Photo By Spc. Joshua Holladay | A cake with the logo of the Year of the NCO sits after being cut for the celebration...... read more read more
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FORT RILEY, Kansas – The 1st Infantry Division celebrated its 106th birthday on Fort Riley, Kansas, June 8, 2023.
Punctuated by a ceremonial cake cutting performed by Maj. Gen. John V. Meyer III and Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher L. Mullinax, the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley command team, the event signified the long history of the Big Red One, a legacy of courage in battles fought the world over.
“Over 106 years this division has defended our country and the values that set us apart from the rest of the world,” said Meyer. “We were the first division to see combat in WWI, the first division overseas and the first to fight in offensive operations in Cantigny, France.”
Founded in 1917, the Big Red One is the oldest continuously serving division in the U.S. Army. Once referred to as the First Expeditionary Division and then the 1st Division, the unit was constituted on May 24, 1917 and was officially organized on June 8th a few weeks later under the command of Brig. Gen. William L. Sibert. From there the unit would go on to participate in every major conflict involving the U.S. Army.
Because of its place in American history, many Soldiers are humbled by serving in the Big Red One.
“Every day you come into work you want to be a part of that legacy,” said 1st Sgt. Jason Wright, first sergeant of the 1st Victory Reception Company, 1st Inf. Div. “To me, wearing this patch on my left sleeve is an accomplishment of its own knowing that we are helping build those Soldiers that are going to continue this legacy.”
Returning from a recent trip to France to honor Soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div. who fought and died on the beaches of Normandy, Meyer and Mullinax recounted the courage of Soldiers like Master Sgt. Charles Shay. Shay, who saved numerous Soldiers from drowning as the unit assaulted heavily fortified positions, exemplifies the legacy of selfless service that exists in the Big Red One.
“It is the Year of the NCO and I think it’s appropriate that today on the birthday of the division we should spend a few moments where we think back on the role of noncommissioned officers in the past 106 years,” said Meyer. “It was noncommissioned officers that led our Soldiers up those bluffs. When officers were killed, noncommissioned officers stood up, led from the front and said follow me then took those Soldiers up the bluffs.”
While highlighting the role of noncommissioned officers in the U.S. Army, the 1st Inf. Div. often looks to the past to drive it further in the future. This past year Soldiers continued the legacy of the 1st Inf. Div. in Europe after an eleven-month rotation to Eastern Europe as part of Operation Assure, Deter and Reinforce. In recalling the division’s time spent assisting NATO Allies and partners, Mullinax emphasized the duty of 1st Inf. Div. Soldiers to never forget the past.
“Those were American Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” said Mullinax. “There is nothing more beautiful than laying down your life for your brother or sister and that’s what they did. So, it’s our duty to memorialize them so they are never forgotten.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2023 22:25 |
| Story ID: | 446843 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Big Red One Turns 106, by SPC Charles Leitner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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