Fort Riley Release
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Monté L. Rone, commander of the 1st Infantry Division and
Fort Riley, presided over a Victory with Honors Ceremony in which Col. Matthew J. Hardman and Col.
Travis M. Habhab accepted their new positions at Fort Riley, Kansas, Sep. 20, 2024.
Hardman, who formerly served as the Commander of Operations Group at the Joint Readiness Center,
will serve as the deputy commanding officer of maneuver for the 1st Inf. Div., while Habhab, who recently
worked in the Pentagon as the Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, will serve as the
division’s chief of staff.
“[Hardman and Habhab] optimize what it means to be an inspirational leader,” said Rone. “Throughout all
their assignments and duty stations they have continued to earn the respect and admiration of their
subordinates, peers and superiors alike.”
The ceremony recognized the pair’s military achievements and new duties that brings over fifty years of
combined military experience to the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley.
“From France to Iraq, this famous Division has brought excellence and courage, and I am beyond honored
to be a part of it,” said Hardman. “The Fort Riley, Junction City, and Manhattan, Kansas, communities
have an equally exceptional reputation, and in our short time here, we feel incredibly grateful for the
reception and hospitality, thank you.”
Hardman commissioned as an infantry officer upon graduating from Davidson College in May of 1997.
From there he went on to serve and lead light, airborne, stryker, and mechanized armor formations. He
served as a lieutenant in 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry, as a staff officer and company commander in 2nd
Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and then went on to serve in key staff assignments including
time as an executive officer/research director for the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Operation Iraqi Freedom
Study Group, the Brigade Executive Officer and Brigade Chief of Current Operations for 1st Brigade, 10th
Mountain Division, the battalion Operations Officer for 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry and as an assistant
professor in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in
history from Davidson College and a master’s degree in history from George Washington University.
“My measure of success is helping to make the people I serve with better, and the organizations I serve in
better, and I am eager to get started,” said Hardman.
Habhab, who graduated from Kansas State University and was commissioned into Army Aviation in May
of 1998, also holds accreditations from the Aviation Officer Basic Course, the Apache and Apache
Longbow Helicopter Qualification Courses, the Aviation Captains Career Course, Texas A&M’s MBA
program, Command and General Staff College, the Joint Firepower Control Course, the Air Assault
Course, and the United States Army War College.
“As I was reflecting on this assignment and the ability to help build a successful team that can fight and win anywhere, I thought of other leaders with strong ties to this area,” said Habhab, “One that came to mind was the legendary football coach Bill Snyder. If you don’t know him, he engineered the greatest turnaround in college football history, right down the road at K-State.”
Both Hardman and Habhab’s military tenure includes deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Our legacy is built on the sacrifices of those who came before us,” said Rone. “It’s our duty to uphold their honor and continue the mission with that same commitment to excellence.”
Rone continued, “[w]e are in an interwar period, a period marked by rapid changes in the character of war, an unprecedented advance in technology and tactical innovations. In response, the 1st Inf. Div. cannot wait to be told what to do. Instead, we are moving forward with a sense of urgency leaving absolutely nothing at rest. We must be ready when the nation calls, firmly grounded in our purpose which is to fight and win anywhere in the world.”
