Units of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stand at attention during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. Changes of command were held for the 1st ABCT’s 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, the 2nd Battalion 34th Armor Regiment, and the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment. Changes of responsibility also took place for 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. and 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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FORT RILEY, Kan. – The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, held a combined change of command ceremony on July 15, 2022, at the installation’s Cavalry Parade Field following the brigade’s return from a nearly 12-month deployment to Europe.
The ceremony was held to honor outgoing and incoming commanders of 1st ABCT’s 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, and the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, as well as to honor the outgoing and incoming command sergeants major of the 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., and the 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt.
(Top center from left to right) U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew R. Kelley, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth P. Selby, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Joshua V. Owen, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul D. Godson, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Christopher Albanese, and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Samuel J. Nirenberg receive awards from U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John V. Meyer III and U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Christopher L. Mullinax, the commanding general and the command sergeant major of the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. The ceremony was held to honor multiple outgoing and incoming commanders and command sergeants major of battalions within the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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“This is a day of tremendous and often conflicting emotions for our outgoing command teams,” said U.S. Army Col. Brian E. McCarthy, commander of the 1st ABCT. “They should feel an incredible sense of accomplishment, yet also a bit of sadness as they hand off the battalion colors for the last time.”
The 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., outgoing commander, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew R. Kelley relinquished command to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew Bondi. U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Joshua Z. Perkins assumed responsibility of the battalion from U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Joshua V. Owen.
In June of 2021, the 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., “Iron Rangers”, deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to reassure our NATO allies and to deter hostile aggression. The “Iron Rangers” conducted operations in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, and Germany. As the geopolitical environment changed in February 2022, the “Iron Rangers” protected the NATO eastern front.
U.S. Army Col. Brian E. McCarthy (right), commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, passes the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, colors to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew W. Bondi (left), the incoming commander of the 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. The passing of the colors is a historic military tradition that symbolizes the transfer of leadership from one commander to another. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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The 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt., outgoing commander, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth P. Selby, relinquished command to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron E. Adams. U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Neal P. Cooper assumed responsibility from U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Christopher Albanese.
During the summer of 2021, the 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt., “Dreadnaughts”, deployed to Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to train alongside European allies. As the tip of the spear in training the Polish Army on the M1 Abrams tank, the “Dreadnaughts” set the stage for a more defensible Europe and a more robust NATO ally.
U.S. Army Col. Brian E. McCarthy (right), commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, passes the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., colors to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron E. Adams (left), the incoming commander of the 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt., during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. The passing of the colors is a historic military tradition that symbolizes the transfer of leadership from one commander to another. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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The 3rd Bn., 66th Armor Regt., outgoing commander, U.S Army Lt. Col. Paul D. Godson, relinquished command to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Noble B. Wonsetler.
The 3rd Bn., 66th Armor Regt., “Burt’s Knights”, recently redeployed from Lithuania where the battalion trained with soldiers and leaders from over 15 different NATO nations throughout Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany. The battalion’s efforts assured our allies, deterred enemy aggression, and defended the far reaches of NATO’s eastern flank.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul D. Godson (center), the outgoing commander of the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, passes the battalion colors to U.S. Army Col. Brian E. McCarthy (right), commander of the 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. The passing of the colors is a historic military tradition that symbolizes the transfer of leadership from one commander to another. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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The 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt., outgoing commander, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Samuel J. Nirenberg, relinquished command to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alex A. Aquino.
First organized in January 1776, the 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt., “Hamilton’s Own”, remains the oldest U.S. Army unit on active duty, and was led by one of the nation’s forefathers, Alexander Hamilton. The battalion has performed the role of indirect fires in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and most recently deployed to support our NATO Allies in Europe.
U.S. Army Col. Brian E. McCarthy (right), commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, passes the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., colors to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alex A. Aquino (left), the incoming commander of the 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt., during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. The passing of the colors is a historic military tradition that symbolizes the transfer of leadership from one commander to another. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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McCarthy bid farewell to his outgoing battalion commanders during the ceremony. “Matt, Ken, Paul, Joe, and I have commanded all three of the [Regionally Aligned Forces] ABCT missions and were a part of the response to the largest ground invasion in Europe since D-Day. I am honored to have stood there alongside you and your Soldiers.”
U.S. Army Col. Brian E. McCarthy, commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, bids farewell to outgoing battalion commanders and command sergeants major of his brigade and welcomes the incoming battalion commanders and command sergeants major, during a combined change of command ceremony, July 15, 2022, at the Fort Riley, Kansas, Cavalry Parade Field. Changes of command were held for the 1st ABCT’s 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion 34th Armor Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment. Changes of responsibility also took place for 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. and 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alvin Conley, 19th Public Affairs Detachment)
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McCarthy also embraced his new command teams. “To our new commanders, Matt, Aaron, Noble, and Alex, welcome to the team. We’re fired up to have you and are excited to see where this next chapter takes America’s First Brigade.”
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