The First Army Divisions East and West Conduct Color Casing and Deactivation in historic ceremony.
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill.— In a historic ceremony set against the backdrop of the historic Quarters One, First Army’s Division East and Division West formally cased their colors on July 8, 2026. The event marked a significant milestone, honoring the divisions' enduring legacy and a pivotal transition in the structure of First Army since their 2006 inception.
The casing of the colors is one of the U.S. Army's oldest and most profound traditions. A unit’s colors represent not only its identity and command authority but also the blood, sweat, service and sacrifices of the Soldiers who have served beneath them.Additionally, these formations represent the thousands of Soldiers that mobilized and were validated by both Division East and Division West’s Soldiers and Civilians over the years. By furling and casing the flags, the command officially signifies the deactivation or transition of the unit, formally consigning its current chapter to the history books.
For almost two decades, Division East and Division West have served as the tip of the spear for First Army’s core mission: enabling total force readiness. The two divisions have been instrumental in partnering with the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve, validating our citizen-Soldiers so that they can be ready to carry out our Nation’s peacetime and combat missions.
During the ceremony, senior First Army leaders recounted the divisions’ immense contributions to our Nation. Since their activations, both divisions have planned, coordinated, and executed the mobilization, training, and validation of hundreds of thousands of Reserve Component Soldiers. Whether preparing combat teams for overseas deployments to the Middle East, Europe, or supporting homeland defense operations, the seamless integration of active-duty trainers with Guard and Reserve units has been the hallmark of their success.
"The colors we case today represent a legacy of unmatched partnership,” Lieutenant General Mark Landes remarked during the ceremony. "Division East and Division West stood as the crucial bridge between peacetime readiness and wartime execution… This is due to the dedication of the observer-coach/trainers who wore these patches."
As each of the acting Division Command Sergeant's Major took the colors from the bearers’ slings, the flags were slowly lowered, furled, and encased.
While the physical colors are now retired, the enduring impact of Division East and Division West will continue to resonate across the total force. Its subordinate Brigades and First Army Headquarters will now carry on their legacy by continuously adapting to modern warfare requirements and geopolitical shifts to ensure that Army National Guard and Army Reserve units are fully equipped, trained, and ready to deploy at a moment's notice.
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