The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, held a Triangular Design Ceremony to mark a realignment of forces Dec. 16 at Fort Riley. With this move, many Soldiers will start new careers in different battalions.
The ceremony recognized the deactivation of Companies B from 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, and the transfer of Company D from 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, to 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment.
The 1st Sqdn, 4th Cav. Regt., redesignated Co. D as Troop D and Lt. Col. Donald Laauwe assumed command in a separate ceremony following the Triangular Design Ceremony. Troop D will be bringing their tank capabilities to 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt.
"It's something new," said Spc. Brian Bowen, an M1 armor crewman gunner with Troop D, 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt. "It's a cavalry unit. They have a lot of different traditions and a lot of different opportunities that you wouldn't get in an infantry battalion."
As the Soldiers enter into a new unit, 1st Lt. Justin Boggs, Troop D's executive officer, said he looked forward to the new training and implementing new tactics on the battlefield. But he said goodbye to his old battalion, so the ceremony was bittersweet.
"I will miss the generalized brotherhood," Bowen said. "Just about everyone knows everyone. So with the switch, we have to learn a lot of new names, meet a bunch of new people, their jobs and what they do."
Staff Sgt. Padilla Francisco, a squad leader with 2nd Platoon, Co. B, 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt., expressed his sadness to leave his former unit. He has been with the unit since 2009 and deployed twice -- once to Kuwait and once to Iraq.
Capt. Jamin Williamson, the commander of Co. B, 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt., said the most challenging part was assigning Soldiers to new positions.
Retired Spc. 2nd Class Jorge Esquillin, an observer who served with 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt., in the Vietnam War, was a special guest during the ceremonies.
"The ceremony was fantastic," Esquillin said. "The new generation is doing fine, very well educated, has a lot of purpose and a lot of vision. This ceremony means a lot to me. It gives me the vitamin, the stimulus and the stamina that I need."
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