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Editorial: Bill treats service members fairly By The Oshkosh Northwestern October 15, 2009 It is refreshing to see the House of Representatives act on legislation that solves a problem without the partisan rancor that has been pervasive in Washington. The House gave a glimpse of its roots last week when it unanimously passed a bill co-sponsored by Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, and Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse that extends the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers to service members overseas. Read Full Story at http://www.thenorthwestern.com

Brig. Gen. Donald Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, and Maj. Jackie Guthrie, public affairs officer, hold an electronic town hall meeting. Photo by Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel

Commander holds town hall e-meeting for Guard families By Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel September 16, 2009 It's one minute before 7 p.m. and time for the adjutant general to meet with families of the 3,600 Wisconsin National Guard members deployed overseas. Brig. Gen. Donald Dunbar would prefer to meet everyone in person, but with soldiers and airmen from throughout the state now stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan, the logistics of visiting all their families in all their communities makes that impossible. Like everyone else, the military is embracing social media such as Facebook and Twitter as a way to stay in touch. On Tuesday night, Dunbar, the state's top military commander, conducted an electronic town hall meeting, the second since 3,200 members of the 32nd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq this year. Read Full Story at jsonline.com

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Faces of the 32nd

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32nd Infantry Battalion Combat Team

Click To View High-Res Photo Coming around the far turn: Across the 32nd Brigade November 19, 2009 The 3,200 men and women of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team have accomplished a lot during their time in Iraq so far: big accomplishments like closing the largest detention facility on Earth at Camp Bucca; small accomplishments like winning the flag football championship at Camp Cropper. And wherever they are serving in Iraq, Red Arrow soldiers are making a difference. Here is what some of our units want their Wisconsin hometowns to know about their service in Iraq - the big things, the small things, and all of the individual and organizational accomplishments in between. Full story and photos

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Wisconsin National Guard ground, air commanders meet in Iraq November 8, 2009 IRAQ - While more than 3,200 Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team have their boots on the ground in Iraq, some of their fellow Guardsmen from the state's Air National Guard have their jets in the sky overhead. It isn't often that aerial support for Army Guard ground troops comes from an Air Guard unit from the same state, but for the past two months about 300 members of Wisconsin's Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing are in Iraq with about a dozen F-16 fighters. The two top commanders - Army Guard Col. Steven Bensend and Air Guard Lt. Col. Erik Peterson - met at an air base in Iraq as the fighter unit was nearing completion of its mission here. Full story, photos and video

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Bucca's best come out 'guns blazing' for competition November 3, 2009 CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - With speed and precision, Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Benzshawel, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 17th Fires Brigade took home top honors in this year's 3-Gun Competition at Camp Bucca Oct. 17. The Appleton native edged out the closest of 69 other competitors by 2.19 seconds. Airmen, civilians, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines from across Camp Bucca demonstrated their proficiency wielding a variety of weapons to include the M-9 pistol, M-4 carbine and M-500 shotgun in hopes of earning top bragging rights as the camp's top marksman. Full story and photos

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Wisconsin Guard has key role in Baghdad's future October 26, 2009 With a few pen strokes and hugs, and two very large keys, the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team officially transferred two large properties inside Baghdad's International Zone back to the Iraqi government. "In terms of square footage of habitable structures, Essayons and Freedom Compound are the largest we've turned over so far," said the 32nd Brigade's Maj. Gregory Schlub, officer in charge of real properties for Joint Area Support Group-Central in Baghdad. The two properties, formerly used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, total 35 acres and about 380,000 square feet of building space. They include 650 apartments, three business towers, a museum and seven villas. Full story, videos and photos

