The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, cased their colors this week in preparation for an upcoming nine-month deployment to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

The casing ceremony was held in Victory Park next to the division’s headquarters building.

Approximately 3,300 Soldiers assigned to the “Dagger” brigade will deploy as part of the regular rotation of forces in that region, replacing the 3rd armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based out of Fort Carson, Colorado.

The Dagger brigade, led by Col. David Gardner, commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team and Command Sgt. Maj. Craig A. Copridge, will uncase the brigade’s colors in theater once it officially takes over the mission from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at the end of September.

Fort Riley Officials are reporting that a 1st Infantry Division Soldier was found dead in Junction City, Kansas, Sept. 4.

Staff Sgt. Garett Swift, a fire support specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div., was found deceased in his home by the Junction City Police Department. The JCPD and Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Command are investigating Swift’s death.

“The Soldiers of the 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt., mourn the loss of Staff Sgt. Swift,” said Lt. Col. Richard J. Ikena Jr., commander of the 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt. “The battalion will continue to fully support Staff Sgt. Swift’s family and teammates through these challenging times.”

Swift joined the Army in October 2006 and arrived at Fort Riley in November 2013. He was 37 years old.

Swift’s home of record is Charlotte, Michigan. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal.

Swift deployed to South Korea in 2007, Afghanistan in 2009, Germany in 2010 and again to Afghanistan in 2011.

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies – traveled over Labor Day weekend with Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy to Poland, Germany and Afghanistan to meet with U.S. Army soldiers, to assess their efforts in the European Deterrence Initiative, and to discuss plans for executing the administration’s strategy for Afghanistan.

 

“It was a privilege to travel overseas alongside Acting Secretary McCarthy to visit with soldiers and to listen to their experiences serving in Germany, Poland and Afghanistan,” said Sen. Moran. “The soldiers I met with are proud of their service and they see the difference they are making. I was honored to share my gratitude and appreciation on behalf of Kansans for their service to our nation. It was particularly memorable to meet with soldiers from Kansas, who exemplify Kansans’ love for family, state and country.”

 

“Part of my focus on this visit was to gather more information regarding the United States’ presence in Afghanistan and to determine whether we are on a path to success,” Sen. Moran continued. “I met with General John W. Nicholson – the Commander for all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan – to gain his insight regarding the enduring challenges in relation to the longest war in our nation’s history. There are major changes occurring, and this is a country that, under new leadership, is on the move toward a better outcome. There are 21 terrorist organizations concentrated in Afghanistan, and I believe we have an obligation to protect American lives from terrorists who still wish to harm us. Therefore, Afghanistan is where the war on terrorism has to be fought. Gen. Nicholson’s strong leadership, combined with the dedication of our servicemembers and strategically crafted diplomatic solutions, will further enable an Afghan government that is fully committed to fight and to win. I was honored to be among such selfless warriors, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will work to make certain they are trained, ready and equipped to face a number of threats against our nation.”

 

For background:

• Sen. Moran met with the following Kansas soldiers in Poland: SSG Joseph Nilges from Manhattan, SSG Kerry Lawson from Junction City, SGT Joshua Throener from Junction City, SGT Darbyzackery Comer from Manhattan and SPC Vivian Gianelloni from Manhattan.
• The Dagger Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley will also deploy to Poland in the coming weeks. Sen. Moran visited with soldiers that the Dagger Brigade will be replacing to better understand their mission.
• This was Sen. Moran’s fourth visit to Afghanistan as a member of Congress.

 

Ventria Bioscience broke ground Wednesday at their Junction City location on a major expansion project to roughly double the company’s capacity for production of recombinant proteins. The expansion includes the molecular biology lab, greenhouses, process development and analytical lab, and processing capacity.

Ventria is developing therapeutic proteins for potential treatment of human diseases. Ventria manufactures high-quality, defined, animal-free reagents and cell culture products which are marketed globally. Partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, Ventria also supplies a variety of recombinant proteins for development as potential new drugs.

