‘Raider’ transitions to Stryker brigade

Col. Dave Hodne, commander, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, unfurls the colors of 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, for the first time as a unit assigned to the “Raider” Brigade during a conversion ceremony held on Founders Field, March 17, 2014. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Cantrell)

By Staff Sgt. Craig Cantrell

The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team officially transitioned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team during a ceremony held on Founders Field, March 17, 2014.

“We bid farewell to four of our battalions and welcome six new battalions to the ‘Raider’ Brigade,” said Col. Dave Hodne, commander, 1st SBCT, 4th Infantry Division.

Raiders from past wars attended the ceremony to watch the colors being cased and welcome the new standards of the brigade.

“One only has to briefly scan the history of this great brigade to recognize the significant contributions of these incredible Soldiers and the generations of Raiders that have gone before them,” said Hodne.

The Army announced in January that it would convert the brigade to a Stryker brigade.

Replacing Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles with lighter Stryker combat vehicles reduces heavy vehicle maneuvers and fuel consumption, and is expected to reduce dust and air pollution at Fort Carson. Additionally, the net number of Soldiers training at Fort Carson will be fewer than anticipated, because the action coincides with the inactivation of another BCT as part of the Armywide reductions announced in June.

The conversion is meant to achieve a needed operational mix of BCTs within the Army, and will take an estimated 10 months to complete.

The Stryker infantry carrier vehicle enables Soldiers to maneuver within the close confines of urban terrain, provide protection in open terrain, and transport infantry quickly to critical battlefield positions.

The eight-wheeled Stryker is the first new military vehicle to enter service into the Army since the Abrams tank in the 1980s.

“The Strykers are lighter than the tanks and provide us a degree of strategic mobility you don’t have in a tank formation,” said Hodne.