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Food, fun and football link families with deployed Soldiers October 21, 2009 Families and friends of the Wisconsin National Guard gathered at the Alliant Energy Center Sunday (Oct. 18) to Tailgate with the Troops - the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, that is. Thanks to modern technology and lots of community support, more than 2,000 family members feasted on brats, hot dogs, pizza and chips and watched the Green Bay Packers cream the Detroit Lions - with their deployed Soldiers. The event, "Tailgating with the Troops" was sponsored by Serving the 32nd, a private organization whose mission is to bring together the people of Wisconsin to say "thank you" to the Soldiers and families of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Full story, videos and photos

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Coming off the backstretch: Around the 32nd Brigade October 15, 2009 IRAQ - The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team continues its mission on the ground during a time of historic transition in Iraq. Soldiers there are deeply involved in turning territory back over to the Iraqis as well as building public works projects, sometimes with not much more than Wisconsin ingenuity, for Iraqi residents. Read the comprehensive report on the latest developments for the 32nd IBCT online here. Full story and photos

CAMP ASHRAF, Iraq - With 27 units spread throughout a country the size of California, the commander of the Wisconsin National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade, Col. Steven Bensend, can't just hop in a Humvee to visit his troops. Instead, he orders up a couple of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and takes key staff members along by air.

On one recent visit, Bensend's Black Hawk helicopters dropped into Camp Ashraf, where soldiers from the Arcadia and Onalaska-based Company C, 1-128th Infantry are serving at Forward Operating Base Grizzly. Company C is charged with operating observation points, escorting distinguished visitors in their area, providing personal security details for meetings and movements outside the FOB, and performing resupply patrols.

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It is a thank-you to the Portage community in the form of cotton candy, balloon animals and snow cones. The 132nd Brigade Support Battalion Family Readiness Group will host a carnival for children on Saturday at the Portage Armory, where the brigade is based.

"A bunch of us came up with this as a way to give back to the community because they have done so much for us. Before the soldiers left, the Portage High School band participated in the send-off, and the mayor came out," said Janet McCamey, leader of the 132nd FRG.

Read Full Story at PortageDailyRegister.com

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BAGHDAD - With 3,200-plus Wisconsin National Guard troops in Iraq, there was a lot of interest here in the Packers regular season opener. The trouble is, we're 6,282 miles and eight time zones away from the Frozen Tundra. But in Baghdad, about 30 troops from the Guard's 32nd Brigade got up early (way early) to watch the game, which was broadcast live on the Armed Forces Network beginning at 3:15 a.m. Baghdad time. Related stories and photos Click To View Video

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BAGHDAD - Hands frantically tearing at tape and cardboard; an ear-to-ear smile; the excitement of not knowing what is inside; the joy of knowing somebody cares enough to send something. It sounds like Christmas, but it's not. It's an eager soldier opening a care package. Troops all over Iraq get care packages from groups or anonymous individuals, but 2nd Lt. Johnathan Meyer, an officer who screens applicants for entry into the International Zone in Baghdad with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, has known the woman who sent this package since he was a toddler. Story, video and photos

At FOB Bucca, there are several permanent infrastructures originally built to sustain Army forces and missions. These include a brick factory capable of producing up to 1 million bricks per month, an ice plant capable of producing up to 45 tons of ice per day, and a Waste Water Treatment Plant with the ability to sustain a population of over 50,000 people.

In addition -- and most importantly -- we are also currently overseeing the completion of a new water treatment facility capable of producing 2 million gallons of water a day. FOB Bucca is located above the largest aquifer in the region. The new water treatment facility is able to drill down to the water, retrieve it, and then treat it so that it is drinkable. While deployed here, our goals are not only to see through the completion of the construction of this water treatment plant but also to complete several projects that will provide local cities/villages direct access to our water, waste plant, brick, and ice factory assets in the near future. We also intend to provide the vocational training required to sustain these assets after our departure.

Story and photos at wismilblogs.blogspot.com

Dirt polished to a dull sheen by the passing hands of generations of schoolchildren covers the bottom 3 feet of hallway walls in the Umm Casr, Iraq, elementary school. Above the dirt line, grammar and math exercises are scrawled on the sand-colored walls. The children have no paper. Virtually every window in the school is broken, the incoming sunlight illuminating a jumble of broken school desks piled in the middle of the classroom.

