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

Eyes of Texas witness Big Red One reunion

New resiliency campus opens in Basra
 Duty First! October 2010 

|1

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

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

self-discipline 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.

Duty First!

The Duty First is an unofficial publication pro-

duced under the provisions of AR 360-1, pub-

lished 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. Circu-

lation 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 317

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. Vincent Brooks

1st Infantry Division CSM

Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne

1st Infantry Division PAO

Lt. Col. Sophie Gainey

Editor

Anna Newman

Staff Writers

Jordan Chapman

Stephanie Hoff

Illustrator 

Justin Angeles

Photo by 1st inf. div. public affairs 

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great.

October 2010 | www.riley.army.mil

Cover: A 1st Infantry Division Soldier prepares 

ammunition for a day of training.

CONT E NTS

Departments

Features

Danger 6

Making life stable for 

Soldiers, Families Danger 7

Achieving victory means 

times of absence Danger Forward

New resiliency campus 

opened in Basra 

No path too difficult

Vehicle development keeps 

Soldiers moving forward

An evolving proposition

Soldiers benefit from continual 

evolution of weaponry

The sky is the limit

Helicopters raise the ceiling 

for infantrymen 

Light years in the making

Weaponry advancements 

keep light brigades spot on

A heavy responsibility

Heavy brigades pack some 

serious firepower

Reunited and it feels so good

Big Red One reunites 

Soldiers, veterans

23

84

14

12

24–25
Aaaahhh the smells and sounds 

of fall ... apple pies, piles of 

leaves, the cheer of the crowd 

at a football game, the soft scrapping of 

a climber tree stand, and the thwack of a 

bowstring and zip of the arrow, then the 

unforgettable thump of it hitting the intended target. Not only does fall bring 

some great traditional holidays, but it 

also brings the excitement of the hunt 

that outdoorsman cherish the most. Fort 

Riley and the Central Kansas Flint Hills 

community have begun another cycle of 

hunting. 

All summer long hunters are preparing for the opening day of whitetail deer 

season. Scouting begins as early as the 

last day of the previous season. Even 

though I’m deployed forward, I’m still 

preparing for upcoming season. I continue to shoot my bow and to the chagrin of 

my wife, my account at Cabelas continues to grow. Fort Riley hunters, both military and civilian alike, understand the 

unprecedented opportunities to harvest 

quality whitetail deer on Fort Riley. If 

someone is one of the fortunate and lucky 

few (I’m 0 for 5), they could have the opportunity to hunt one of the majestic elks 

that roam our great installation. 

Fort Riley has an incredible environmental and conservation team who is always willing to help newly assigned 

hunters or just someone who is starting 

out hunting with advice about the surrounding area. Alan Hynek and Shawn 

Stratton and their friendly staff of biologists like Steve Wahle and Mike Houck 

will be more than happy to help you learn 

about the permits needed and areas you 

are able to hunt at Fort Riley. Also, don’t 

forget to touch base with our game wardens. They will keep you on track with all 

the small details about hunting Fort Riley. 

It’s not uncommon to see one of them 

helping a lone hunter search for a deer lost 

or just helping him drag his trophy out of 

the woods. 

Another group you should link in with 

is the Fort Riley Outdoorsmen Group. 

Founded in 2005, with the purpose of promoting conservation and outdoor recreation on Fort Riley, this group organizes 

and sponsors hunts and tournaments and 

is a good source of information, as well as 

a way to meet other outdoorsmen. They 

are also your connection to hunter education certification, and the group is partnered with Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation 

and Ducks Unlimited. More information 

on this group can be found at www.fortrileyoutdoorsmengroup.com. 

Enjoy your time stationed at Fort Riley. 

There are few other places which will offer the hunting paradise you have right 

out your back door. On top of that, hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports are a 

great way to spend your down time. 

There is simply no better way to recharge 

your mind and spirit ... and add a few 

trophies to your wall.

Now ... get after it!

This time last year, we were preparing for to deploy the 1st Infantry Division headquarters 

and leadership from Fort Riley for the first 

time since 1990. Only this time, it would 

be without the rest of our subordinate brigades. We were also preparing to activate 

a rear command to step into the division’s 

leadership role to lead the units remaining on Fort Riley and continue working to 

make Fort Riley the premier division-level 

installation in the world. 

Since January 2010, when we went 

from concept to action, our division headquarters has been leading an historic effort in the southern half of Iraq and the 

rear command has been leading an historic effort at Fort Riley. We have one 

more quarter to go before we are reunited 

at our home in the heartland. Therefore, 

let me take this opportunity to put the 

past and future into context.

At Fort Riley, Brig. Gen. David Petersen and Command Sgt. Maj. Buddy Wallace, leading through the Fort Riley Mission Support Element and the Fort Riley 

garrison command, have been working 

diligently as they implement the Fort Riley 2015 Campaign Plan. 

For those of you not familiar with the 

campaign plan, it’s our plan to make Fort 

Riley the premier division-level installation in the world. You can find the plan at 

www.1id.army.mil/fr2015/. It’s a product we are proud of and will matter most 

when its objectives are attained through 

hard work and your support. 

Our challenge is two-fold: to restore balance in our piece of the Army after nine 

years of combat and set conditions for the 

future by securing additional resources and 

attracting the best Soldiers and civilian work 

force. To do this, we must ensure Fort Riley 

is no longer the Army’s best kept secret. 

Working in partnership with the Central 

Flint Hills Region—the military‘s most supportive community—we are committed to 

building the resilience of our Soldiers, Families and civilians, while developing and deploying trained, combat-ready forces. 

We will continue to pursue this vision 

through four primary goal areas: ARFORGEN (the Army effort to produce units for 

deployment worldwide on a continuous 

cycle of preparation, training, deployment, 

redeployment and reset), resilience, sustainability (taking care of the installation and 

environment over time) and community. 

Each of these goal areas has a series of actions and objectives to move us forward.

We have seen much growth on Fort 

Riley since the return of the Big Red One 

in 2006, and we anticipate more growth 

over the next couple years. By the end of 

2011, we will have about 15,000 Soldiers 

physically at Fort Riley—the highest level 

we’ve seen in the past several years. This 

should be viewed as the great homecoming. Interestingly, during my time in command there will not be one day in which 

all of the units of the Big Red One and our 

associated units on Forts Riley, Knox, Sill 

and Leonard Wood will be together. That 

time will come in late 2011.

