Phantom 6 Visits The Big Red One

FORT RILEY, Kan. - Lt. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe, the commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, visited the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley on March 8, 2023, to tour the installation and observe the division’s Expert Infantryman Badge, Expert Soldier Badge, and Expert Field Medical Badge (E3B) qualifications.

Maj. Gen. John V. Meyer III, the commanding general of the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, welcomed Bernabe for his first visit to Fort Riley as the III Armored Corps commanding general.

“Fort Riley is an icon to the Army,” Bernabe said. “The timelessness of this base highlights the strength through tradition.”

Bernabe and Meyer visited the Training Support Center, where they discussed readiness, modernization, and the training resources available to 1ID and Fort Riley units.

Bernabe continued his tour visiting with Soldiers participating in E3B testing.

“The Soldiers are very motivated,” Bernabe said. “It is a great thing to see when everyone wants to push themselves.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher L. Shaiko, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. command sergeant major, spoke on the work and effort 1st ABCT leaders put into organizing and hosting E3B and how it supports the brigade’s long-term training plans.

“We want to maintain momentum,” Shaiko said. “We are not going to stop pushing training and development because E3B finished.”

Bernabe and Meyer commended the senior noncommissioned officers on-site for their planning and successful execution of the E3B training and testing.

After visiting the E3B testing lanes, Bernabe concluded his visit with leader development conference calls with Big Red One brigade command teams and division leadership.

“This is truly a great place to be,” Bernabe said. "The development of every Soldier on the individual level serves as a great model for the vision of III [Armored] Corps.”