Honored Division Week #9: Black Knights return to Michie to face academy rival Air Force, honor 4th Infantry Division with gameday patch

United States Military Academy at West Point:

"Army Football (5-3) returns home to face academy-rival Air Force at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Michie Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.

The Black Knights will honor the 4th Infantry Division with patches on the backs of their helmets when they face the Falcons. The recognition highlights the history, accomplishments and continued service of Army divisions as part of the Honored Division theme featured throughout the 2026 football season.

The 4th Infantry Division represents Soldiers and units stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.

History of the 4th Infantry Division The 4th Infantry Division was organized in November 1917 at Camp Greene, North Carolina, and was built around a cadre of Regular Army Soldiers.

Maj. Gen. George H. Cameron, U.S. Military Academy Class of 1883 graduate, was assigned as the first division commander, and the unit adopted the nickname ‘Ivy Division’ (for the Roman numeral 4, IV) and the motto ‘Steadfast and Loyal.’

By December 1917, approximately 13,000 troops were assigned to the division, preparing for service in World War I. Between April and June 1918, the division sailed for France, where it participated in the Saint-Mihiel Offensive. Following the Armistice, the division conducted occupation duty in Germany before returning to the United States in July 1919.

Followingaperiodofinactivation,thedivisionwasreactivatedatFortBenning,Georgia,inJune1940, receiving its full complement of troops by the spring of 1941. By the summer of 1941, the division was designated as a motorized division and incorporated into the I Armored Corps along with the 2nd Armored Division. In December 1941, 4th ID was stationed at Camp Gordon, Georgia. In the summer of 1942, Maj. Gen. Raymond O. Barton, USMA Class of 1912 graduate, took command of the 4th Infantry Division, which was no longer motorized. In January 1944, the division sailed for England, where they began training for D-Day.

On June 6, 1944, the 4th Infantry Division spearheaded the landing at Utah Beach and moved inland to relieve the 82nd Airborne Division at Sainte-Mère-Église. The division subsequently helped clear the Cotentin Peninsula and capture the port of Cherbourg. By the end of August, it had reached Paris before advancing through Belgium and into Germany. Along the way, the division attacked the Siegfried Line and fought in the Battle of Hürtgen Forest. When German forces launched their offensive in the Ardennes, the division shifted into Luxembourg to meet the threat. By the war's end, it had reached Bavaria.

In July 1945, the division returned to the United States, where it was preparing for service in the Pacific, when the war ended. In March 1946, the division was deactivated, being reactivated as a training division at Fort Ord, California, in July 1947. In October 1950, the 4th was redesignated as a combat division and in May 1951, it was deployed to Frankfurt, Germany, where it defended the frontier of freedom during the Cold War for the next five years.

The division returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, in May 1956 and underwent further reorganizations in 1957 and 1963 as the Army modernized its force structure.

In September 1966, the 4th Infantry deployed to Vietnam, headquartered in Pleiku, where it served until December 1970. In Vietnam, most of the division operated in the Central Highlands/II Corps area, but the third brigade served in Tây Ninh Province, northwest of Saigon in War Zone C. In May 1970, the 4th Division participated in the Cambodian Incursion, before returning to Fort Carson, Colorado, in December 1970. One battalion remained in Vietnam until January 1972.

From 1970 through 1995, the 4th Division was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, and was converted to a mechanized infantry division. During this period, the 4th participated in several REFORGER (Return of forces to Germany) exercises demonstrating the Army’s ability to rapidly project forces into West Germany to oppose a Soviet attack.

In December 1995, the 4th Division was reflagged at Fort Hood, Texas, when the 2nd Armored Division was deactivated, with one brigade remaining at Fort Carson. During this time, the division participated in the experimental/modernization program under Force XXI, testing new digital and communications gear, weapons and night fighting equipment.

Beginning in April 2003, the 4th Infantry Division began their first of many deployments to Iraq and later to Afghanistan, earning 10 combat streamers in those two countries. During that time in 2009, under the command of Maj. Gen. David Perkins, USMA Class of 1980 graduate, most of the elements of the division returned to Fort Carson from Fort Hood.

In November 2016, the division deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.

From the 4th Infantry Division to West Point Before arriving at West Point, Class of 2030 Cadets Filip Gacek and Brogan Keys, along with Maj. Natalie Basnight and Lt. Col. Boone Gilbreath, served in the 4th Infantry Division.

