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Kansas-based Fort Riley Troops to Assist in Developing Iraqi Security Forces and Afghan National Army Overseas

March 11, 2006

The Army is innovating its approach to developing Iraqi and Afghan security forces, in response to a mission support request from United States Central Command (CENTCOM), with small unit transition teams by assigning this mission to one specific division, the 1st Infantry Division, at Fort Riley, Kan.

Rapidly enhancing the capabilities of Iraqi Security Forces and the Afghan National Army to enable them to assume the leading role in counterinsurgency and security missions is a vital element in CENTCOM’s strategy for success in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, assisted by the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division until its modular conversion, will temporarily reorganize for this mission. Together, the two brigades will have a permanent force of 800 Soldiers who will annually organize, train and deploy approximately 3,500 to 4,000 Soldiers over the course of a year to serve on transition teams.

The size of each deployed team will vary based on its specific mission; however, they are generally composed of approximately 10-15 personnel. When the transition teams have completed their pre-deployment preparations, they will deploy and help develop Iraqi and Afghan forces under the command of the coalition headquarters for each country.

The 1st Infantry Division headquarters, which is preparing to relocate from Germany to Fort Riley, will oversee the training and deployment of the transition teams. The Division will continue to transform to its ultimate end state as a modular, full spectrum formation.

Consolidating this transition team mission at Fort Riley under a single commander enhances the care of Soldiers and their families, better supports Army personnel management, and provides highly trained, fully manned, fully equipped, and cohesive teams. This consolidation also allows the Army to sustain its strategic momentum in building modular formations and improves the Army’s global posture in concert with Base Realignment and Closure activities.



The Army expects this mission to last several years, during which Fort Riley will experience periodic surges in the population of Soldiers, civilians and Army families as team members arrive, train, and then deploy from the installation.

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Point of contact for this notification is Lt. Col. Carl Ey, (703) 614-2487, carl.ey@hqda.army.mil, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs.