More than 60 leaders and community members from across the state of Kansas formed a group dedicated to helping the 1st Infantry Division celebrate its 100 years of service over the next three years.
Eighteen members of the committee were present June 6 at Fort Riley for the 100th Anniversary Committee Charter Signing Ceremony to sign the document and pledge their support to the anniversary.
"We do so knowing that our cooperative and constructive planning efforts, communication and coordination is indispensable to creating a celebration worthy of the innumerable selfless sacrifices made by the brave men and women of America's first and 'Most Storied' division over the course of the last 100 years," according to the charter.
The team will participate in 100th anniversary planning activities, oversee the development of a comprehensive, community-focused rollout plan and work to increase local, regional and national awareness of the anniversary.
"We are here to celebrate not only the history that makes the 'Big Red One' the finest division in our Army, but also to celebrate the strong community ties that make Fort Riley and America's First Division the best place to live, train, deploy from and come home to," said Maj. Gen. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley commanding general. "Our story is still being written, and with your signatures, you all will be a part of our division's history."
Grigsby said he wanted to make sure the celebration was truly epic.
"It must capture the essence of the 1st Inf. Div., and we could not do it without strong community partners," he said. "I look forward to working with you over the course of this endeavor."
The ceremony came on the first day of Victory Week, an annual event that celebrates and honors the men and women of the Big Red One and the units' history and lineage. Victory Week 2016 coincides with the 99th anniversary of the formation of the division.
"This is a momentous occasion," said Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, one of the charter's signatories. "The Flint Hills of Kansas have never been greener, and our love for the Big Red One has never been greater."
Brownback said he hoped the division would host its 200th anniversary at Fort Riley as well.
"We're honored that the 1st Inf. Div. has its home here at Fort Riley and Kansas," the governor said. "I, for one, will be honored to be part of the 100th anniversary next year."
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