Cadet Gacek, who is an aspiring Russian major, served as a Combat Medic (68W) for more than two years from 2023-25 with the 4th ID as a line medic for an infantry platoon.

Serving in the division and wearing the 4th Infantry Division patch for Gacek “meant carrying the weight of a legendary lineage” that stretched from World War I to Vietnam and the Middle East.

“It was a great responsibility to honor that history and support my company in the fight every single day,” Gacek stated.

Gacek recalled the demanding training he completed with the unit, including going to the field 14 times and completing two Combat Training Center rotations.

“I met a lot of amazing individuals, from my fellow lower enlisted peers to commissioned officers,” Gacek said. “They developed me into the man I am today and helped me get to USMA.”

While at Fort Carson, Gacek credited leadership from the platoon to the brigade level, naming Capt. William Porter, 1st Sgt. Julian Pacheco, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Kennedy, Capt. Ryan Hunt and Capt. Anirudh Vadlamani as mentors.

As a line medic, he was often the only medical professional around when people got hurt during field training exercises, which helped give him more confidence in doing the job.

“Managing real world casualties, both life-threatening and non-life-threatening, gave me the confidence to pursue the commissioned officer path,” Gacek explained.

Cadet Keys came to West Point after serving two and a half years as a Paralegal Specialist (27D) in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps at 4th ID followed by a year at the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School. He plans to major in systems engineering, focusing on operations research with an emphasis in aerospace engineering.

Keys said that serving in the 4th ID remains important to him, especially when seeing so many people wearing combat patches and asking them what brigade they were in during their time there.

“I continue to build relations all because of a Velcro 2x2 square patch we shared,” Keys stated. “I did not go on a combat deployment, but we shared the weather and high tempo that came with Fort Carson.”

While with the 4th ID, Keys completed a rotation to Korea. His noncommissioned officer in charge encouraged the group to explore the country and make memories, even after long days of missions and training.

“He made us get out to see the country … with moments like getting out of training early to get to Seoul or going all the way to Busan from Camp Hovey sit closely to me,” Keys said. “That same NCO pinned my sergeant (e-5) rank, which was a big deal for me, seeing the relationships I made through many different organizations.”

While serving as cadre for West Point cadets training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Keys observed the Firsties’ training, and, in that environment, he began considering becoming a cadet and officer himself.

Coming to West Point was a seed planted by Col. Keith Benedict, USMA Class of 2003 graduate, who encouraged him to consider the academy when he was a young private first class.

“I always denied it, saying that I wanted to be enlisted for my career,” Keys stated. “He pushed me to go on a visit in 2024, which changed my thoughts about it. He is one of the big reasons I got to West Point.”

Another important person in Keys’ life was Sgt. 1st Class B.J. Sidarasavath. Keys enlisted at 18, leaving home for the first time, and Sidarasavath was a supportive guide.

“He helped teach me how to be an adult, and got me through the tough times,” Keys acknowledged.

Maj.Basnight,a2016USMAgraduate,isaninstructorintheDepartmentofMechanicalandAerospaceEngineeringatWestPoint,teachingcadetsacrossthreeclassyears.Shealsoservesasanaviatorinthe2ndAviationFlightSection,flyingtheCessna206insupportoftheaerospaceengineeringcurriculum.

“Our cadets first learn engineering principles in the classroom and then apply those concepts during flight laboratories, where they learn aerodynamics and aircraft performance first-hand in an operational aircraft,” Basnight said.

Basnight served in the 4th Infantry Division from 2021-23 as a captain, while first being the Assistant S-3 Operations officer for 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment and then later commanded Charlie Company, 3-4 AHB.

As a company commander, Basnight led an assault helicopter company responsible for supporting the 4th Infantry Division and 10th Special Forces Group through air assault, air movement and aerial resupply missions.

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“One of the most rewarding aspects of serving in an Assault Helicopter Battalion was the ability to directly enable the success of ground forces through aviation support,” Basnight explained. “A unique capability of our battalion was our proficiency in high-altitude operations. Through training and certification with the High Altitude Army Aviation Training Site (HAATS), our crews were prepared to safely and effectively operate in challenging mountainous terrain while supporting 4th Infantry Division missions.”