For Wisconsin Army National Guard Maj. John T. Oakley of Appleton, the image solidifies his resolve to rebuild the school into a positive learning experience for children.

Story, photos and video at Green Bay Press Gazette.com

More than seven months after they entered active duty in the U.S. Army - and now about halfway through the time they will spend in Iraq - the 3,200 men and women of the Wisconsin National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are focused on missions ranging from transporting detainees from what was once the largest theater internment facility in the country... to securing forward operating bases... to furnishing a shabby school in Umm Qasr... to transferring Baghdad's International Zone back over to the Iraqi government.

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West Salem High School senior Catey Greenwood is heading up an effort to let members of Wisconsin's 32nd Infantry Brigade - currently stationed in Iraq -know that they are not forgotten. Greenwood's efforts are part of her senior exit project. "I'm hosting a support group for teens whose family members are currently overseas and we are also creating care packages to send over to the 32nd Brigade by Christmas," Greenwood said. The brigade is in Baghdad, and it's deputy commander is her father, Col. Mark Greenwood.

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Wisconsin Guardsmen hold the hill in Iraq August 27, 2009 CAMP BUCCA, Iraq - Moving several hundred detainees across Iraq is a daunting task, but for two Wisconsin Army National Guard companies it's just another day. The two companies, Janesville's Company A, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion, and Fond du Lac's Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, stationed at Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq, are responsible for transferring detainees from Bucca to theater internment facilities further north. These movements are part of the consolidation of TIFs and the eventual turnover of operations to the government of Iraq. Once detainees are transferred they either continue serving their sentences or are released. Read full story with photos

32nd IBCT Soldier talks to a WXOW-TV reporter about his duties and responsibilities while being deployed August 18, 2009 LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) - One of the biggest struggles for deployed soldiers is staying in contact with their loved ones. News 19 was able to connect a local soldier from the 32nd currently stationed in Iraq with his wife from Onalaska through satellite technology. Through the help of satellite, Trina Barnett could speak to her husband stationed thousands of miles away. Date Taken: 08.18.2009 Video Location: Baghdad, IQ Package: Size: 50.78 MB Length: 9 minutes 33 seconds Read Full Story at WXOW.com

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BAGHDAD - More than 100 service members and civilians honored the memory of a fallen Marine from Wisconsin by participating in the Jerabek Challenge memorial run Aug. 8 at Forward Operating Base Prosperity in Baghdad.

Participants from across the International Zone, including 19 Wisconsin National Guard soldiers assigned to the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquarters, Camp Douglas, Wis., endured early morning temperatures in the 90s as they ran the 4-mile course. Participants received T-shirts sent by Jerabek's mother.

Story and Photos

For many of the soldiers in the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, their current deployment to Iraq is at least their second tour of duty in the war-torn Middle East nation. But that doesn't make it old hat by any means. This time around the Eau Claire-based unit's mission and the security situation are vastly different. In many ways, commanders said in telephone interviews last week from Iraq, it's like being in a completely different country from the one they patrolled from November 2004 to October 2005.

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IRAQ — A Wisconsin Army National Guard infantry battalion currently serving on active duty in Iraq has been selected as the top battalion in the nation's National Guard. Eau Claire-based 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry will receive the Walter T. Kerwin Jr. Award for Readiness and Training as the outstanding National Guard unit for 2009. The award will be presented in October at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.

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At Country Jam, a little ways back from a main stage filled with big names like Tim McGraw is a little girl hoping every fan has time to send some love to our soldiers overseas.

Slightly tucked away, her head just visible above her table, sits a ten year old from Stanley.

"I started a program called Red Arrow Letters," Amanda Wright tells us. "I started it because I have a brother. His name is Kane Lambert and he's in the Wisconsin National Guard."

