Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located on the Kansas River between Junction City and Manhattan. The fort has a current population of 25,000 residents and was named in honor of Major General Bennett C. Riley who led the first military escort along the Santa Fe Trail. The base covers over 100,000 acres and is the home of the United States Cavalry School. During World War I, the fort was home to 50,000 soldiers. Fort Riley was constructed of native materials such as limestone and was built in the standard frontier post configuration. Troops were sent to protect the mail trains and travel routes along the plains. In early days of the Civil War, the fort was used to confine confederate prisoners. Fort Riley assumed an important role in the protection of the railroad lines being built across Kansas. Over time, the lessening of hostilities with the Indian tribes caused many forts to be closed, but Fort Riley escaped that fate because Lt. General Philip Sheridan deemed it to be the “Cavalry Headquarters of the Army”. The Fort was also used for militia and training exercises. A famous tenant was the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments known as the “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their similarity to the curly haired buffalo that roamed the plains.

Weather in the Fort Riley area tends to be hot in the summer with temperatures in the 80s and very cold in the winter with the temperatures in the 30s. Annual rainfall in the area is 32 inches with the wettest month being May. July is also the warmest month, and January is the coldest. Local housing options are available nearby in cities such as Manhattan, Ogden, and Junction City. Soldiers from Fort Riley continue to be deployed to areas all over the world. The soldiers have been involved in many peacekeeping missions. In 2006, Fort Riley began training Military Transition Teams from all branches of the Armed Forces. Training is done on how to train, mentor and advise Iraqi and Afghan security forces. Technical and tactical training, counter insurgency operations, and understanding the culture are all focal points of the program.