FORT RILEY, Kan. - The 1st Infantry Division headquarters organized using the Army's new modular warfare model was activated Dec. 12 at the division headquarters building.

The 1st Inf. Div. Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion unit colors were uncased by Lt. Col. Mike Childs, commander of the Defender Battalion, and Command Sgt. Major John Jones, the senior noncommissioned officer of the DHHB.

First Inf. Div. Chief of Staff Col. Ricky Gibbs then took the stage, giving a speech about the history of the division and the significance of the event to the Soldiers and Family members present. He pointed out that this was the first headquarters battalion structured under the Army's new modular design.

"It is a huge change, not just in this battalion, but in the way we do business in the Army," Gibbs said.

Gibbs praised Childs and Jones for their excellent work in the military, and welcomed them into their new roles as the leaders of the 1st Inf. Div. headquarters.

"We have a great team of leadership here today standing up this battalion," Gibbs said.

Childs followed after, thanking the command group for the opportunity to lead and expressing his pride in the chance to build a proud and effective unit to serve during a time of war. He stated that the activation of the battalion meant more than a change in how the division looks on paper.

"A unit is much more than (a Modified Table of Organization and Equipment or Tables of Distribution and Allowances)," said Childs. "It consists of Soldiers and Families. It lives and breathes and it has a history and a legacy."