Kane Lambert is serving in Iraq with the 32nd Infantry Red Arrow Brigade.

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Camp Cropper Theater Internment Facility July 21, 2009 32nd Brigade Sgt. Frank Merola shot video and produced a package on the Wisconsin Army National Guard troops working at the Theater Internment Facility (TIF). Video and photography inside TIFs is tightly restricted, so this cleared video footage offers a fairly rare look inside. This material can be viewed or downloaded at high resolution from the Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) Web site. Broadcast stations may also request satellite feeds of this or other 32nd Brigade products posted on this site. Date Taken: 07.20.2009 Posted: 07.20.2009 11:48 Video Location: Baghdad, IQ Package: Size: 12.16 MB Length: 2 minutes 17 seconds B-Roll: Size: 36.57 MB Length: 6 minutes 59 seconds Read Full Story

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Wisconsin Guardsmen help build future for Iraq July 20, 2009 At the Iraqi National Training Academy, located on Victory Base Complex near Baghdad, Iraqi instructors are training four platoons of recruits to become the foundation of the Iraqi correctional system. This facility is the first of its kind, and this is the first class to be trained entirely by Iraqi instructors. "This facility, from the ground up, has been designed to be the leading edge of the American withdrawal of forces from Iraq," said 2nd Lt. Christopher Cahak, Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry's officer in charge of training. "It's an incredibly important mission, we take it very seriously and this mission has been handed to the Wisconsin National Guard." Read Full Story

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Area family members of a National Guard company now in Iraq gathered for a picnic at Petrifying Springs Park on Saturday.

Spouses, children and other relatives of the 125 Bravo Company 257, part of the 32nd Brigade of the Wisconsin National Guard, attended the four-hour gathering with food, beverages, games and face painting.

The families are mostly from Kenosha and Racine counties with others from other southeastern Wisconsin communities.

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Update from Iraq: Around the 32nd Brigade

Two months into the 32nd Brigade Combat Team's missions in Iraq, this is an update on some of our units from their locations around the country.

BAGHDAD - They have endured frequent dust storms and intense heat. They've overcome language and cultural barriers. They’ve worked long days with little time off. They have missed the births of their sons and daughters. And they’ve been living and working in multiple locations in an active combat zone.

They are the nearly 3,300 soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, two months into their 10-month missions in Iraq.

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Patrol base named for Wisconsin Guard soldier turned over to Iraqi forces

SAMARRA, Iraq - The changing role of U.S. forces in Iraq was evident across the entire country June 30, but in Samarra it also created a poignant moment for those who remembered Wisconsin Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Todd Olson.

Olson, who died Dec. 27, 2004, of wounds he suffered in action in Samarra early in his tour with 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, was honored at a ceremony turning a Samarra patrol base over to the government of Iraq. The outpost, Patrol Base Olson, had carried his name for more than four years.

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July 8, 2009

Brenda Christianson is a seasoned veteran. She’s not a soldier - but close. She is the leader of the Family Readiness Group supporting family and friends of soldiers deployed with the Fond du Lac-based Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard. Brenda’s son is currently serving in Iraq. Her husband is scheduled for a second tour of duty in 2010.

Read Full Story on fdlreporter.com

July 8, 2009

From taking correspondence courses to learning Spanish and Web site design, local soldiers with the Wisconsin National Guard, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Iraq are finding ways to lessen the pain of separation from their families and pass the time.