The initial growth and construction happened at a rapid pace and we saw many 

improvements, from new child development centers to a $180 million renovation of 

Marshall Army Airfield and the establishment of the Army’s first Warrior Transition 

Barracks built exclusively for that purpose. 

Now we are taking those improvements to the next level. The Fort Riley 

2015 Campaign Plan builds on the resourcing we’ve received over the past 

three years of growth at Fort Riley. This 

plan is built on top of an already expanded Fort Riley and focuses our efforts 

through the end of 2015.

But the Fort Riley 2015 Campaign Plan 

doesn’t just focus on the installation. We 

have goals to work with our community 

partners to make improvements throughout the Central Flint Hills Region. Those 

improvements not only benefit Fort Riley, 

but our partner communities as well. We’re 

not aware of any other installation that has 

expanded its campaign plan to include 

their surrounding communities. This 

marks yet another “First for the First.”

We’re very excited about the future 

and what it holds for our post and the surrounding communities. We want Fort Riley and the Central Flint Hills Region to 

be a place that is no longer the best kept 

secret, but a desired location for Soldiers 

and Families to make their home.

I want to congratulate the rear command, 

Fort Riley Mission Support Element, the U.S. 

Army Garrison Fort Riley, the surrounding 

22 communities of the Flint Hills, and each of 

you for some impressive work there in Kansas. Only great organizations can accomplish 

major campaign tasks in two parts of the 

world simultaneously. I count as my greatest privilege the opportunity to be a part of 

these accomplishments with you. 

Duty First!

2| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |3

Commanding General DANGER 6 Command Sergeant Major DANGER 7

Excitement over the future Fun, relaxation and firepower 

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne
4| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |5

It wasn’t long after the official birthday of the 1st Infantry Division that its 

Soldiers set sail for the shores of Europe 

to help the Allies win World War I.

America’s sons first set foot on European soil at St. Nazaire, France, carrying 

the Colt Semi-Automatic Pistol M1911 

on their hips and the Springfield 1903 

slung over their shoulders, the standard 

for all American troops during the war.

Patterned closely after the German 

Mauser rifle, BRO Soldiers favored the 

.3-inch caliber Springfield for its wells t r a i g h t s h o o t e r s

The difference between the Big 

Red One Soldiers of 2010 compared to their June 8, 1917, 

predecessors is ... just about 

everything. Equipment has 

changed, different weapons 

are in use and battlefield communication has transformed 

the way battles are fought. 

balanced weight, totaling 8.6 pounds, its 

accuracy and sturdy form. A total of 

408,000 of these weapons, along with its 

multiple variants, were produced during the war.

Should Soldiers ever run low on their 

five-round Springfield magazines, they 

always had their sidearm handy. Considered to be one of the best in the world, 

it undoubtedly helped carry American 

troops to victory.

So heavily relied upon by the military, it wasn’t until 1936 that the Springfield was replaced by the first semi-automatic weapon to enter world-wide

(continued on page 6) 

Springfield 1903 ∙ World War I M1 Carbine Semi Automatic Rifle ∙ World War II US M14 Rifle ∙ Vietnam War US M16A1 Rifle ∙ Vietnam War US M79 Grenade Launcher ∙ Vietnam War

Photos Courtesy of the 1st Infantry Division Museum

BRO Soldiers benefit fromevolving weaponry
6| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |7

(continued from page 5)

service, the Garand Semi-Automatic M1 

Rifle.

Infantrymen suddenly found increased fire power at the beck and call 

of their trigger fingers, allowing them 

to fire their eight-round magazines 

quickly and efficiently, with the most 

skilled marksmen able to fire 30 rounds 

per minute to a maximum distance of 

656 yards.

Despite the Army’s original intent to 

make the Garand M1 standard issue to 

front line troops in World War II, it was 

the M1 Carbine Semi Automatic Rifle, 

which was to initially be issued to those 

in the rear, that commonly found its 

way into the hands of Soldiers who 

were leading the way, such as officers, 

paratroopers, noncommissioned officers, ammunition bearers and artillery 

observers.

Though the more compact Carbine 

had an operational range of only 273 

yards, considerably shorter than the 

Garand, the Carbine was 4.4 pounds 

lighter than its 9.6 pound sister rifle 

and could fire 45 rounds per minute 

out of a 15 round magazine. But that 

wasn’t all the mighty BRO Soldiers 

carried.

Yet even more powerful was a machine gun originally intended for the 

battlefields of WWI as a trench sweeping weapon, the Thompson M1928 Machine Gun.

Though the First World War ended 

before it could enter production, the 

“Tommy” gun found notoriety amongst 

the heroes and villains of the 1920s for 

its superior fire power, shooting .45 caliber bullets out of a maximum of 100 capacity magazines at 675 rounds per 

minute.

The weapon found extensive use in 

WWII, but weighed in at a heavy 10.7 

pounds and came with a hefty production price, a monetary problem that was 

solved by its replacement, the fully automatic M3 Machine Pistol.

Boasting 275 rounds of .45 caliber 

bullets per minute out of a 30-round 

magazine, “The Grease Gun” was modeled after the German MP38 and MP40 

Machine Pistols, which were often carried by German tank crewman. The M3 

was well liked in WWII for its compact 

nature and ability to use captured German .35 or 9 mm ammunition. More 

than 655,000 of these weapons were 

manufactured during the war.

It wasn’t until 1959 that the Army 

updated its standard rifle to the US 

M14 Rifle, which would be taken into 

the jungles of Vietnam, where BRO 

Soldiers found its 8.5 pounds to be too 

unwieldy in the thick brush. The moisture permeating the air also caused the 

weapon’s wooden stock to swell and 

affect its accuracy.

Despite the rifle’s drawbacks, Soldiers didn’t see its replacement, the U.S. 

M16A1, until 1968, when it was designated the standard infantry rifle and 

found much easier use in the jungle with 

its lighter weight, though BRO Soldiers 

found its one drawback being a constant 

need for cleaning and care.

Alongside those using the M16 were 

those wielding the single shot break action US M79 Grenade Launcher, commonly called the “platoon leaders artillery.” Though it could fire multiple 

forms of ammunition, such as anti-personnel, smoke, explosive, illumination 

and small dart-shaped projectile rounds 

commonly called “flechettes”, the weapon was replaced in the 1970s by the 

M203 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher 

because of its slow rate of fire.

