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‘Big Red One’ first division in U.S. Army to celebrate 100 years of service

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FORT RILEY, Kan. – Celebrating a day a century in the making, the 1st Infantry Division took time June 8 – the 100th anniversary of the “Big Red One” – to recognize and remember the past 100 years with a division run and a Victory with Honors ceremony at Fort Riley.

The commemoration began at 6:30 a.m. with a four-mile division run around the historic post’s Custer Hill. Thousands of 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley Soldiers ran the route, with Brig. Gen. Patrick Frank, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley acting senior commander, in the lead.

“To start off our birthday here with a division run was exactly how the 1st Infantry Division wanted to start today,” Frank said. “To have all of our Soldiers out here representing their formations – those legacy formations that have been a part of this division since 1917 – was the right way to start our birthday.”

Frank said being a Big Red One Soldier on the division’s milestone anniversary was unbelievable.

“To know all the Soldiers, the generations of Big Red One Soldiers that have gone before us, their contributions and service to the nation over that 100 years, and then the 5,000 Soldiers we’ve have currently deployed today across the globe, to include Maj. Gen. (Joseph) Martin and the division headquarters leading the fight against ISIS in Mosul, Iraq,” Frank said, “it’s pretty awesome to be a part of the 1st Infantry Division today.”

The acting senior commander spoke again later that morning at the Victory with Honors ceremony.

“Today, on the eighth of June, 2017, as the nation’s most storied division marks 100 years of service, there are 5,000 Big Red One Soldiers globally deployed,” Frank told the crowd of Soldiers and supports at the ceremony. “Each of these 1st Infantry Division Soldiers will render a salute today and proudly state ‘Duty First.’ The response from the 1st Infantry Division officer returning the salute will be ‘Victory.'”

Brig. Gen. Patrick Frank, Fort Riley and 1st Inf. Div. Acting Senior Commander

Frank said this, the division’s motto, is the essence of the Big Red One.

“Big Red One Soldiers are the driving force behind its history of battlefield victories,” Frank said. “Soldiers’ bravery and patriotic commitment to duty highlight every chapter in 1st Infantry Division history.”

During the ceremony, members of the Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard, wearing historic uniforms from World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm and other conflicts the division has engaged in since its 1917 inception, hung 43 campaign streamers on the division colors representing those battles, and the Soldiers who fought and sacrificed in them.

“It was an incredible opportunity,” said Sgt. Alycia Nabours, a trooper with the Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard who wore a Big Red One uniform from Operation Desert Storm during the ceremony. “It’s something that I can carry with me, as far as pride, and know what it means to be part of a really good and historic unit.”

The 1st Inf. Div. was initially constituted as the First Expeditionary Division in May 1917 before being officially organized in New York City on June 8, 1917, under the command of Brig. Gen. William L. Siebert. Though the Army had used temporary divisions since the Civil War, the Big Red One was the first divisional unit created to fight in World War I. The Big Red One is the first division in the U.S. Army to reach this milestone.

*all photos courtesy Fort Riley/1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

Geary Community and Children’s Mercy Hospitals Announce Agreement on Pediatric Specialty Clinic

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Major project partners from Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Geary Community Hospital, the R2B4 Bramlage Family Foundation and the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation.

A 7,000 square foot pediatric specialty clinic will be located in the lower level area of Geary Community Hospital.  Construction will begin in the next few weeks, with a projected completion date of spring 2018.

This will be a joint project of Geary Community and Children’s Mercy Kansas City. The clinic will include twelve exam rooms, three dictation pods, two treatment rooms, height / weight rooms, a nurses station and reception area.

Stacy Doyle, Vice President, Ambulatory Services at Children’s Mercy told JCPost.com that they have been in Junction City for quite awhile. “We’ve seen patients from the endocrine and diabetes clinics, also our cardiology clinics. So we’ve been in the community and wanted to expand in the community.”

Doyle reported last year Children’s Mercy saw more than 800 children from Junction City for a total of about 2,600 patient visits. “In the past year about six percent of Junction City kids have actually used our services. We want to be able to provide those services close to home. We feel like we can provide more specialties to more patients and really make an impact in the community.”

Dr. Joseph Stratton, CEO Geary Community Hospital, stated by the time construction begins it will probably be the beginning of August. The project completion date is spring 2018.

The four major project partners are Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Geary Community Hospital, the R2B4 Bramlage Family Foundation and the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation. Other community members have also donated to the project. Stratton said donations and pledges so far total $1,925,000. “Our figure for the project is right around there. We’ve had some discussion of raising more dollars if we could to have an endowment if you will, for future needs for these type of pediatric clinics.”

Doyle, Stratton, Bob and Theresa Bramlage and Geary Community Healthcare Foundation Executive Director Jolana Montgomery – Matney were all among the speakers during the press conference in the lobby of Geary Community Hospital.

 

JCHS Administrator recognized by Kansas Scholastic Press Association

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courtesy USD 475

Doug Sallee, Fine Arts & Human Services Academy (FAHS) Principal at Junction City High School was named the Kansas Scholastic Press Association’s Administrator of the Year for 2017.

The criteria for the KSPA Administrator of the Year is as follows:

  • Supports the Kansas Student Publications Act and the First Amendment
  • Provides adequate and appropriate financial support for student media
  • Understands the importance of journalism’s place in a complete secondary school curriculum
  • Encourages academic and professional growth, both for students and for journalism teachers
  • Provides personal support and encouragement for students and journalism advisers

Sallee was honored at the recent USD 475 Board of Education meeting.

KSU Head Football Coach to meet fans Saturday at DICK’S Sporting Goods

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It’s Customer Appreciation Weekend at DICK’S Sporting Goods in Manhattan and they’re celebrating with K-State Head Football Coach Bill Snyder.

