The Officers of the First Division Dinner is a 98 year tradition; and for the first time, it’s being held in Fort Riley’s hometown – Junction City.

Retired Four Star General Carter Ham will be the featured speaker for the event on Saturday at the Courtyard by Marriott.

“This is the home of the Big Red One, and we wanted to have [the dinner] here this year instead of Virginia to really highlight that it is the Division’s 100th anniversary, and so we could also celebrate that with our soldiers and families here,” said Ham. “It’s special to those of us that have served at Fort Riley, and it’s special to those at Fort Riley that have not attended a dinner before.”

The dinner is for Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers that served in combat with the First Infantry Division.

Ham said the dinner is reunion of sorts for comrades with a special connection. “It’s about the history, and it’s about paying tribute to those that have fallen as well as those that have served, and we all have that in common that we served the Division and we served our country.”

The dinner began after World War I and was held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City for many years, before moving to the Nation’s Capital region (Arlington, VA).

Attendance at the annual dinner is expected to be near 400 guests, which would make it one of the largest gatherings in recent years.

In addition to the dinner, there are events planned throughout the weekend for the many attendees that include tours of Fort Riley and special dinners and events for those that served in different engagements throughout the Division and Army’s history.

The dinner is Saturday, April 29th.