Col. Miles Brown, commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and Command Sgt. Maj. Larry Orvis, the brigade's senior noncommissioned officer, cased the "Dagger" brigade's colors during a casing ceremony Sept. 28 at Custer Hill Parade Field on Fort Riley, Kansas.
The casing ceremony was the first step in the brigade's deployment to Kuwait to conduct security cooperation, joint exercises and training with trusted regional partners.
"You just witnessed a ceremony that links us to our military forebearers, the casing of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, colors," said Maj. Gen. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley commanding general. "The colors represent the pride and fighting spirit of the men and women who serve under them. When the unit makes a change in duty location, the colors will travel with."
The deployment is the culmination of months of individual and collective training within the confines of Fort Riley to the deserts of the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
"They've conducted virtual gunnery, live gunnery and a great National Training Center rotation and they shared lessons learned with the rest of the division," Grigsby said. "The Daggers are ready for the challenges that await them."
The deployment is in accordance with the United States' longstanding bilateral defense cooperation with Kuwait while seeking to strengthen mutual interests in the region.
"The casing of the colors remind us that the Daggers will soon leave Fort Riley to take up a demanding task of training our partners and helping professionalize security forces throughout the Middle East," Grigsby said. "These Soldiers will miss many milestones, but their sacrifices are worth it. When our nation needed a unit to take this difficult mission, it called upon the Big Red One."
Loved ones of the Dagger brigade sat amongst the many military and local community leaders.
"Family members keep our Soldiers going throughout the most difficult times," Grigsby said. "Our Soldiers do what they do because they know they have strong families behind them."
Before ending his speech, Grigsby offered one last piece of advice to the Dagger brigade Soldiers.
"Remain brave, responsible and on point for our nation as you carry the legacy of the 1st Infantry Division, the Fighting First -- the best division in the United States Army," the commanding general said. "Carry it all the way to Kuwait."
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