In terms of infantry fire power, not 

much, trees included, could stand before the M60 United States Machine 

Gun—that is, when it worked. 

Though the weapon carried 600 

rounds to 900 rounds at a time, BRO 

Soldiers found the weapon prone to 

jamming when dirty and heavy at 23.15 

pounds. It was later replaced by the 

M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) 

which is still in use today.

Evolution of weaponry within the 

1st Inf. Div.’s 93 years of existence has 

been vast, and though the bullets and 

guns have changed, become more precise and more deadly, they are but tools 

augmenting what evolution will never 

change: the courage, tenacity, discipline and strength that every American 

attains while walking the halls of Victory in the 1st Inf. Div., which will forever lead straight to the hearts, minds 

and eternal memory of their grateful 

country. 

Photo Courtesy of the 1st Infantry Division Musuem

A 1st Infantry Division Soldier carries a 

M60 United States Machine Gun in the 

Vietnam War. 

STANDARD WORLD WAR I INFANTRY WEAPONRY 

Springfield 1903

.3 inches caliber

.3 x 6 inch cartridge

8.6 pounds

5-round magazine

656 yards

Colt Semi-Automatic Pistol M1911

.45 caliber

.45 x .9 inches cartridge

2.4 pounds

7-round magazine

55 yards

STANDARD WORLD WAR II 

INFANTRY WEAPONRY

Garand Semi-Automatic M1 Rifle

.3 inch caliber

.3 x 6 inch cartridge

30 rounds per minute

9.6 pounds

8-round magazine

656 yards

M1 Carbine Semi Automatic Rifle

.3 inch caliber

45 rounds per minute

5.2 pounds

15-round magazine

273 yards

Thompson M1928 Machine Gun

.45 inch caliber

.45 NACP

675 rounds per minute

10.7 pounds

20-, 30-, 50- or 100-magazine capacity

219 yards

STANDARD VIETNAM 

INFANTRY WEAPONRY

U.S. M14 Rifle

.3 inch, 7.62 mm caliber

.3 x 0.98 inches NATO Cartridge

8.5 pounds

20-round detachable magazine

874 yards

US M16A1 Rifle

5.56 mm caliber

.21 x 1.71 inch cartridge

7.8 pounds

20-, 30- and 40-round magazines and a 90-round drum

600 yards

US M79 Grenade Launcher

1.7 inch caliber

40 mm cartridge

Three pounds

160 yards

M60 U.S. Machine Gun

.308 inch, 7.62 mm caliber

.3 x 2.00 inch cartridge

23.15 pounds

600 to 900 magazine capacity

1200 yards

Weaponry for the 1st Infantry Division
8

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |9

Ahistoric division that 

was once powered 

by the individual 

horse, transporting its rider 

or carriage, has evolved into 

a military force with vehicles 

consisting of several-hundred 

horsepower and weighing 

approximately the weight of 

115 horses combined. 

Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter

courtesy photos

A “Huey” prepares to 

airlift members of the 2nd 

Bn., 14th Inf. Reg. in 

1966 during Vietnam. 

The UH-1 Iroquois 

helicopter, commonly 

called the “Huey,” 

provided troop transpor-

tation, medical evalua-

tion and fire support for 

ground troops during 

Vietnam. The aircraft is 

recognized as the U.S. 

Army’s main workhorse in 

the sky throughout the 

Vietnam War. 

(continued on page 10)
10| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |11

World War I

The 1st Infantry Division, then known 

as the 1st Expeditionary Division, was 

officially organized on June 8, 1917. The 

division’s first units set sail to enter 

World War I just 36 days later.

At the outset of World War I, the 

movement of artillery, ammunition and 

the vast array of needed warfare supplies for the Soldiers of the Big Red One 

remained highly dependent on the 

faithful horse and mule.

The motor vehicle industry was just 

entering its second decade of operation 

and was still primitive and evolving. As 

the first contingents of American forces 

set out for Europe, numerous automobile companies immediately jumped 

into action on creating vehicles suitable 

for serving its country’s Soldiers in 

combat. Companies such as Buick, 

Dodge, Ford, Cadillac, Hudson and 

Studebaker began modifications to their 

commercial vehicles that would enable 

them to provide beneficial services to 

the military forces. 

Throughout the duration of the BRO’s 

service in World War I, the division 

owned nearly 600 military trucks designed for various operations as well as 

more than 300 motorcycles. The vehicles 

not only assisted with troop movement 

but also the transportation of ammunition 

and additional needed supplies. 

Even with the vehicles, as the division commanded more than 27,000 Soldiers throughout the war, the BRO’s 

main mode of transportation consisted 

mostly of the unit’s more than 6,600 

horses and mules. 

The automobile industry’s strides in 

not only its modifications but the shortened production time of vehicles suitable for warfare may have not played a 

significant role during the first World 

War; however the improvements would 

prove exceedingly beneficial as the Soldiers of the BRO would once again be 

called upon to serve their country in a 

time of war. 

World War II

In November 1942 the 1st Inf. Div. landed on the beaches of Algeria in North 

Africa, marking the entry of the United 

States into World War II. 

Before its entry into the war, the U.S. 

Army focused heavily on manning itself with automobiles and military vehicles designed to improve the tactical 

mobility of its forces. 

The 1st Inf. Div. then commanded 

three infantry regiments, and boasted division artillery along with a tank battalion 

and two tank destroyer battalions. 

Army officials were quick to note the 

need for a four-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle. Recent modifications and 

prototypes of the original Jeep enabled 

the vehicle to become the primary light 

four-wheel drive vehicle utilized by the 

U.S. Army throughout the war. An average of 145 Jeeps was supplied to every infantry regiment. 

A vehicle that proved to be successful in the movement of infantry Soldiers 

was the M3 Half-Track Personnel Carrier. The body was armored with an adjustable armored shutter for the engine’s radiator and a bulletproof windscreen. Nearly 43,000 ‘half-tracks’ were 

produced throughout the war to serve 

the Army’s goal of finding a high-mobility infantry vehicle. 

Armed with M10 tank destroyers, a 

crew of five Soldiers could fire the machine’s three-inch gun and penetrate 

through four inches of armor from 1,000 

yards away. The American design of 

the M10 was equipped with turrets and 

lighter armor, to allow the machine 

more speed and agility than most enemy tanks. The M10 was the most populated tank destroyer utilized by the U.S. 

Army in World War II.

