Sgt. Justin Overton, DHHB, 1st Inf. Div., tries to out maneuver his opponent during the Victory Week Combatives Tournament June 12 at Fort Riley. The tournament included more than 50 competitors from across the division and Fort Riley. (Sgt. Michael ...
To celebrate the 98th birthday of the 1st Infantry Division, as well as the 240th birthday of the United States Army, the "Big Red One" will hold its annual Victory Week June 8-12 across Fort Riley. The week of ceremonies, family events and sports competitions honors the heritage, service and camaraderie of the Army's First Division.
The Victory Celebration on June 6 will function as a prelude to Victory Week. The 7 p.m. event will be held at Rally Point Field on post and feature live music, including the 1st Inf. Div. Band, food, carnival games and fireworks.
Unit sporting events will begin on June 8 with combatives, which will continue through Thursday. Beginning June 9, friends, family and the general public can cheer on Soldiers in 5 on 5 basketball, softball, soccer, flag football, golf, tug of war, arm wrestling, the Victory Warrior Competition, volleyball and the Mission Essential Fitness Competition. On June 10, competition begins for fishing, water polo, weight lifting, archery, color guard and the Army 10 Miler qualifying race.
Skeet shooting and a biathlon will take place June 11. Following the sporting events, the Victory Cup will be awarded to the unit who performed the best across all qualifying sporting events in a June 12 ceremony.
While Victory Week is a time for celebration, it is also a time to honor the sacrifices made by men and women who fell while serving with the division. Traditionally, the names of troops who died in the last year while serving with the division are etched into stones that are unveiled in Victory Park during Victory Week. With no new stones to add this year, all those from the 1st Inf. Div. who have made the ultimate sacrifice will be remembered in a Memorial and Rededication Ceremony at 9 p.m. June 9 at Victory Park.
Victory Week concludes June 12 with a division-wide run and Victory Cup awards ceremony.
As with all sporting events throughout the week, the public is invited to attend and cheer on their favorite battalions. The battalion with the highest number of points at the end of competition will win the coveted Victory Cup. Points are awarded based on finishes in the sporting events.
Social Sharing