After 11 years stationed in Germany, the Big Red One, the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, was welcomed back to the Manhattan area Thursday night with a parade down Poyntz Avenue.

A crowd of nearly 500 gathered in front of the Manhattan Town Center plaza. Mayor Bruce Snead conducted the welcoming ceremony.

"The Manhattan community would like to welcome the new and continuing soldiers here this evening and look forward to the positive impact they will bring to our region and community," Snead said.

Snead also took the opportunity to introduce Fort Riley's new commanding officer, Gen. Carter Ham.

As part of his introduction, Ham said he felt "a bit out of uniform in Manhattan," at which point he replaced his beret with a K-State baseball hat to the cheering of the crowd.

"It's an honor for the 1st Division to be home, and there is no other place we'd rather call home," Ham said.

The Big Red One was stationed at Fort Riley for 40 years until the unit was transferred to Würzburg, Germany in spring 1995.

The division's recent return is expected to have a significant effect on the economy of the Manhattan-Junction City area, with an expected 14,000 soldiers and their families arriving in the area during the next five years.

After the speeches, the 1st Infantry band and Fort Riley's Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard made their way down Poyntz Avenue followed by all the soldiers in attendance.

"I've lived in Manhattan since before the Big Red One left, and this ceremony was a nice way to welcome them back," Grant Watkins, sophomore in mass communications, said.