Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Whitney Houston | Maj. Gen. Michael Bills, commanding general of 1st Cavalry Division and Regional...... read more read more
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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Cavalry Soldiers on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, donned their black Stetson hats as they celebrated the 1st Cavalry Division’s 93rd birthday in a ceremony at the Regional Command-South headquarters Sept. 13, 2014.
The ceremony included a speech by Maj. Gen. Michael Bills, commanding general of 1st Cavalry Division, RC-South, a telling of the division history, a ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake with a saber and a barbecue to finish the event.
“It is a profound honor to command this great division at such an important time, with our troopers deployed around the world, from Afghanistan to Korea, and preparing to support our NATO partners in Europe … through two significant exercises in Operations Atlantic Resolve and Combined Resolve III,” said Bills, addressing the audience. “The fact that Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division are undertaking so many critical missions at this time in our nation's history, speaks volumes of the remarkable professionalism and abilities of our cavalry troopers, and we could not be prouder of the work everyone is doing.”
“Former vice chief of staff of the Army and 1st Cavalry Division commanding general, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, once proclaimed, ‘Wearing this First Team patch changes us all, to some extent. It makes us walk a little prouder and talk a little louder, because of the pride we feel for our unit. Wearing the largest patch in the Army inventory also brings with it a responsibility to be the best.’ I see that same spirit shown in our troopers every day and I am honored to be serving with them,” said Bills.
The master of ceremonies recounted the history of the 1st Cavalry Division from its activation on Sept. 13, 1921. The division was involved in every major conflict starting with World War II when it was nicknamed “First Team” by a former commander for being the first in Manila in February 1945. It also saw action in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, where it was designated the Army’s first “Airmobile” division, Operation Desert Shield, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“With the Army’s finest Soldiers and best equipment, the hard riding spirit of the United States cavalry is alive and well in the 1st Cavalry Division,” said the master of ceremonies, Capt. Jonathan Wood, an information operations officer with 1st Cavalry Division and RC-South. “The First Team remains ready to fight anywhere, anytime, and win.”
Following the ceremony and birthday cake cutting, the Soldiers enjoyed a barbecue of hamburgers and hot dogs.
“The great thing about the 1st Cavalry Division is its traditions. This is one of the things we really come together and do every year,” said Sgt. Maj. Mervyn Ripley, who said he’s been in the 1st Cavalry Division off and on for 14 years. “No matter where the division is—Vietnam, Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm, with the First Team in Iraq and Afghanistan— we’ve always provided a cake of some sort and a saber to remember who we are, and we cut it in a cavalry fashion.”
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2014 16:21 |
| Story ID: | 142079 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 903 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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