Courtesy Photo | Col. Peter G. Minalga, commander of the 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., stands at attention...... read more read more
FORT RILEY, Kan. - On the same field they stood on nine years ago, Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, cased the colors for the last time in an April 2 ceremony on Fort Riley ahead of the brigade’s June inactivation.
The brigade’s inactivation is part of Army leadership’s plan to reduce the overall number of Soldiers. The colors of five battalions and one squadron that make up the brigade will be cased in separate ceremonies in the next few weeks.
The 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., was activated on Jan. 12, 2006, at Fort Riley. Since then, the brigade deployed Soldiers twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. Between February 2013 and February 2014, more than 1,200 brigade Soldiers deployed in support of Regionally Aligned Force missions across the continent of Africa. Brigade Soldiers performed 113 Theater Security Cooperation missions and two multinational exercises and served as the East Africa Response Force at Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, during their tenure in Africa.
“The 9th Armored Division was a division formed for the sole purpose of WWII; akin to that, at the end of the war the 9th Armored Division ceased to exist,” said Col. Peter G. Minalga, the commander of 4th IBCT. “Its exploits none the less significant, just like 4th brigade. The contribution of the brigade to our nation and the global war on terrorism has been unparalleled.”
In addition to their warfighting accomplishments, 4th IBCT Soldiers became valuable community partners. The brigade Soldiers partnered with community members from Clay Center, Ogden, Wakefield, Riley and even Kansas State University during their time at Fort Riley. They also formed partnerships with students from 18 local schools. This gave Soldiers a chance to interact with young people and future leaders in local communities.
“From the friends made, community ties and partnerships developed and sustained, our formations and ‘Dragon’ families have taken great pride in the fact they’ve been welcomed with open arms into the hearts and lives of the citizens of the Flint Hills Region,” Minalga said.
The Soldiers that make up the brigade will be going to a variety of locations and units. Some will conduct a permanent change of station move to meet the needs of the Army, but others will conduct an intra-post transfer to units located at Fort Riley. Brigade members worked overtime to ensure that Soldiers departing the unit are fully trained and ready for any mission set their future unit may require.
“There is a legacy, a legacy of discipline and excellence that the Dragons will leave behind beyond just the nine years of service and sacrifice we’ve had during a period of war and our time on the continent of Africa,” Minalga said.
Although the brigade will soon be no more, it’s the history will live on. A record of the accomplishments and select historical items will be preserved at the Fort Riley 1st Infantry Division Museum.
“We will live on within the leaders and the Soldiers that will continue to serve here in this community, within the 1st Infantry Division and across the United States Army,” Minalga said.
The April 2 ceremony included the Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard and 1st Infantry Division Band. Brig. Gen. Eric J. Wesley, the division’s senior mission commander and Col. Peter G. Minalga, the 4th IBCT’s commander, gave remarks. Wesley also read a message from Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, division commanding general, who is serving in Iraq.
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2015 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 162170 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘Dragons’ case colors for inactivation, by SFC Aaron Duncan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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