Fort Riley, Kansas, is the home of the United States Army’s First Infantry Division. It lies about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Kansas City and covers about 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares). The Army set up the post in 1853 and later named it for Major General Bennett C. Riley, who fought in the Mexican War (1846-1848). Fort Riley is known as “the cradle of the cavalry” because many cavalry regiments were organized there, including Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer’s Seventh Cavalry.
See also Kansas (Places to visit) .