Company CEO Scott Deeter said Ventria they make therapeutic proteins, “that are used to treat unmet disease, mostly gastrointestinal and infectious diseases. Those products are all in development and expanding today. We’re expanding our product pipeline so that requires a lot more lab facilities and more greenhouse space. ”

Deeter added they also manufacture components used to make vaccines and sell therapies and other types of medicines which are sold by other companies. Those components are sold into their manufacturing process which and that demand has increased. That, in turn, is requiring an expansion in Ventria’s manufacturing capacity.

Local community leaders attended the groundbreaking Wednesday afternoon. Ventria had 16 employees one year ago at the Junction City site. currently has 26 employees and plans to go up to the 28 to 30 range by the end of the year.

Jeff Childs will bring an end to a 32-year career with the Junction City Police Department when he retires on October 1.

Childs, who has been a Detective Lieutenant for the police department for many years,  plans to remain retired for only a short time. He will become a police law and public safety course teacher at Junction City around the first of November. On his retirement from the JCPD, he stated: “It was time, 32 years on the police department, sometimes you need new challenges, this will be a challenge for me.”

Childs noted he also enjoys working with kids. “That became available so something I had to think about real fast, and it really was an easy decision. It was just time to move on and do something different.”

Good weather and a big crowd were all part of the 108th Chapman Labor Day parade experience Monday afternoon.

According to the public address announcer, Bob Diehl, the parade through downtown Chapman lasted approximately 45 minutes. “The temperature held out for real good. It was 97 yesterday ( Sunday ) at this time and 83 today ( Monday ) so you can’t beat that.”

Diehl enjoys the Fort Riley Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard in the parade, “The Color Guard out of Fort Riley is my favorite supporting us so well and Chapman. I’ve been asking for them better than 20 years and I got them every year.” Diehl added they’ve also been supporting at the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Chapman. “You can’t beat that for a little town to get that kind of patronage from them.”

The grand marshal’s for the parade included longtime members of the American Legion auxiliary, Isadean Spangler and Virginia Adam.

The parade entries ranged from floats with the Chapman football team to horses, buggys and bands. A large crowd packed the downtown area to view the annual event.

Geary County Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges said the cause of a pig barn fire that resulted in the death of several hundred feeder pigs Saturday night is undetermined, but it was likely an electrical malfunction. The fire occurred on property owned by Phillip Goodyear at 10467 Humboldt Creek Road.

Authorities including Assistant Geary County Rural Fire Chief Curt Janke and a representative from the State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire on Sunday afternoon.

The number of feeder pigs that died has been reduced from approximately 700 down to 518. Berges said, “There were actually 518 feeder pigs in there. The initial call that came in said there were approximately 700. ” Berges confirmed the pigs were owned by F & R Swine of rural Dwight and were being housed at the Humboldt Creek Road location. “They’ve got an agreement with Mr. Goodyear to help take care of them as part of their operation.”

Berges also reported that the feeder pigs were valued at $30,000 with the building valued at $200,000, making the total loss $230,000.

The rural fire chief added that Goodyear will work with the Kansas Department of Health & Environment to dispose of the remains of the pigs, and Goodyear did had some insurance on the building.

A pig barn containing feeder pigs in eastern Geary County was engulfed in fire late Saturday night. According to Garry Berges, Geary County Rural Fire Chief, 911 dispatch received the call on the fire at 10467 Humboldt Creek Road on property owned by Phillip Goodyear. “Later on we learned that there were approximately 700 feeder pigs that were inside that ended up perishing due to the fire.”

The call was received by 911 dispatch at 10:14 p.m.  Eight Geary County rural fire units along with two support vehicles responded to the scene. Water support from Fort Riley Fire, Riley County Fire and Grandview Plaza Fire was requested and received. There were 20 Geary County firefighters and 12 firefighters from the mutual aid partners working at the scene. Berges noted that the fire was brought under control at approximately 30 minutes after midnight, with most of the firefighters released a bit after midnight, but three personnel and two trucks remained overnight until about 9:30 a.m. Sunday monitoring site.

Firefighters were able to protect an adjoining pig barn that housed an additional 700 pigs and two propane tanks that were in the immediate area.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this point, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called into assist Geary County Fire Investigator Curt Janke with the fire investigation. The ownership of the pigs still needs to be confirmed, and there is no dollar loss damage estimate yet on the building and the feeder pigs. Berges confirmed the investigation will be undertaken after authorities are able to get into the smoldering remains.