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Fort Riley is home to 18,000 soldiers. The northeast Kansas post has been adding buildings since the 1st Infantry Division headquarters returned from Germany. The Army has invested more than $2 billion in new barracks, training areas and other support buildings, according to the Associated Press.

Army divisions stationed at the post are regular visitors to the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range just southwest of Salina, where soldiers train, at times jointly with other troops.

The fort has proven important to the economies of several outlying communities, including Chapman, Clay Center and Abilene, where military families often choose to live and work.

Odierno visited the Army post near Junction City to gauge the readiness of troops following a training exercise dubbed Unified Endeavor that involved roughly 2,500 military personnel from several nations and all of the U.S. services as they prepare to deploy to Afghanistan sometime this year.

"It's been a huge exercise. ... An intense, realistic command post exercise," he told the members of local and state media outlets. Media waited in assigned seats for more than an hour. The general spoke and took questions for less than 15 minutes.

Odierno said the troops are ready for their mission and praised the Big Red One for its "incredible service to the American people."

Soldiers showed their "ability to network" and prepare for their mission in the joint exercise. The date for the troops' departure for Afghanistan was not announced.

"There are no set dates, just expectations," said Breanna Walker, Army spokeswoman, Monday as personnel on post prepared for Odierno's visit, his first in a year.

-- Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by email at tunruh@salina.com.

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