Major General Joseph Martin turned over command of the 1st Infantry Division to Major General John Kolasheski Friday morning at the Fort Riley Cavalry Parade Field.

During the ceremony accompanying the change of command Martin stated the 1st Inf. Div. has received a lot of accolades in recent years, and it’s because of what the Soldiers do every day. “We train hard to build readiness at Fort Riley, and there’s tank tracks and impact craters littering the training area at Fort Riley to prove it to anybody that wants to see it.

“Martin says building readiness is an idea that can only be fulfilled

 

when all members of the team are focused on the task. “Nothing that we do in the Big Red One is ever possible without the contribution of each and every Soldier in this division.”

Kolasheski said he was proud to once again be a Big Red One Soldier. “Brave, responsible and on point for the nation, serving in America’s 1st Division at one of it’s premier installations.” Kolasheski most recently served as

deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He previously served with the 1st Inf. Div. as the division’s deputy commanding general for maneuver from June 2015 to May 2016, and in various positions with the division from July 2001 to May 2005.