Most U.S. tank battalions included 

companies armed with M3 Stuart tanks 

and M4 Sherman tanks. The M3 Stuart 

tanks were the first tanks operated by 

U.S. service members in World War II. 

The light tanks were armed with a 

37mm gun and five machine guns. 

Once U.S. military leaders noted the 

Army’s need to transition to a larger 

more powerful tank, they began replacing the Stuarts with the M4 Sherman 

tanks. The ‘medium’ tanks were 

manned with a 75mm gun and were the 

primary tanks utilized by U.S. forces in 

the war. The tank’s size and ease of mobility proved useful in its movement 

across terrain German tanks could not 

traverse.

The immense advancements in the 

vehicle industry and the intensified use 

of military vehicles by the 1st Inf. Div. 

and U.S. military forces are recognized 

as one of the key players in achieving 

victory in what has been recalled as the 

greatest war of all. 

Vietnam

Before entering the war in Vietnam, 

the 1st Inf. Div. was reorganized as a 

mechanized infantry division. The division commanded numerous infantry 

and artillery battalions. 

The M113 armored personnel carrier 

quickly became the main workhorse on 

the ground as it slowly maneuvered 

through heavy thickets of the Vietnam 

jungles. The M113 consisted of new aluminum armor that made the vehicle 

lighter than its predecessors. The armor 

was additionally thick enough to protect the crew and passengers against 

small arms fire but light enough that 

the vehicle was transportable via air, a 

major advantage for the U.S. Army 

when trying to transport military equipment rapidly through the thick jungle 

environment. 

An almost constant noise and one 

that many BRO Vietnam veterans recall was that of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois 

helicopter. The helicopter was nicknamed the Huey from its original 

designation as a HU-1. During service 

in the Vietnam War, the UH-1 was 

used for various purposes. The aircraft was utilized to provide drop-off 

and pick-up of ground forces, medical evacuations and armed with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and 

machine guns it additionally provided fire support for ground troops. Although the UH-1 would eventually 

be phased out of service to the U.S. 

Army by the arrival of the UH-60 

Black Hawk, the aircraft is commonly 

remembered as serving as the U.S. 

Army’s main workhorse in the sky 

throughout the Vietnam War. 

The M48 Patton Tank was the principal U.S. Army tank utilized by the 

BRO’s armor Soldiers serving in the 

Vietnam War. The tanks were manned 

with an impressive 90mm gun and then 

state-of-the art fire control system. The 

tanks improved defenses proved successful in the protection from rocket 

propelled grenades, a constant threat 

throughout the Vietnam War. 

The vehicular advancements witnessed by the 1st Infantry Division and 

its Soldiers since 1917 have been immense and allowed the division to advance into a force that could take 

months to reposition to transporting 

thousands of Soldiers in mere days. The 

enhancements additionally made to the 

weapons installed on the division’s military vehicles have progressed from the 

simple rifle to a military vehicle capable 

of firing successfully upon a target more 

than 20 miles away. 

The vehicles utilized by the historic 

division and the U.S. Army have progressed immensely from the initial horse 

and cart and must be recognized for 

their role in creating one of the strongest 

military powers in the world. 

courtesy photos

U.S. Army Jeep from 1942

 The Jeep served as the primary light four-wheel drive 

vehicle used by the U.S. Army for missions throughout World War II. Several theories have developed 

throughout the years about the origin of the Jeep’s 

name. One speculation is built around the vehicle’s 

first classification as a ‘general purpose’ vehicle 

and was most commonly referred to “G.P.” by 

Soldiers. It is theorized the manufacture received its 

current name by the shortened pronunciation of the 

two initials by the Soldiers. 

M3 Half-Track Personnel Carrier

The M3 Half-Track combined tires and tracks to 

provide an armored vehicle that proved to be 

successful in the movement and protection of 

infantry forces. 

M3 Stuart tank 

An M3 Stuart tank conducts training in 1942 at 

Fort Knox, Ky. The tanks were the first Americanmanned tanks operated by U.S. service members 

in World War II.

M4 Sherman tank

An M4 Sherman tank from the U.S. 7th Army lands at 

Red Beach 2 on July 10, 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily. The vehicles were the primary tanks 

utilized by U.S. forces during World War II. 

M10 tank destroyers

1942 Jeep

A U.S. Army M10 tank destroyer fires a round in June 

1944 near Saint-Lo, France during World War II. The 

American design of the M10 was equipped with 

lighter armor to allow the machine more speed and 

agility than most enemy tanks.

(continued from page 9)
OH-58D KIOWA WARRIOR: The Kiowa Warrior is used to conduct 

armed reconnaissance, security, target acquisition and designation, 

command and control, light attack and defensive air combat missions 

and is in use today by the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment. The single engine, four-bladed helicopter can operate day and night by using 

its thermal imaging system, low-light television, laser rangefinder/designator and optical boresight system and is a versatile weapon on the 

battlefield with a maximum cruise speed of 128 miles per hour and 

equipped with two Hellfire missiles, seven Hydra 70 Rockets, two air-toair Stinger missiles or one .50 caliber fixed forward machine gun.

AH-64D APACHE: The 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment uses the Army’s heavy division/corps attack helicopter, brought into service in 1998 to conduct precision strikes against 

relocatable targets, armed reconnaissance in the day, night or within 

obscured battlefield and adverse weather conditions. The helicopter 

has a top speed of 167 miles per hour in combat missions, has a combat range of 300 miles and is armed with Hellfire missiles, 2.75 inch 

rockets and a 30mm chain gun.

CH-47D CHINOOK: Used to transport ground forces, supplies, ammunition and other battle critical cargo, the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment uses the CH-47D Chinook. The twin-engine, 

tandem rotor helicopter features an improved electrical system from past 

models, modularized hydraulics, triple cargo hooks, avionics and communication improvements and can carry a 19,500-pound load. The aircraft has a 1,522 feet per minute climb right, can carry 36 troops and has 

a sling load capacity of 26,000 pounds on the center hook, 17,000 

pounds on the forward/aft hook or 25,000 pounds working in tandem.

UH-60M/UH-60L BLACK HAWK: Replacing the UH-1 “Huey” in the 

world of utility tactical transport helicopters in 1979, the 2nd General 

Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment employs the fourbladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility UH-60L Black Hawk. With two 

pilots and two crew chiefs, the UH-60L has a cruising speed of 150 knots, 

can carry 2,640 pounds or 11 combat-equipped troops and provides 

battlefield commanders the agility to get to the fight quicker. Unlike the 

2GSAB, 1st Avn. Regt., the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation 

Regiment uses the newer, more electronic UH-60M Black Hawk.

12| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |13

Story by Jordan Chapman | Duty First! Magazine

Photo by 3rd ibct public affairs

Soldiers work a ground mission beneath a CH-47D Chinook helicopter. 

ONE PIECE of machinery used by Soldiers across the Army 

for transportation, air assault, support and reconnaissance 

is the helicopter. However the helicopter is used on the battlefield, it is one of the infantryman’s best friends and the 

sound of blades in the air always means help is on the way. 

Today, the battalions of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st 

Infantry Division employ four types of helicopters.

Helicopters provide infantrymen with needed 

reconnaissance, transportation & air assault

Spc. Roland Hale/Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Troth/Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Troth/Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Troth/Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs
14| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |15

Photo by sfc jake newmAN, IST INF. DIV. PUBLIC AFFAIRS

A Soldier from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team pulls security 

during a mission in November 2009. 

THEY DON’T FLY 1,000 FEET UP and they aren’t happy with 

working behind the scenes. They are the Big Red One Soldiers 

making up the 1st Infantry Division’s light infantry brigade 

combat teams, out in front, armed to the teeth and locked and 

loaded with some of the most technological and efficient weaponry known to man. Scared to face them? Most people are.

“Victory!” is their motto, and no wonder. Following are some 

of the most common rifles, mortars and automatic weapons the 

By Jordan Chapman | Duty First! Magazine Soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div. train with and use on a daily basis.

Locked & loaded, 

Big Red One's 

light brigades lead 

way to Victory

M-4 Carbine

A compact version of the M16A2, this 1997 introduced 

weapon enables BRO Soldiers the ability to operate in 

close quarters while at the same time engaging enemies 

up to 600 meters distant with an area target and up to 

500 meters distant with a point target. Using 5.56 mm 

caliber bullets and weighing 7.5 pounds, the weapon 

achieves more than 85 percent commonality with its 

cousin, the M16A2.
16| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |17

MK-19

A weapon not to be trifled with, the MK-19 Grenade Machine Gun can often be found on Humvees, 

5-ton trucks and select M88A1 recovery vehicles. It uses 40 mm ammunition, weighs 72.5 pounds 

and can be used against area targets up to 2200 meters distant.

M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)

Entering Army service in 1987 with the goal of deterring and repelling adversaries with accurate, 

lethal and direct automatic fire, the SAW packs a large volume of 5.56 mm caliber bullets at 750 

rounds per minute with a range of up to 800 meters. 

Mine Resistant Ambush Vehicle (MRAP)

Designed to survive improvised explosive device attack and ambushes, the MRAP first entered 

the services with the South African Buffalo armored personnel carrier. Today, the TSG/FPI Cougar, the smaller and lighter Mine Resistant Utility Vehicle (MRUV), and Joint Explosive Ordnance 

Disposal Rapid Response Vehicle are all used by the Army.

High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)

Brought into use in 1985 to provide infantry with a common light tactical vehicle to be used in all 

weather conditions and on the most difficult terrain, the Humvee is one of the most common modes 

of transportation in the Army. The vehicle’s high power-to-weight ratio, its four-wheel drive and 

high ground clearance all come together to provide troops with easy cross-country mobility.

M-240

In use within the United States since the mid-1980s, the M-240 has seen 

action with infantry units but is also known to be mounted on ground vehicles, water and aircraft. It uses 7.62 mm caliber bullets, weighs 27.6 

pounds and is effective for 800 meters against an area target and 

600 meters against a point target when on a bipod; and 

1,100 meters against an area target and 800 meters 

against a point target when on a tripod.

M-16 Rifle

A battle tested rifle, the M-16 has seen action since 1964. The lightweight, 

air-cooled, gas operated, magazine-fed rifle can switch between a semi-automatic and fully automatic weapon. It has seen many different models, including the M-16A1, A2, A3 and A4. Each version uses 5.56 mm caliber bullets and is effective at up to 800 meters against an area target or 550 meters 

with a point target.

Mortars

The M120/M121, M224 and 252 Mortars are the most common form of mortar 

found in today’s Army. The M120/M121 has a maximum range of 7,240 meters, a minimum range of 200 meters and can fire 16 rounds-per-minute for the 

first minute followed by four rounds per minute sustained. The oldest of today’s 

mortars, coming into use in 1978, the high angle M-224 Mortar was used for 

close support of ground troops up to 3,490 meters distant conventionally and 

1,340 meters using a handheld system. It can deliver 18 to 30 rounds-per-minute for one to four minutes and has a sustained rate of fire of eight to 20 rounds 

per minute. Weighing in at 91 pounds, the medium weight M252 Mortar can 

fire 25 to 30 rounds-per-minute for 2 minutes and has a sustained rate of fire of 

8 to 16 rounds per minute up to 5,935 meters distant.

M-2

A crew served machine gun, the M-2 is able to fire 550 .50 

caliber rounds per minute up 4.2 miles distant. This weapon, 

weighing 84 pounds, can be mounted on vehicles or fired on the ground.

Javelin

The first “fire-and-forget” shoulder-fired anti-tank missile to enter the Army 

in 1996, the 49.5 pound Javelin boasts a self-guiding tracking system and 

warhead design allowing ground troops to defeat all of today’s known tanks 

up to 2500 meters away.

Howitzers

Nearly threequarters of a ton 

lighter than the 

World War II-era 

M101A1 105mm 

towed howitzer, 

the M-102 and 

M-119 105mm 

Towed Howitzers 

are used to provide direct fire 

support to light, 

airborne and air 

assault forces. 

When emplaced, 

the M-102 howitzer’s high volume of fire, 

10 rounds-per-minute for the first three minutes, and the M-119 howitzers 

six rounds-per-minute for the first two minutes correlates directly with its 

lower explosive weight of its projectile. The M-198 155 mm towed howitzer 

has a higher explosive weight but can fire four rounds-per-minute for the first 

two minutes when it provides direct support to Stryker Brigade Combat Teams 

and direct general support fires to light and special purpose forces.

Jordan Chapman, Duty First! Magazine

Sgt. Jack Morse

courtesy u.s. army

courtesy photo

courtesy u.s. army

M101A1 105mm towed howitzer
18

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |19

WITH VEHICLES THAT CAN WEIGH 

more than 70 tons and the accompanying 

ammunition weighing in at nearly 100 

pounds per round, it’s not hard to see where 

the designation as a “Heavy Brigade Com-

bat Team” would have originated.

