almost 

133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States 

landed on D-Day. Casualties from the three countries during 

the landing numbered 10,300. 

Elements of the 1st Infantry Division faced the veteran 

German 352nd Infantry Division, a combat veteran battalion 

and one of the best trained on the beaches. Omaha was also 

the most heavily fortified beach, with high bluffs defended by 

funneled mortars, machine guns, and artillery. Difficulties in 

navigation caused the majority of landings to drift eastward, 

missing their assigned sectors and the initial assault waves of 

tanks, infantry and engineers took heavy casualties. Of the 16 

tanks that landed, only two survived. According to the Stephen 

E. Ambrose book, “D-Day,” the official record stated “within 

10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, the leading company 

had become ineffective, leaderless and almost incapable of 

action. Every officer and noncommissioned officer had been 

killed or wounded ... It had become a struggle for survival.” 

The heavily defended draws, the only vehicular routes off 

the beach, could not be taken and two hours after the first 

assault the beach was closed for all but infantry landings. 

Commanders (including General Omar Bradley) considered 

abandoning the beachhead. But the infantrymen of the 

famed 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Inf. Div. kept pressing

forward until they breached the heavily fortified German lines. 

Famed World War II combat journalist Ernie Pyle was at 

Normandy and sent articles back to the states everyday. In one, 

his love for the infantry was apparent. 

“I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They 

are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, 

and they even learn to live without the necessities. And in the 

end, they are the guys that wars can’t be won without,” Pyle 

wrote.

It was infantrymen from the Big Red One assaulting Omaha 

Beach that morning that Pyle wrote about. Bob Slaughter was 

one of them.

Bob Slaughter

“As our teams were called, we assembled on the landing 

craft and were lowered into the water, it was rough and the 

spray from the sea was cold,” he said. “We were taking water 

from the rough sea over the bow, and we were bailing to try 

to keep afloat. Some of the landing craft sank because of the 

rough sea. We picked up some of our buddies eight or nine 

miles from shore. We had taken them on as extra cargo; and 

some stuff that we should have picked up or would have liked 

to have picked up, we left because we didn’t have room.”

Slaughter said it was a terrible ride to the beach. “Over to 

our right, the battleship Texas was firing into the cliffs, and 

every time its big guns went off, a tsunami swamped our boat, 

and made our seasickness worse.

“As we got in to 1,000 yards offshore, we started taking 

some mortar shells and some artillery. They were just over our 

bow and exploding off to our side,” said Slaughter. “We could 

also hear the small arms as we got in a little closer. 

“Our boat was one of six in the first wave. When we got 

close to the beach, the obstacles erected were fully in view.

“I was the rifle sergeant and followed Lt. Anderson off the 

boat. There was a wide expanse of beach, and the Germans 

were firing at us with small-arm fire.

Continued on page 23

Remembering The Longest Day

21
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil 24

Tug Of War

Flag Football weightlifting

and combatives 

basketball dodgeball

volleyball

10 Mile run and 

111 mile relay

softball

Golf 

and 

soccer

unveiling of 

fallen soldier 

stones

23

“As we came down the ramp, we were in water about knee high. 

I saw some tracers coming from a concrete emplacement, which to 

me looked mammoth. I attempted to fire back, but I had no concept 

of what was going on behind me. The fellows I was with were being 

hit and put out of action so quickly that it became a struggle to stay 

on my feet. 

Slaughter was wounded the first time trying to get his balance 

in the surf. 

“I was shot through the left hand, which broke a knuckle, and 

then through the palm of the hand. I felt nothing but a little sting 

at the time. 

“I made my way forward as best I could. My rifle jammed, so I 

picked up a carbine and got off a couple of rounds. I was hit again, 

once in the left thigh, which broke my hip bone, and a couple of times 

in my pack, and then my chin strap on my helmet was severed by 

a bullet. I worked my way up onto the beach, staggered up against 

a wall, and collapsed there. The bodies of the other guys washed 

ashore, and I was one live body amongst many of my friends who 

were dead and, in many cases, blown to pieces.

Roy Arnn

Roy Arnn was a squad leader whose mission was to clear the 

area of mines and booby traps. Each man on the squad had a pack 

of plastic explosives that they carried to blow up the obstacles on the 

beach. Arnn also had a mine detector, his rifle, a coil of rope with 

a triple hook on it and some tape to mark obstacles on the beach.

“We were all pretty sea-sick after getting into the assault boat 

because of the rough water and we were using the puke bags that 

we had around our necks,” he said. “As the assault boat neared the 

beach, machine gun fire hit around the front of the boat and some 

of the sea-sickness left. When the ramp went down we started for 

the obstacles.

