DRAWSKO, Poland – U.S. Soldiers of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (1/1 ID) and the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division (1/1 AD), gathered together to hold a transfer of authority (TOA) ceremony, at the Drawsko Combat Training Center, Drawsko, Poland, on April 2, 2026.
Col. Matthew Kelly, commander of 1/1 ID said, “The thing that I am most proud of [during this deployment] is the development of leaders. The thing that is most important . . . is taking that time to develop individuals and the unit together.” The creation of new leaders is essential to warfighting readiness. It allows leaders to train and transfer knowledge to junior Soldiers, provide mentorship, and sustain maintenance of a capable and cohesive force.
The TOA was held to commemorate the end of the 1/1 ID’s deployment to Poland and officially transfer ownership of their mission to the 1/1 AD. TOA ceremonies are a time honored tradition designed to recognize the achievements of the departing command and their Soldiers. These ceremonies also provide a unique opportunity to introduce the new command to the environment and expedite networking and relationship building. An important feature in this ceremony is the casing and uncasing of the outgoing and incoming units’ colors (flags), which symbolizes the continuity of leadership.
While in Europe, 1/1 ID took part in armored gunnery and large-scale maneuver exercises like Combined Resolve in Hohenfels, Germany. This exercise focused on large-scale combat operations and fostered multinational cooperation. The 1/1 ID also carried out numerous combined arms livefire exercises, which involves the integration of armored, artillery and infantry units. By conducting joint training with partner forces, 1/1 ID is able to understand how their partners operate in the field and allows them to build joint tactics, techniques and procedures; in turn allowing them to create a more cohesive multi-national force with enhanced interoperability.
1/1 AD is focused and ready to continue building on the success of their predecessor and enhance their own operability. “Our nation called on the Ready First combat team to assure our allies and to reinforce NATO’s position along the eastern flank of the alliance,” Col. Bryan Frizzelle, commander of 1/1 AD said. “While here in Europe we have the opportunity to build our own readiness, through great training exercises… with our NATO allies.”