Photo By Capt. Keith Thayer | Lt. Col. Timothy G. Blackwell (right), commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth W....... read more read more
FORT RILEY, KAN. - Leaders, Soldiers and families of 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, attended a colors casing ceremony April 10 at Cavalry Parade Field as the unit inactivated.
The lineage of the 2nd Bn., 32nd FA Regt., dates back to July 5, 1918, when it was first constituted and activated as Battery B, 32nd FA Regt., and will continue past this inactivation. The 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, will re-designate as 2nd Bn., 32nd FA Regt., 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, effective June 16.
“It has been an honor to serve as the battalion commander for the final two years of its presence here at Fort Riley, and it is an honor and a privilege to have our names cemented in the legacy that is the ‘Proud Americans,’” said Lt. Col. Timothy G. Blackwell, commander of the 2nd Bn., 32nd FA Regt.
Activated and assigned to 4th IBCT Jan. 16, 2006, and dubbed the Proud Americans, the unit participated in World War II, Vietnam and the Global War on Terrorism. Recently, the battalion participated in live-fire exercises, sling-load operations, a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and many other joint training opportunities within the brigade and across the division. Those training events provided Proud Americans Soldiers and with experience to take to their new units.
The 2nd Bn., 32nd FA Regt., benefited from partnerships with local communities including the Wakefield community and schools along with Bluemont Elementary and Woodrow Wilson Elementary. They also allied with the Kansas State University woman’s golf team, providing the battalion with interaction with tomorrow’s leaders and a way to build relationships between Fort Riley and the school.
”Your commitment to this unit and its mission over the years proves you are truly on point, not just for the ‘Big Red One’ or the Dragon brigade, but for our nation,” said Col. Peter Minalga, commander of 4th IBCT, to the Proud American Soldiers. “Each of you should be proud of the fact that you belong to an organization that serves to make a positive difference for something bigger than yourself, as generations of Soldiers have before you.”
The Proud Americans were the second of the Dragon brigade’s five battalions and one squadron to case their colors, an act the unit has performed multiple times over the course of its existence. This time it is a result of the Budget Control Act and the Army’s restructuring of divisional units.
Many Soldiers will be leaving the Proud American battalion and move to other brigades in the division. Others will tackle new experiences within the Army.
“You truly represent the best and brightest that our nation has to offer, and even though your battalion colors are cased and your 105mm howitzers have grown silent, the work you have done for this battalion will not be forgotten,” Minalga said.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2015 12:12 |
| Story ID: | 162156 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘Proud Americans’ celebrate 96 years of service, by SSG Takita Lawery, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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