“I was one of the last ones off of the boat as we had to put

a rubber raft, filled with plastic explosives, into the water so it 

could be taken to the beach,” he said. 

The force of a German 88 artillery shell landed near Arnn 

and blew his helmet off and cut the corner of his eye. “I soon 

lost sight in my eye because of the blood was running into it. 

According to Arnn, Max Norris was the medic and as he 

tried to get the rifle from Arnn’s shoulder, it began to really hurt.

“I found out later that the scapula and clavicle were broken 

besides the deep wounds in my shoulder and leg.” 

Harley Reynolds

Harley Reynolds has a deep respect for engineers, especially 

the guys with the Bangalore Torpedoes.

Reynolds, who landed on the section of the beach called 

Easy Red, said the place was a nightmare.

“There was absolutely nothing easy about Easy Red,” said 

Reynolds. “It was one of the hardest, most dangerous beaches 

to assault. The water was red with blood.”

Reynolds said one of the greatest heroes on the beach was a 

guy with a Bangalore Torpedo.

“We were pinned down right there on the beach. We had 

bodies stacking up, people were getting shot everywhere and it 

looked like we weren’t going to get off the beach alive,” he said. 

“This guy shows up with a Bangalore Torpedo. All of our guys 

who carried them had been killed. We didn’t even have a pair 

of wire cutters, so when this guy showed up, there was hope.”

Reynolds said the Soldier pushed the Bangalore under the 

wire and set it off, creating a passageway through the wire.

“We started to break through when I looked down, the guy 

was looking at me but he was dead,” Reynolds said. “To me he 

was the greatest hero on the beach. He saved a lot of Soldiers’ 

lives that day.”

Photos courtesy of the 1st Infantry Division Museum

Continued from page 22
Duty First www.riley.army.mil Duty First www.riley.army.mil 26

By Gary Skidmore

Duty First! Magazine

Dwight D. Eisenhower 

said “the supreme 

quality for a leader is 

unquestionable integrity. 

Without it, no real success 

is possible, no matter 

whether it is in a section 

gang, on a football field 

or in an army. If his 

associates find him 

guilty of phoniness, if 

they find that he lacks 

forthright integrity, he 

will fail. His teachings 

and actions must square 

with each other. The first 

great need, therefore, 

is integrity and high 

purpose.”

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Richard J. Seitz has lived by those words all 

of his life, and on April 22, spoke to the 1st Infantry Division 

senior leadership about his principals of leadership. 

“Without integrity, it’s impossible to have trust in the 

leadership and trust is the foundation of leadership – it’s the 

glue,’ he said.

Introducing Seitz to the standing room only audience, 

Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins, then - 1st Inf. Div. deputy division 

commander told the group to pay particular attention to what 

the general had to say.

“Very rarely do we get the opportunity to have a legend 

standing before us willing to pontificate on what he thinks it 

takes to be a member of this profession of arms,” said Wiggins. 

“And he is a charter member. He is a man that walks with 

humility. He is a man who could go around bragging, but does 

not. That is the character of the man who stands before you.”

 At 91 years old, Seitz, still possessing his command 

presence, shared his principals of leadership for more than an 

hour.

“You know the principals of leadership but the challenge is 

to use them everyday,” he said. 

“Our Army, your Army, my Army is the most deployed 

army in the world,” said Seitz. “You are the leaders of this 

great Army. You are the gold standard throughout the world for 

a professional 

military. And you 

are the leaders of 

our most precious 

asset, the American 

Soldier. Take care 

of them and they 

will follow you 

where ever you 

lead.”

After the initial 

discussion about 

leadership, Seitz 

opened the floor to 

questions.

The general was 

asked about his 

mentors when he 

was a young officer 

just starting his 

career.

“My first company commander was a guy of the name of 

Capt. Jim Gavin (who later became the commanding general of 

the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II). He was my 

mentor. He counseled me many times,” said Seitz. “Some of it 

was good and some of it was correctional.”

Seitz told a story about Gavin when he was a company 

commander. According to Seitz, the battalion commander was 

upset about a situation that he wanted corrected immediately.

“At the morning formation I heard all of these company 

commanders raising hell and telling their companies at the tops 

of their voices they were going to straighten the Soldiers out.”

Seitz said Capt. Gavin took the report from the first sergeant 

and told the men in a calm voice what was going on.

“Men, I want to talk to you. Some of the units are letting us 

down. They’re not saluting properly. They don’t show the right 

spirit and we’ve got to work twice as hard. First Sergeant, take 

charge. I mean to tell you, that was it,” said Seitz.

According to Seitz, who eventually served under Gavin 

as a young battalion commander, Gavin was the same, calm 

commander in combat.

