A casing ceremony was held Wednesday morning for the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion as they prepare for a year long deployment.

During the ceremony Maj. Gen. Paul E Funk II, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley explained that the division has seldom been busier.

“We have 1st Brigade serving in the CENTCOM theatre as the reserve in Kuwait, 4th Brigade engaged across Africa, 2nd Brigade training for the National Training Center rotation, the 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and the 75th Fires reorganizing, and the 75th Fires preparing to deploy, and the mighty CAB flying over the central flint hills after returning from a successful rotation in Afghanistan,” explained Funk.

Approximately 200 soldiers with the 1st ID Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion will be deploying within the next couple of weeks to Baghdad and Irbil, Iraq. The remaining 300 DHHB Soldiers will deploy to the Central Command area of responsibility.

Funk explained that their mission will be to advise and assist the Iraqi security forces to enable a global coalition to defeat the Islamic State.

Funk said that when he found out about the mission he knew that the US Army wouldn’t have picked anyone else.

“This is the Nations 1st Division, we are in fact ready, we’ve been ready. We train to do this, this is what we get paid to do, and we’re good at it.”

Brig. Gen. Eric J. Wesley, the 1st Infantry Division’s deputy commanding general for support will take command of the Big Red One rear detachment at Fort Riley during the deployment.