Read Full Story on fdlreporter.com

July 7, 2009

Prison reform was a hot topic in this year's state budget debate in Wisconsin. But it's even more of an issue in Iraq, where Wisconsin National Guard troops are training Iraqis to run detention facilities. The United States is preparing to hand over the detention facilities it's been running since soon after the war began to the sovereign Iraqi government.
By Gil Halsted, Wisconsin Public Radio

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32nd IBCT in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraq July 6, 2009. B-roll of members of the Wisconsin National Guard from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducting operations at Forward Operating Base Prosperity in the International Zone, Baghdad, Iraq. Scenes include Soldiers suiting up and going on an armored patrol, a Soldier driving around the base, Soldiers performing office duties and Soldiers working on a chain saw engine. Size: 29.42 MB Length: 5 minutes, 24 seconds Author: Sgt. Frank Merola, Joint Area Support Group-Central Baghdad, IQ

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Wisconsin soldiers run 5K in Iraq

Approximately 30 deployed Wisconsin National Guard soldiers assigned to the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquarters, Camp Douglas, Wis., endured dust-filled air and early morning temperatures that soared into the 90s as they celebrated Independence Day by participating in the Red Arrow Independence Day 5K run July 4 at Forward Operating Base Prosperity in Baghdad.

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Col. Steven Bensend, 32nd Infantry Brigade commander, and Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, 32nd PAO, - both serving in Iraq with the Joint Area Support Group (JASG) update Wisconsin about the hand over and Wisconsin Guard troops.

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The senior leaders of the Wisconsin Army National Guard visited many of the 3,200 Wisconsin troops of the state's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Iraq last week. Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson, Wisconsin Army National Guard commander, and state Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper traveled to several forward operating bases that are home to Wisconsin Guard soldiers for the next eight months.

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CAMP CROPPER, IRAQ - A half dozen Wisconsin state flags fly in the dusty desert breeze over Camp Cropper, Iraq, where units of the Wisconsin National have taken over responsibility for base defense, camp support functions and other missions for the next eight months.

Camp Cropper is located near the Baghdad International Airport west of the Iraq capital. The camp's mission includes development of trained Iraqi corrections officers and the care of detainees - a mission that requires support from about 900 soldiers assigned to eight Wisconsin Army National Guard units.

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Video From Iraq - Lt. Col. Donovan Interview. Iraq June 19, 2009. Lt. Col. Donovan talks to a WISC-TV reporter in Madison, Wisc., about the differences in Iraq since the beginning of Iraqi operations, this being the largest deployment of Wisconsin Soldiers since WWII and their living conditions. Size: 22 MB Length: 00:04:08 Baghdad, IQ

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(June 17, 2009 IRAQ) — It is a feat that only modern technology could help make possible-a soldier in Iraq was able to witness the birth of his son taking place back in Wisconsin and talk with his wife during the entire process.

That's a story for the baby book, and it is exactly the excitement that took place with the birth of Benjamin Peter Pintens last Wednesday.

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(CAMP CROPPER, Iraq) — Wisconsin Guard soldiers assigned to the 829th Engineer Company are busily engaged in a security mission at the theater internment facility at Camp Cropper, Iraq. The 829th is based in Chippewa Falls, Wis., with detachments in Richland Center and Ashland.

The 829th’s mission for the next eight months focuses on guarding and escorting detainees.

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CAMP TAJI, IRAQ June 9, 2009 — At a desert outpost about 20 miles north of Baghdad, three units of Wisconsin National Guardsmen deployed with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team hope something will grow in the barren environment: Iraq’s future.

The units, Company A, 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Onalaska; the 108th Forward Support Company, Sussex; and Battery A, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Racine, assumed responsibility May 12 for several operations at the theater internment facility reconciliation center at Camp Taji.
By Spc. Tyler Lasure, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team

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BAGHDAD June 9, 2009 — Military service in a combat zone 6,294 miles from his home in Seymour, Wis., didn't keep Wisconsin National Guard Col. Martin Seifer from seeing his daughter graduate from her hometown high school June 1.
By Capt. Joy LeMay, 32nd IBCT Public Affairs.