The 1st Infantry Division currently in-

cludes two HBCTs and the brigades’ Sol-

diers are trained on how to maintain and 

operate some of the fiercest weaponry 

owned by the U.S. Army. 

Big Red One Soldiers in HBCTs 

operate heaviest weapons on the field

By Stephanie Hoff | Duty First! Magazine

(continued on page 20)

Stephanie hoff, duty first! Magazine

Soldiers of Co. D., 2nd Bn., 34th Armor, 1st HBCT transport their 

tank, March 8, 2010 to fire a training round at Fort Riley’s Range 

18. The battalion’s Soldiers, along with the Soldiers of 1st HBCT 

returned to their tanks and various vehicles at the end of 2009 af-

ter spending nearly three years on Camp Funston training Service 

members assigned to the military transition team mission.
20

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |21

Bradleys 

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems 

are named after the late Gen. Omar 

Bradley, who served as the fifth, and 

last, General of the Army, as well as 

the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs 

of Staff. 

The Bradleys entered the Army in 

1981 and were designed to not only 

provide personnel transportation, but 

also to suppress and defeat enemy 

tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, infan-

try fighting vehicles, armored person-

nel carriers and more. 

There are currently two types of 

the Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems: 

the M2 and the M3. The M2 provides 

protected transport of an infantry 

squad on the battlefield and is used 

most often to close with the enemy by 

means of fire and maneuver. 

The M3 is utilized by cavalry 

troops and squadrons for reconnais-

sance, security and flank-guard mis-

sions. 

The Bradley is not only designed 

to provide personnel transportation 

but to also provide fire support to dis-

mounted operations and destroy en-

emy tanks and other vehicles. 

Abrams Tank

The Abrams tank entered the Army 

in 1980 and received its namesake 

from Gen. Creighton W. Abrams Jr. 

who became an armor officer during 

the development of the branch and 

who served in Vietnam and World 

War II. 

The Abrams is a main-battle 

tank with three variations: the M1, 

M1A1 and M1A2. Each tank is 

manned by a crew of four Soldiers 

that includes the tank commander, 

gunner, ammunition loader and 

driver. An Abrams tank can weigh 

up to nearly 70 tons and fire at a 

distance of more than 2,000 meters 

while traveling at speeds up to 45 

miles per hour. 

The Abrams is equipped with 

heavily-clad armor that can protect it 

from rounds fired by other tanks. In 

the event that the Abrams tank re-

ceives excessive damage, the tank is 

equipped with a fire suppression sys-

tem and armored compartments for 

ammunition storage that are designed 

to protect the crew from the tank’s 

own ammunition discharging. 

Paladins 

The M109A6 Paladin Howitzer can 

fire upon a target nearly 20 miles 

away and is generally operated by a 

crew of four field artillery Soldiers. 

The original M109 Howitzer joined 

the U.S. Army in 1963 and has since 

experienced vast improvements in 

survivability, a more dependable mo-

tor and more rapid, extended-range 

accurate fires. 

The M109A6 Paladin Howitzer is 

utilized to provide primary artillery 

support for the division's heavy bri-

gade combat teams and can fire a 

maximum of four rounds a minute. 

Armored Personnel Carrier

With more than forty years of service 

to the Army, the M113 Armored Per-

sonnel Carrier is one of the longest 

serving tracked vehicles. The M113 

APC now consists of a family of ve-

hicles, designed to provide reliable 

transportation of Soldiers or cargo 

and keep pace with the Abrams and 

Bradleys. 

The vehicle is not only capable of 

amphibious operations in streams 

and lakes but also extended cross 

country travel over rough terrain. The 

M113 FOV includes numerous varia-

tions of armored-tracked vehicles 

used in a variety of combat and com-

bat-support roles. 

TOW

One of the smallest and most versa-

tile weapons utilized by a Heavy 

Brigade Combat team is the Tubelaunched, Optically-tracked, Wire 

command-link guided (TOW) mis-

sile system. 

The TOW missile system is oper-

ated by two personnel and can be op-

erated in a dismounted ground mode 

as well as mounted to a Bradley Fight-

ing Vehicle and the Humvee. 

The system weighs just above 200 

pounds and can fire an armor-defeat-

ing missile, weighing more than 40 

pounds, upon a target more than 

3,500 meters away. 

The TOW system requires the gun-

ner to maintain the weapon’s crosshairs upon the target and the system 

then will send corrective information 

to the missile while in flight. 

Since its entry into the U.S. Army 

in 1970, there have been two varia-

tions of the TOW subsystem and five 

variations of the missile. 

M88

The M88 is the primary armored ve-

hicle utilized to support battlefield 

recovery of heavy tanks and other 

tracked combat vehicles. The M88A2 

has served the U.S. Army since 1997. 

There are two variations of the 

Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat 

Utility Lift and Evacuation System 

(HERCULES). 

The M88 is a tracked, armored 

vehicle designed to provide tow-

ing, winching and hoisting opera-

tions to support battlefield recov-

ery operations. 

The M88 is operated by three 

personnel. 

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photoStephanieHoff, Duty First! Magazine

StephanieHoff, Duty First! Magazine

StephanieHoff, Duty First! Magazine

(continued from page 18)
22| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |23

By Sgt. Cody Harding

1st Infantry Division PAO

BASRA, Iraq—Nine years of persistent 

conflict have placed Soldiers under a 

number of stressors as they continue 

their mission. Physical demands, emotional stress, family issues, spiritual 

challenges and social hurdles can increase the demands of an already stressful environment.

The Department of the Army is helping Soldiers develop their ability to be 

resilient and thrive in the face of these 

stressors with the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, and the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, deployed to Basra, 

Iraq, is working to improve the resilience 

of personnel in United States DivisionSouth while they are still operating in a 

combat zone. 

The first “resiliency campus” in 

southern Iraq was opened Sept. 9 on 

Contingency Operating Base Basra with 

a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The facility 

is the second resiliency campus in Iraq, 

the first being opened on Camp Taji two 

days earlier by the 1st Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade.

The Basra resiliency center was designed to strengthen the five pillars of 

the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program—physical, social, emotional, spiritual and family.

Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, the U.S. 

Army Director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, was the guest of honor for 

the grand opening. She joined Maj. 

