The First Infantry Division Headquarters is soon to deploy to southern Afghanistan, and Wednesday on Fort Riley the division cased their colors for the journey.
“Today, as we case the colors, just as we did in 1955, 1970, 1991, 2006, 2010,” Major General William Mayville, 1st Infantry Division Commander, told the gathered at Fort Riley’s Calvary Parade Field Wednesday afternoon. “We know we have a tough mission in front of us as we prepare to command of Regional Command East in Afghanistan.”
Mayville called the area they were to deploy to a critical area and one of the more complex.
“Lots of tribal issues,” he told KMAN News. “Lots of different dynamics that you have to sort through. But a promising area and one I’m hopeful we’ll be successful in.”
The deployment marks the second overseas duty for the headquarters unit since the division’s flag returned to Fort Riley from Germany in 2006. The division staff spent a year in Iraq in 2010.
The primary mission for the First Infantry Division during the deployment will be to train Afghani forces to keep peace in their country.
Mayville’s full remarks during the ceremony may be heard in the above audio.