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115th Fighter Wing

Click To View Video Wisconsin National Guard ground, air commanders meet in Iraq November 8, 2009 IRAQ - While more than 3,200 Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team have their boots on the ground in Iraq, some of their fellow Guardsmen from the state's Air National Guard have their jets in the sky overhead. It isn't often that aerial support for Army Guard ground troops comes from an Air Guard unit from the same state, but for the past two months about 300 members of Wisconsin's Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing are in Iraq with about a dozen F-16 fighters. The two top commanders - Army Guard Col. Steven Bensend and Air Guard Lt. Col. Erik Peterson - met at an air base in Iraq as the fighter unit was nearing completion of its mission here. Full story, photos and video Click To View High-Res Photo The glow from the afterburners of multiple F-16 fighter jets adorn the night sky over Dane County Regional Airport early on the morning of Sept. 22. The 115th Fighter Wing launched 14 F-16s early Tuesday morning as part of the wing's scheduled Aerospace Expeditionary Force rotation that began last week, when approximately 200 of the unit's members deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs photo by Master Sgt. Paul Gorman Wisconsin Air Guard unit sends fighter jets to Iraq September 22, 2009 The 115th Fighter Wing launched 14 F-16 fighter jets earlier today (Sept. 22) as a part of the Wing's scheduled Air Expeditionary Force rotation that began last week when approximately 200 Airmen deployed to Iraq. The Airmen are expected to serve for approximately two months before being relieved by the Iowa Air National Guard from Des Moines. The 115th has previously deployed their aviation package in support of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom in December 2004 to Qatar, and June 2006 and January 2008 to Iraq. Their mission is to support ground forces in Iraq with close air support and other combat capabilities directed by the combatant commander. Story and photos Click To View High-Res Photo A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16C Fighter Falcon Aircraft performs an afterburner takeoff on its way to fly a combat mission in the skies over Iraq during a deployment in early 2008. Wisconsin Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Daniel Richardson 115th Fighter Wing deploying to support Operation Iraqi Freedom September 16, 2009 Families and friends will bid farewell to approximately 200 members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing. Send-offs are scheduled for Thursday [Sept 17] at 5 p.m. and Saturday [Sept 19] at 10:00 a.m. at the Wisconsin Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters, 2400 Wright St., Madison. Immediately afterwards, the Airmen will depart as part of an aviation package deployment which includes F-16 fighter aircraft, pilots, aircraft maintenance specialists and support personnel. Read Full Story Click For High Resolution Photo. Click For High Resolution Photo.   447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq - Staff Sgt. Jason Klingbiel, 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels distribution operator, connects a fuel hose from an R14 fuel unit to the bottom loader of his R11 fuel truck here July 20, 2009. The Madison, Wis., native is on a personal mission to break a record by pumping more than one million gallons of fuel during his deployment. Sergeant Klingbiel is deployed from the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard. U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny L. Saldivar Rep. Suder to be deployed to Middle East September 8, 2009 Assemblyman Scott Suder says he will be deployed overseas for the second time later this fall. Suder will join members of the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard based in Madison. It's being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Republican from Abbotsford says he will continue to contact his office in Wisconsin, and monitor events and issues being discussed in Madison while he is deployed. Suder is a staff sergeant. He works with the life-support unit that assists F16 pilots. He's been a member of the unit since 2003 and was previously deployed to Qatar in 2004. Read Full Story at weau.com 115th Fighter Wing deploying to support Operation Iraqi Freedom August 13, 2009 More than 200 Airmen from the 115th Fighter Wing are preparing for their voluntary deployment to Iraq late next month in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 115th will deploy its Aviation Package, which includes a number of F-16 Fighting Falcons as well as pilots, aircraft maintenance specialists and support personnel as part of their scheduled Air Expeditionary Force rotation. Their mission is to support ground forces in Iraq with close air support or other combat capabilities directed by the combatant commander. Read Full Story

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951st Engineer Company Sapper