As for wearing the 4th Infantry Division patch, it was an honor for her to wear it and serve alongside Soldiers who “uphold the division’s proud legacy.”

“The organization has a rich history dating back to World War I,” she mentioned, “and being part of a team known for its readiness, professionalism and commitment to mission accomplishment was a privilege.”

Lt.Col.BooneGilbreathisanassistantprofessorintheDepartmentofPhysicsandNuclearEngineering,wherehedirectstheFundamentalsofNuclearEngineeringcourse.AFunctionalArea52NuclearandCounteringWeaponsofMassDestructionofficer,heoriginallybranchedOrdnanceaftercommissioningthroughROTCatArkansasTechUniversityin2008.

He served with the 1st Brigade Combat Team (Raider), 4th Infantry Division from June 2009 to February 2014, holding various positions that ended with him commanding Headquarters Company (Rear) (Provisional), 4th Brigade Support Battalion.

Gilbreath said he is proud to be a member of a division that played an instrumental part in the initial invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. As Gilbreath commissioned, Gen. Raymond Odierno, USMA Class of 1976 graduate, served as the Multinational Forces Iraq commander, and later as the Chief of Staff of the Army.

“Gen. Odierno commanded 4ID during Oif I and proudly wore the Ivy Division patch as his ‘combat’ patch throughout the remainder of his career,” Gilbreath said.

Gilbreath had the opportunity to lead troops in Afghanistan as a member of the same brigade that executed Operation Red Dawn, leading to the capture of Saddam Hussein, which for him was “a truly humbling opportunity.”

The first unit he served with and took pride in serving was with 7th Squadron, 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, as the 10th was one of the four original all-black “Buffalo Soldier” regiments.

“To this day, I proudly wear the 10th Cav’s Buffalo regimental distinctive insignia on my dress uniform,” Gilbreath expressed. “It is a reminder of my beginnings in the Army and the proud legacy of the 10th Cavalry.”

Gilbreath said his fondest memories of being in the 4th ID simply centered around the Soldiers and officers with whom he served.

“As the mantra goes: ‘The Air Force and the Navy drive equipment. The Army leads people.’ People are our biggest asset, and my first unit (7th Squadron, 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment) had a bit of a Band of Brothers feel to it,” he said. “The unit had more or less been together through the Iraq days and into our Afghanistan tour in 2010-11.”

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“It grounds the academy experience in the reality of our future service, honoring the grit and sacrifice of the active-duty Soldiers who are currently holding the line,” Gacek said.

Keys feels that the 4th Infantry Division has a comparable history to the big, well-known divisions like the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions.

“They have been through a lot and will continue to be one of the major commands, remaining steadfast and loyal,” Keys articulated. “Being a cadet now, I think back to all the experiences the 4th ID gave me with the multiple rotations and a quick pace, it prepared me to take on multiple things and be value-added in any organization I find myself in the future.”

Gilbreath believes that honoring any division on gameday affords the team and Corps of Cadets the opportunity to do independent research to “learn the roots of the division and the trajectory that division is traveling into the future Army they will lead.”

“Perhaps more immediately important in the mind of cadets,” Gilbreath added, “is it should encourage them to explore the division’s mission, structure and geographic location to determine if that is a wise choice for them on Post Night.”

As a West Point graduate, Basnight appreciates the significance of the gameday patch in a way that she could not fully understand as a cadet.

“It serves as a visible reminder of West Point’s purpose: developing leaders of character who will go on to serve in formations like the 4th Infantry Division and countless other units across the Army,” Basnight explained. “While our assignments in any particular unit may only last a few years, the impact we have on Soldiers can last much longer … those relationships, built through shared challenges and mission accomplishment, are often the most meaningful part of Army service.”

As a former 4th ID Soldier, she also sees it as meaningful that the division is getting recognized when she is the Army Rabble Rouser officer representative for the Army-Air Force game.

“My primary goal as an instructor, officer representative and mentor is to be a positive role model for cadets and to help prepare them for the leadership responsibilities that await them after graduation,” Basnight said. “Sharing lessons learned from my experiences in operational Army units is one of the most important ways I can contribute to their development as future officers.”

(Editor’s note: 4th Infantry Division historical knowledge was provided by Dave Siry, the director of the Center for Oral History at West Point.)"