DICK’S will host an autograph signing for Wildcat fans. Wristbands will be required to receive an autograph; there are 350 available on a first come first serve basis beginning at 9:00 am Saturday, June 1oth.

In addition, DICK’S will give away 100 logo chairs to the first 100 customers Saturday. Additional activities include a balloon artist and face-painting for Wildcat fans.

DICK’S Sporting Goods in Manhattan is located at 401 N 3rd Place.

GCH Farmers Market in full swing

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The Geary Community Hospital Farmers Market is open every Thursday through September 28th from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

The market is located in the front parking lot of the hospital and features vegetables, fruits, and various sweet treats.

SNAP families are able to use EBT benefits to purchase items at the market.

These photos are from Thursday, June 8th.

Weather Experts monitoring the skies for Symphony in the Flint Hills

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The forecast on Saturday looks sunny and clear for Symphony in the Flint Hills in Geary County…but this is Kansas, and pop-up storms are common.

Garry Berges, Geary County Emergency Management Director said that officials have created an action plan in the event of inclement weather.

“We have no shelter out there at the Symphony, so if we have a severe weather possibility coming in there’s a special action plan that takes place between the Weather Service, event promoters, myself and my staff as to what we do with the event,” said Berges.

The plan calls for different options such as postponing the event, or sending people to their cars for a period of time. So far, the weather forecast looks clear for Saturday.

“We started last Wednesday meeting with the Weather Service…we started that as they were doing the setup because we didn’t want them trying to out tents up or anything because it’s wide open,” said Berges who noted that the concern during setup was if there would be lightning strikes in the area.

“The Weather Service has been talking to us everyday, and tomorrow they will be bringing a meteorologist on-site in the afternoon to monitor the weather,” said Berges.

(Photo by Amy DeVault)

The National Weather Service in Topeka often sends meteorologists to big outdoor events.

“They had somebody out here last weekend at the biplane fly-in,” said Berges. “Anytime there’s a major event, especially where there’s people and not a lot of shelter area [we call them in]; we’ve got no shelter out there [at Deer Horn Ranch], technically there’s one road in and one road out.”

Over 7000 people are expected to attend the Symphony in the Flint Hills tomorrow at Deer Horn Ranch in Geary County.

Temperatures are expected to be around 90 degrees, with heat indexes near 97; those in attendance should wear hats and sunscreen, and drink plenty of water.

City Commission to consider RV Campground off Rucker Road

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The Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) has recommended approval of a special use permit to allow a recreation vehicle (RV) campground at 1510 Rucker Road.

Junction City Police Chief Dan Breci expressed concern regarding this recommendation.

“It is a beautiful road and I just hate to think that in the midst of all these new homes that we have out there – and right now where do they have to go, K-18 is closed, they’re all going up Rucker Road to get home – and I would hope that whatever you decide that it is controlled to where it isn’t a permanent fixture,” said Breci. “[I would hope] that somebody doesn’t come there with an RV and park it there for the next 20 years.”

Don Weeks, speaking on behalf of George Wright, informed the MPC that the residents are mostly transient; the Corps of Engineers moves people out of their parks during the winter and they need somewhere to go.

After the winter months the residents would return to Milford Lake.

The recommendation now goes to the Junction City Commission for their approval.

Geary County 4-H to donate mac n’ cheese meals to Summer Picnics

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Geary County 4-H in partnership with the Geary County Farm Bureau Association will be participating in an outreach program packaging over 10,000 macaroni and cheese meals on Sunday, June 11th.

The packaged meals will be donated for distribution during the Summer Picnic in the park programs that offer free meals to youth aged 0 to 18 at multiple locations over the Summer.

The packaging will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Geary County 4-H Senior Citizens Center in Junction City.

This community service project will allow the 4-H youth to have an immediate local impact regarding food insecurity issues in the community.

Sens. Moran and Roberts Applaud Senate Passage of Resolution to Commemorate the Big Red One’s 100th Anniversary

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today applauded Senate passage of their resolution, S. Res. 115, to formally recognize the 100th anniversary of the First Infantry Division – officially nicknamed “The Big Red One” – based at Fort Riley, Kan. The division was organized on June 8, 1917. U.S. Representative Roger Marshall (R-KS-01) has introduced a companion resolution, H. Res. 267, in the U.S. House.

“Since 1917, Big Red One soldiers have fought bravely and sacrificed to protect our nation from global threats,” said Sen. Moran. “On the 100th anniversary of the First Infantry Division, we honor the efforts of all who have served and continue to serve in the Big Red One to defend so many lives, protect our American ideals and preserve freedom for all.”

“Known around the world for their heroism and their distinctive ‘Big Red One’ shoulder patch, the U.S. Army’s First Infantry Division has led our fighting forces and protected our nation from threats around the world for 100 years,” said Sen. Roberts. “I am proud to introduce this resolution to recognize the valiant efforts of these men and women in uniform and to honor those of the First Infantry Division who have made the ultimate sacrifice during their service to our nation. As their motto states: ‘No Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great, Duty First!’ It is an honor to represent Ft. Riley and the First Infantry Division.”

As members of the first permanent combined arms division of the U.S. Army, soldiers of the Big Red One have been among our nation’s greatest fighting forces in conflicts around the globe since World War I. Big Red One fighting forces are memorialized at monuments throughout the United States and Europe, including Normandy, France, overlooking Omaha Beach and sites in Belgium and the Czech Republic as well as our nation’s capital on the White House grounds.

On Tuesday, June 6, the anniversary of D-Day, Sen. Moran visited the Big Red One Memorial in Washington, D.C. and paid tribute to Big Red One soldiers alongside retired former Commanding Generals of the 1st Infantry Division, including General Carter Ham, LTG Bob Durbin and LTG Kenneth Hunzeker.

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