Thursdays monthly Military Affairs Council breakfast switched up locations this month and was held at the Riley’s Conference Center at Fort Riley.

CSM (Ret) Buddy Wallace, Executive Director of the Society of the 1st Infantry Division discussed what the society has to offer. He explained that the society was founded in 1919 and is open to former and current members of the 1st ID, as well as their family members.

Wallace said that the U.S. Army does a great job of taking care of soldiers and their families but sometimes soldiers slip through the seems.

“No matter how well you think an organization is, there is always a seem or a hole that somebody can fall into,” Wallace said. “We find a way to fill that hole, that financial hole, assistance that a soldier needs. There’s no support mechanism inside the military to try and fill that, so we step in to try and fill that.”

He gave an example that the military will pay for only a sponsor and a child to travel anywhere for such things as a medical appointment and not the entire family.

“I had no idea that eye cancer is such a big thing in kids today. We’ve had four different cases since I’ve been in this job that a soldier has to go from here to an eye clinic in Philadelphia to receive treatment for the child, whether it’s chemo or whatever they are doing for that child. There is no funding in the military to send the wife and family along with. Sending the family along with is phenomenal and so we fill that void.”

The society is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit and moved to Junction City approximately a year ago. They are located at 452 Grant Avenue in Junction City.