News of the 1st Division of Foot, Fort Riley.

ALL SMILES Photo by Spc. Ben Washburn, 4th IBCT

Capt. Kirk Olson, Squadron Surgeon for 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div., flushes the ear of an Iraqi girl Sept. 11 at the Al Doura Clinic. Olson, a Darlington, Wis., native, was on hand to help Iraqi doctors and nurses
open the new clinic.

In other division news... a little sign of home.

'KODIAKS' RECEIVE SIGNS OF HOME By Capt. Louis-Philippe L. Hammond 70th Eng. Bn. FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan - After four months, a trip halfway around the world, and the strict negotiation between the staff of two local units, the 70th Engineer Battalion has finally brought a little piece of Kansas to Afghanistan. Street signs sent from Junction City to the "Kodiaks" have arrived.

The project started as a request from Chap. (Capt.) Brian Oh of the 70th Eng. Bn. to Junction City Mayor Mike Rhodes in the hope the unit could take several street signs to Afghanistan as a reminder of home. Instead of grabbing a few extra street signs, Junction City made five special street signs for the Kodiaks and presented them May 24 to then Rear Detachment Commander Capt. Mickey Morris. The signs, marked "Junction City KS," "6th St.," "Grant Ave.," "Washington St." and "Chestnut St.," were ready for shipment in June, but because of the Kodiak headquarter's remote location and a changing of the unit chaplains, the signs didn't arrive until mid August.

With the help of the Kodiak's new chaplain team, Lt. Col. Keith Shurtleff and Spc. Chris Patchen, the signs were officially set Sept. 5 on the streets of FOB Orgun-E. Since then the street signs have made their mark on the camp as Soldiers from the 70th Eng. Bn. stop and blink, not quite believing their presence.

"Last thing I figure to see would be Grant Avenue on the middle of camp or Washington Street when we drove in." said Pfc. Justin Weglinski, a gunner with the battalion Personal Security Detachment. More difficult than digging the holes for the signs has been changing the FOB's maps to reflect the new streets. Whether reflected on a map or not, the signs have already become useful navigational tools for the FOB's Soldiers. "You're looking for the laundry facility. It's right behind the Grant Avenue street sign the engineers put up," one Soldier was heard telling another.

Not only have the signs been a reminder of home for the Kodiak Soldiers, but they've also sparked an unwritten tradition on the FOB. Each unit will bring in their own street signs and leave one behind when they redeploy to add to the history of FOB Orgun-E. When the Kodiaks depart, the battalion will leave behind "Junction City KS" and "Washington St." as a reminder of their presence in Afghanistan.