951st 'Sapper' Company returning to Wisconsin Saturday November 20, 2009 The Soldiers of the 951st 'Sapper' Engineer Company have completed their tour of duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are returning to Wisconsin tomorrow [Nov. 21]. Wisconsin National Guard leaders, family and friends will welcome them home at approximately 3:30 p.m. at Rhinelander High School, 665 Coolidge Ave., Rhinelander. The approximately 100 Soldiers from the unit, based in Tomahawk and Rhinelander, departed Wisconsin last November to mobilize at Camp Shelby, Miss. and began their mission in Afghanistan in February of this year. The 951st supported the 101st Airborne Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division and 25th Infantry Division. Their mission included searching for improvised explosive devices, scouting out key terrain features and bypass roads for major and alternative supply routes, and gathering biometric data - name, date and location of birth, home of record, iris scans and fingerprints - from local residents. Read full story

November 12, 2009

More than half of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st "Sapper" Engineer Company is back in the United States following a nearly 10-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The remainder of the unit is expected to arrive in the U.S. next week. For security reasons, flight information will not be released. Read full story

October 26, 2009

An update from the home front on the mission of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st Engineer Company, based out of Rhinelander. The story is told through the wife of one of those soldiers. Her husband is featured in the cover photo of TIME magazine this week (Oct. 10-17th) - injured and waiting for medical evacuation. He was injured while clearing bombs in Wardak province in Afghanistan. Sergeant First Class Chet Millard is recovering and back with his Company in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, his wife and children wait and pray for his safe return home to Wisconsin. See full story at Wisconsin Public Television

October 7, 2009

As family and friends prepare to pay tribute to Sgt. Ryan Adams in Wisconsin, his friends and comrades-in-arms from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st Engineer Company will pay tribute in a warrior's fashion - by continuing the mission. "The men know Sgt. Adams would expect them to keep going," said unit 1st Sgt. Greg Fulton. "We lost a good friend in Sgt. Adams. We've got some guys who were nervous to get back on the horse - they've witnessed the worst part of war. But they're relying on each other for strength and comfort." "The 951st is a close-knit group of Soldiers," said Capt. Brian Barth, company commander. "They understand that this can happen. But we continue with the mission." Adams was killed by insurgents Oct. 2 while his route clearing platoon was on patrol in Logar Province, Afghanistan. He was commanding a vehicle providing security for his platoon when the attack occurred. Seven other Soldiers were injured in the same attack and are receiving medical care as needed. Full story and photos

Click To View High-Resolution Photo Sgt. Ryan Adams, 951st Engineer Company (Sappers), Wisconsin Army National Guard, shown here in Afghanistan in May 2009. Wisconsin Army National Guard photo

October 7, 2009

Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Saturday, Oct.10, in honor of Wisconsin Army National Guard Sgt. Ryan Adams, a native of Rhinelander, who died Oct. 2 of injuries received during a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The National Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Doyle.

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October 3, 2009

The entire Wisconsin National Guard family joins me in mourning the loss of Sergeant Ryan Adams, who died Friday in Logar Province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit. Sgt. Adams, 26, of Rhinelander, was deployed with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st Engineer Company (Sapper) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Approximately 100 Soldiers from the Rhinelander and Tomahawk-based unit deployed in November to Camp Shelby for several months before reporting to Afghanistan where they conduct route clearance operations for the Army's 101st Airborne Division. This was the second tour of duty for this unit, and Sgt. Adams, which also deployed to Iraq in May 2003 to April 2004 when it was Company C, 724th Engineer Battalion. Seven other Wisconsin Guard Soldiers were injured in the same attack and are receiving medical care as needed. The immediate families of all seven Soldiers have been notified. The Wisconsin National Guard will not be releasing names, or medical condition, of the injured Soldiers. Full story and photo

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Clearing roadside bombs perilous duty

August 13, 2009

By Jessica Weinstein
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Associated Press Photo

Members of the Wisconsin National Guard's 951st Engineer Company clutched cups of coffee and squinted into the early morning sun as Lt. Mark Bulinski, 28, and Sgt. First Class Chet Millard, 32, briefed on the day's mission: Find and disarm roadside bombs on one of Afghanistan's most lethal highways.

Known as Route Georgia, the 17-mile stretch of road flanked by lush apple orchards and open fields on one side and rugged cliffs on the other offers an ideal setup for insurgents, who lie in wait for coalition convoys before pulling the trigger on improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

In the past month, Route Georgia has become the ground zero of eastern Afghanistan for IEDs, the deadliest weapon used by insurgents to battle U.S. and NATO troops.

Read entire story with photos at the Washington Post: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/perilous-afghan-roads/

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951st Sappers keeping the roads clear July 28, 2009 KABUL, Afghanistan - Thousands of miles from home the soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard are saving lives by hunting for and destroying IEDs. See how the 951st Engineer "Sapper" Company from Tomahawk and Rhinelander conduct their route clearing mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Full Story and Video

LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany (June 5, 2009) - President Barack Obama presents a Purple Heart medal to Spc. Matthew Berth, a soldier with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st Sapper Company, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's USO Warrior Center June 5. The president presented five other wounded service members with the award at the ceremony. Berth's unit is deployed to Afghanistan on a route clearing mission. White House photo by Pete Souza. Not for further distribution without White House permission.

Editors Note: This official White House photograph is being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House. For high resolution photos, contact dhansen@who.epo.gov

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Keeping the roads safe in Afghanistan

Cpt. Brian Barth is leading over 100 soldiers of the 951st Sapper Company, Wisconsin Army National Guard. The 951st is based in Rhinelander and Tomahawk.

The unit it responsible for a number of tasks that help maintain freedom to maneuver for U.S. and coalition forces.

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President pins Purple Heart on Rhinelander native

An injured soldier from Rhinelander got a Purple Heart in Germany from President Barack Obama on Friday.

Sgt. Matt Berth, a 26-year-old Army engineer with the Wisconsin National Guard, had the medal pinned on his chest during the president's two-hour visit to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where many soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are taken for treatment.

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Wisconsin Sappers clearing routes in Afghanistan

The commander of the 951st Sapper Company, Wisconsin Army National Guard, reports that all is well after four months in Afghanistan.

Capt. Brian Barth said his unit of approximately 100 soldiers has been busy with several missions that help maintain freedom to maneuver for U.S. and coalition forces. These missions include searching for improvised explosive devices, reconnoitering key terrain features as well as bypass roads for major supply routes and alternative supply routes, but also gathering biometric data from local residents — name, date and location of birth, home of record, iris scans and fingerprints. Read Full Story

Tomahawk and Rhinelander-based Army National Guard unit mobilizes for service in Afghanistan

November 30, 2008

Lt. Gov. Lawton to lead send-off ceremony for 100 soldiers

Senior National Guard officials will be joined by Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton for a send-off of approximately 100 Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers Sunday [Nov. 30], 11 a.m., at the Rhinelander High School, 665 Coolidge Ave., Rhinelander.

The soldiers are assigned to the 951st Sapper Company from Tomahawk and Rhinelander and will be mobilizing for approximately one year in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. After Sunday’s ceremony the soldiers will travel to Camp Shelby, Miss., for several weeks of additional training before they deploy overseas to conduct a mission to support security operations.

In 2003, this unit, then known as Company C, 724th Engineer Battalion, was mobilized for 14 months to provide engineer support to coalition forces in Iraq and help rebuild Iraqi infrastructure.

With this mobilization the Wisconsin National Guard will have approximately 300 soldiers and airmen on duty. In February 2009 an additional 3,500 Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers from across the state will be mobilized with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team for a mission in Iraq. Another Wisconsin unit, headquarters of the Tomah-based 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, will be mobilized in May 2009 for a mission in Iraq with about 75 soldiers.

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732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion

Deployed Tomah-based Guardsmen part of Tailgating with the Troops

October 21, 2009.

Even though Rachel Miller talks frequently with her husband, