Fort Riley and the First Infantry Division bid farewell to Acting Senior Commander Brigadier General Patrick D. Frank, but not before sending him off with a Victory with Honors ceremony.
Frank assumed duties as the Acting Senior Commander in October 2016 having previously served as the Deputy Commanding General for Support for the First Infantry Division (1ID).
A native New Yorker, Frank’s heart lies in Kansas.
“The intersection of Army values and Kansan values are what make Fort Riley such a special place to serve,” said Frank. “It is tough to leave the First Infantry Division.”
He and his wife Jennifer asked to come back to Fort Riley after previously serving in the 1st Infantry Division.
“I served as a Battalion Commander in combat with the Big Red One, I put battle streamers on the colors of the 28th Infantry Regiment – the Black Lions, that means a lot to me,” said Frank. “To look [in the crowd] and see those veterans that you served with when you were a Battalion Commander, a Lieutenant Colonel – that’s what it means to be a Big Red One soldier.”
The Victory with Honors ceremony ended with over 100 guests in attendance lining up to give Brig. Gen. Frank and his wife Jennifer their well wishes.
“Those people that came through the line today, they’re all the supporters of the 1st Infantry Division, so all of our families that live off post, our soldiers that live off post – they take care of them, they bring them into their communities and make them feel like they’ve been neighbors there for 20 years; that’s why it’s important for us to tell the community how much they mean to this Division.”
British Army Major General Doug Chalmers, Deputy Commanding General III Corps in Fort Hood, Texas, presided over the ceremony. He noted that Brig. Gen. Frank had a unique ability to connect with the community through his strong interpersonal skills and humble nature.
Frank will next serve as the Deputy Commanding General of the Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Taking his place as the Acting Senior Commander is Brigadier General William A. Turner, the Deputy Commanding General for Sustainment of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve, Baghdad.