More than 150 Soldiers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, returned to Fort Riley on July 7 following a nine-month deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
The “Big Red One” headquarters deployed in October 2016 and assumed the role of Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve. In that role, the division headquarters provided command and control of Coalition troops training, advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.
While deployed, Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley commanding general, served as commanding general of CJFLCC. During that time, 1.8 million people were liberated in Mosul, Iraq, which has been under ISIS control since June 2014. Since October 2016, more than 350,000 children have returned to school in Mosul, 320 schools have reopened and 195,000 internally displaced persons have returned to their homes in Mosul.
Under the 1st Inf. Div.’s leadership, 30,000 Iraqi Security Forces Soldiers were trained and almost 5,000 square kilometers of ground was liberated in Mosul.
All members of Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Inf. Div., are expected to return by the end of July.