Fort Riley Garrison Commander Col. Gerald Nunziato Jr. talked about 1st Infantry Division deployment shedules with Junction City, Geary County and USD 475 officials on Monday.
During a joint meeting at the C.L. Hoover Opera House he noted the 1st Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Europe for nine months in the June to July time frame. Most families with children in USD 475 schools are not expected to leave during the deployment period but the spouses of young soldiers with no children may return home. About 80% of the approximate 4,000 soldiers in the Brigade will deploy.
More deployments are planned in 2026 with some smaller contingents and one larger group. The lowest point for soldiers on post would occur next summer with about 6,000 to 7,000 and possibly 8,000 troops at the installation. The total troop allotment for Fort Riley totals in the 13,000 to 14,000 range. Approximately 50% of the soldiers would be gone at the peak of the deployments.
Nunziato noted that 800 to 1,000 soldiers will also be coming to Fort Riley.