Gen. Vincent Brooks, the 1st Infantry 

Division commanding general, and 

Command Sgt. Major Jim Champagne, 

the 1st Inf. Div. senior noncommissioned officer, to cut the ribbon and 

pronounce the campus open to service 

members on Basra.

Brooks said the resiliency centers are 

a symbol of action taken on the idea of 

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

“This is just a start,” Brooks said. “It really matters most when we apply [Soldier 

fitness] internally and we apply it to each 

person we touch. Then, we will be fit.”

This was Brig. Gen. Cornum’s first 

trip to Iraq since she was captured by 

Iraqi forces and subsequently rescued 

two weeks later during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. She spoke about the 

importance of resilience in today’s 

Army.

“We want people who are physically 

fit, emotionally strong, and this is an opportunity,” Cornum said. “So take advantage of it. It’s only a building unless 

people use it.”

The campus itself is made up of several buildings, each with its own purpose within the scope of CSF. There are 

internet systems to speak with Family, a 

bio-feedback room to help gauge stress, 

a spiritual reading room, a fully-functional gym and cross-fit area for Soldiers 

to improve their physical strength, and a 

break room and classroom for Soldiers 

to continue their education or study on 

their own.

Cornum said the CSF Program helps 

Soldiers by allowing them to share experience and improve themselves.

“I think that what Comprehensive 

Soldier Fitness does is make people better able to face any challenge,” Cornum 

said. “So they’re more amicable—they’re 

able to endure mission change without 

being resentful or being critical.”

Brooks challenged leaders to learn 

and understand the five pillars of CSF so 

they could assess themselves and their 

Soldiers.

“This is a milestone, like so many 

things,” Brooks said. “We don’t end 

here, we begin from here.”

By Sgt. Cody Harding

1st Inf. Div. PAO

BASRA, Iraq—Sgt. Brandon Maggart was sleeping when the sirens went off Aug. 22. Seconds after the warning, a rocket struck 

the roof of his housing unit at Basra. Fellow Soldiers of the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, rushed to his side to 

medical aid. He was removed from the room and rushed to the 

troop medical clinic emergency room.

Brandon Edward Maggart, 24, a husband 

and a father from Liberty, Mo., serving his 

second deployment as an air defense artilleryman with the 5th ADA Regt., currently serving under the 1st Infantry Division, was pronounced dead on arrival. 

Four days later, a memorial was conducted for Maggart at the post chapel. Hundreds 

of people came to say farewell.

On the stage, his commander, fellow noncommissioned officers and Soldiers stood side-by-side to talk 

about Maggart. From Capt. Lloyd Sporluck, commander of Battery A, 5th Bn., 5th ADA Regt., to Staff Sgt. Simon Cannon, Maggart’s platoon sergeant, the message remained the same – Maggart was a man of character and a person to emulate.

“Brandon was a man whose life could be summed up in one 

word—excellence,” Sporluck said. “In my years of military experience, I’ve never met a man of greater character.” 

Spc. Kandise Phillips, one of Maggart’s Soldiers, remembered 

her NCO’s contributions.

“As we all know, Sgt. Maggart was a great NCO, leader and 

friend,” Phillips said. “Spending the last eight months with him, I 

have learned he was just a kid. He loved to make everyone laugh 

and was always trying to make the most of every day.”

“Every time I had a question or needed something fixed, Maggart was usually the first person I asked,” said Staff Sgt. Richard 

Hauser, a platoon sergeant with Battery A. “In addition to being a 

great Soldier, Brandon was one of the rare people you meet that 

single-handedly raised the morale of the people around him.”

The end of the ceremony was marked by the last roll call, 

where 1st Sgt. Billy Lingar, senior NCO of Battery A, called the 

names of the sergeants in attendance. When he reached Maggart’s 

name, he called three times with no response. Outside the chapel 

three volleys of a rifle salute were fired to mark the passing of 

Maggart.

Maggart is survived by his wife, Teresa, and his 3-year-old son, 

Blake.

Unit, friends honor fallen soldier

New resiliency campus in Iraq 

Sgt. Cody Harding, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs

FROM LEFT: Sgt. Matthew Richards, 329th Forward Support Company, 3rd Advise and Assist 

Brigade, 4th Infantry Division; Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, 1st Infantry Division and United States 

Division South commanding general; Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness; Sgt. 1st Class James Padilla, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment; and Command 

Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, senior noncommissioned officer, 1st Infantry Division and USD-S; cut 

the ribbon to the entrance of the USD-S Resiliency Campus on Sept. 9. 

Basra center designed to 

strengthen five pillars of 

Soldier fitness program

Photos by Sgt. Cody Harding, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs

FROM TOP: Capt. Lloyd Sporluck, commander of Battery A, 5th Battalion, 

5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, speaks to the assembled Soldiers and 

leaders at the memorial ceremony for Sgt. Brandon Maggart on Aug. 24 

at Contingency Operating Base Basra chapel; Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, 

United States Division-South commanding general, front, and Command 

Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, senior noncommissioned officer of USD-S, behind Brooks, pay their respects to Sgt. Brandon Maggart; First Sgt. Billy 

Lingar, the Battery A, 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment 

senior noncommissioned officer, salutes the memorial to Sgt. Brandon 

Maggart after the ‘last roll call.’

MAGGART
24

| www.riley.army.mil Duty First! October 2010 |25

By Anna Newman

Duty First! Magazine

SAN ANTONIO—There were some 

lighthearted moments, some painful 

moments and some moments that 

won’t ever be forgotten as veterans and 

current Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Divi-

sion gathered in San Antonio for the 

division’s annual reunion. 

The reunion, coordinated by the So-

ciety of the 1st Inf. Div., allows those 

who have served with the Big Red One 

the opportunity to reunite with old bat-

tle buddies, make new friends and in-

teract with the unit’s current Soldiers.

Douglas Meeks, a Vietnam veteran 

of 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regi-

ment, and Headquarters and Head-

quarters Company, 2nd Brigade, is fi-

nally able to attend the reunions more 

regularly now that he has retired both 

from the Florida National Guard and as 

a school teacher. The reunion in San 

Antonio was the second he’s attended, 

but Meeks said he hopes to come more 

regularly now.

“I’ve always had a great affection for 

the Big Red One, and while I haven’t 

seen anyone I served with, I’m always 

glad to be here,” Meeks said.