“One time I was taking a few licks in combat when General 

Gavin came up to me, told me in his soft voice what he expected 

and told me how I was going to accomplish the mission. He 

never even raised his voice,” said Seitz. “He was a man of 

integrity and a true leader of men,” said Seitz.

Living Legend Speaks To 

Leadership

25

Name, age and hometown

Arturo Z. Lincon, 38, Del Rio, Texas

How long have you been in the Army, have you enjoyed 

your time and why?

I’ve been in the Army for 10 years active duty and four 

years in the Army Reserves. I’ve enjoyed all 14 years mostly 

because of the people, Soldiers, NCOs and officers I’ve had the 

opportunity to serve with. I’ve also been able to see a variety 

of cultures, participate in exercises and visit different parts of 

the world.

Why did you join the Army?

Several reasons: to serve my country, career opportunities, 

benefits, retirement system and the chance to see other parts 

of the world.

What is your MOS and what do you do?

I am a multifunctional logistician in 541st CSSB. I am 

responsible for integrating the functions of supply and services, 

ammunition, transportation and maintenance for internal units 

as well as external units within the battalion’s area of support. 

What do you like best about your MOS?

The variety of areas you get to work in such as transportation, 

ammunition, maintenance and supply activities. The 

transportation branch is responsible for moving supplies, 

troops and equipment anywhere in the world. As such, you 

can specialize in ground transportation like rail and highway, 

port operations and even medium boat and heavy watercraft 

operations.

How will the skills you’ve gained help after life in the Army?

The skills and experience you gain as a logistician, 

especially in transportation, are always in high demand in the 

civilian sector. Ninety to 95 percent of all domestic freight 

in the continental United States moves by rail or truck. As 

long as there’s a need to move freight, there will always be a 

need for experienced transportation equipment operators and 

managers.

What training does the Army offer for this MOS and 

which have you taken part in?

The Army offers several dozen transportation courses, both 

resident and Internet based. I have attended the Transportation 

Officer Advanced Course, the Air Load Planner Course, Unit 

Movement Officer Course and the Transportation Coordinators’ 

– Automated Information for Movements System II course.

Behavioral Health 

Specialist

DCG Recognized

Soldiers, leaders and friends of the 1st 

Infantry Division gathered April 23 to say 

goodbye to assistant division commander 

Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins in traditional 

Big Red One fashion with a Victory 

Honors ceremony at the 1st Inf. Div. 

Headquarters.

Wiggins commanded the 1st Inf. Div. 

from July 2008 to April 15, 2009, when 

he was succeeded by Maj. Gen. Vincent 

Brooks. During the ceremony, Brooks congratulated Wiggins 

for his “outstanding” work during his time as commander.

Wiggins emphasized the pride he felt for those he worked 

with, claiming his success was because of those around him.

“I’ve witnessed first-hand the professionalism, 

resourcefulness and dedication of the Soldiers who fill the 

ranks of the Big Red One...and it has been a privilege to serve 

alongside you,” he said.

Wiggins has been assigned as deputy commanding general, 

Fifth U.S. Army North, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

84th EOD Deploys to Iraq

The Soldiers of Headquarters 

and Headquarters Detachment, 

84th Ordnance Battalion 

(Explosive Ordnance Disposal) 

cased their unit’s colors during a 

deployment ceremony April 21 at 

Fort Riley.

About 30 Soldiers with the unit 

deployed to Iraq for a 12-month 

tour. While deployed, 84th EOD Soldiers will be responsible 

for neutralizing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, 

Explosive (CBRNE) and improvised explosive device threats 

and conducting information to help defeat IED networks. They 

will also provide training and recommend materiel solutions 

to protect troops and assist Iraqi security forces in building 

sustainable security capabilities.

Foundation Awards Fellowship

The Cantigny First Division Foundation recently selected 

its first Cantigny Research Fellow. Michael Dolski, a history 

instructor at Ball State University, and a doctorate history 

candidate at Temple University, earned a $5,000 sponsorship 

toward completion of his Ph.D dissertation on “D-Day in 

American Consciousness.”

The Cantigny First Division Foundation offers research 

fellowships to history majors, graduate students, doctoral 

candidates and post-doctoral scholars. Fellowships are decided 

on the basis of using the history of the 1st Infantry Division 

to further the foundation’s mission. Applicants must submit 

a detailed research proposal, a cover letter and at least one 

letter of recommendation from the scholar’s current professor, 

faculty advisor or department chair. Interested persons should 

contact the executive director at (630) 260 8185 or info@

firstdivisionmuseum.org.

Maj. Arturo Lincon fills out paperwork as part 

of his job as multifunctional logistician. Lincon 

enjoys the variety of arenas his job allows him 

to work in.

“In The News”