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Fort Riley's Combat Aviation Brigade Takes Special Tour of Post on Horseback

By Sgt. Roland Hale

Ten first sergeants from Fort Riley's Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, took a special tour of the post on horses of the Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard.

The two-hour ride, which took the group to historical landmarks around Fort Riley, was organized as a team building event by the brigade's senior enlisted Soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Thomson.

First Sgt. Gloria Cain learns to ride a horse in a sandpit of the Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard on Fort Riley. Cain and nine other first sergeants assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, rode the color guard's horses on a historical tour of Fort Riley. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Roland Hale, CAB, 1st Inf. Div. PAO)

After a year in Iraq focused on their company's missions, many of these senior enlisted Soldiers have not spent much time interacting with each other.

"We've got 34 first sergeants, this was organized as an opportunity for them to come together as a team," said Thomson.

"Now that we're back on Fort Riley, we're focusing on their professional development and team building," he said.

First sergeants from Fort Riley's Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, gather around a member of the Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard during a historical tour of the post. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Roland Hale, CAB, 1st Inf. Div. PAO)

First Sgt. Shawn Mckay was one of the first sergeants who attended the ride. An air traffic controller by trade, Mckay said that although he thought he was "going to fall off a couple times," he appreciated the event for what it was.

"Doing something outside of a classroom, interacting with some of the guys I don't get to see very much; it was a great way to have a team building day," said Mckay.

A horse from the 1st Infantry Division's Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard on Fort Riley. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Roland Hale, CAB, 1st Inf. Div. PAO)

"I thought it built some camaraderie between us, and it was good to do some team building in a unique kind of way," said First Sgt. Jesse Vielma, who was not as worried about his horse.

The brigade has already scheduled two more horseback tours for its first sergeants, as well as Strong Bonds retreats for them and their spouses.