During their time in San Antonio, at-

tendees to the reunion took several trips 

to nearby areas, such as the Riverwalk, 

and the Alamo. One trip took guests to 

the Center for the Intrepid, part of 

Brooke Army Medical Center. Four 

groups are treated at the state-of-the-art 

out-patient center: amputees, burn pa-

tients, limb salvage patients and spinal 

injury patients.

Rebecca Hooper, program manager, 

CFI, said that patients treated at the 

center have reached a stage in their re-

covery in which they need primarily 

out-patient care. The servicemembers 

are treated in a method similar to ath-

letes recovering from injuries. The cen-

ter has areas to assist with those with 

prosthetic limbs in adjusting to daily 

activities such as walking and reacting 

to crossing busy streets. There is also a 

natatorium, with both a pool and a 

Wave Rider, which helps build balance 

and core body strength. In addition, the 

center has a gym, walking track, a sim-

ulator to help amputees learn how to 

drive a vehicle, and areas to help them 

adjust to living or staying in spaces 

which are not handicap modified.

“I thought that tour [of the CFI] was 

absolutely great,” said Robert “Duke” 

Snyder, a Vietnam veteran of the 1st 

Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment. “Who 

would have ever thought they’d use 

surfing on a wave pool to help recover 

from injuries? You just don’t realize the 

things they’re doing for these guys.”

Soldiers from 1st Inf. Div. units also 

traveled to San Antonio to meet with 

veterans. Brig. Gen. David Petersen, 

deputy commanding general-rear, told 

veterans he hoped they saw something 

of themselves in the younger Soldiers 

of today. Bob Goodwin, a veteran of the 

28th Regiment, joked that he talked to a 

young “Black Lion” Soldier who said 

he’d joined the Army at 17.

“I asked him if he was old enough to 

be in the service,” Goodmon said. “And 

then I remembered that I, too, had to 

have my mother sign permission for me 

to join.”

For current Soldiers, talking with 

veterans was a learning opportunity.

“I enjoyed the reunion in Colorado a 

couple years ago immensely,” said Staff 

Sgt. Mathew Carson, 1st Bn., 16th Inf. 

Regt., 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team. 

“The cool thing about coming numer-

ous times is that these guys are friends 

of mine now. ... I’m a history guy, and 

this is better than reading any book.”

Soldiers and veterans also honored 

fallen members of the Big Red One dur-

ing a memorial service. 

“This morning we are gathered to 

commemorate the warriors of the 1st In-

fantry Division who have fallen in com-

bat,” said retired Lt. Col. Clark Welch, 

who served in Vietnam with the 28th In-

fantry Regiment. “We are here not so 

much to honor their deaths as to honor 

the lives that they lived. They once lived 

among us and were a part of us.”

While those who have died in all con-

flicts the division has participated in were 

honored, special mention was made of 

Ed Burke, former director of the Society 

of the 1st Infantry Division, who died just 

weeks before the reunion. A new director 

has not yet been named.

By Anna Newman

Duty First! Magazine

SAN ANTONIO, Texas—The statio-

nery was blue and the return address 

read University of Florida. Douglas 

Meeks, serving in Vietnam with 2nd 

Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 

knew it was a letter he would answer 

immediately.

Meeks wrote a letter that was pub-

lished in the Jacksonville Journal 

Newspaper asking for people to send 

letters. At Thanksgiving dinner, he and 

other members in his unit had read in 

Stars and Stripes that communities 

back in the United States were “adopt-

ing” units fighting in Vietnam. A few 

weeks later, he picked up his mail and 

found a whole packet of letters.

“We requested young ladies between 

16 and 30,” Meeks said. “We mostly got 

some kind old grandmothers.”

One letter caught his eye, though. It 

was written on blue stationery and the 

return address was from the University 

of Florida. 

“I answered it because I wanted to 

go to school there when I got done with 

the Army,” he said. 

The letter was from a young lady, 

named Sharon, who had seen Doug’s 

letter. 

“There was a coffee shop a lot of us 

went to. I went one day with a couple 

girlfriends, but we were early, so we 

bought a newspaper while we were 

waiting,” Sharon said. “One of the 

girls’ brother was playing in the local 

football championship, so she took 

the sports section. The other girl took 

the comics section and I got left with 

the front page. It just happened that 

was the section with his note asking 

for letters.”

The couple corresponded while 

Doug was gone, through letters, tapes 

and packages full of goodies. In one let-

ter, Sharon said Doug wrote to her 

about a particularly pretty sunset in 

Vietnam, and that was when she start-

ed to realize that he wasn’t just writing 

to her to ramble. When Doug returned, 

he wanted to meet Sharon.

“I didn’t really want to meet,” Sha-

ron said. “To me, I had just been doing 

my patriotic duty.”

But they did meet, something Sha-

ron described as “instant hatred.” They 

went to see a James Bond movie, in 

which Doug fell asleep. Doug contin-

ued to call Sharon after that date, how-

ever, and through some long, late-night 

phone calls the couple began to fall in 

love. They were married the day after 

Sharon’s last college class.

“She married a high school dropout 

a week before she graduated from col-

lege,” Doug said. “But thanks to her 

being willing to be a part of my life, I 

got through college and got a masters 

degree.”

After his time as an active duty Sol-

dier, Doug continued to serve his coun-

try as a member of the Florida National 

Guard, and recently retired from there 

as a sergeant major. 

Chance correspondence 

leads to love and marriage Anna Newman, Duty First! Magazin

e

Douglas Meeks, a Vietnam veteran with 2nd 

Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, found his 

future wife, Sharon, through a correspon-

dence program between communities and 

fighting units in Vietnam. 

Anna Newman, Duty First! Magazine

FROM TOP: Rebecca Hooper, program manager at the Center for the Intrepid, speaks to a group of 1st Infantry Division veterans and Soldiers tour-

ing the center on Aug. 27; Douglas Meeks, from left, Richie Voloshin and Jerry Blackwell flip through unit yearbooks during the Big Red One reunion 

in San Antonio, Aug. 25-29; a unit yearbook photo shows the Big Red One patch, cut into the Vietnamese jungle by the division’s combat engineers 

during Vietnam; Ray Albin, left center, a Vietnam veteran of the 28th Infantry Regiment, discusses a Vietnam battlefield map with fellow veterans 

and a current “Black Lion” Soldier.

Reunion gets 

high marks 

Soldiers (past and 

present) share 

memories of BRO 
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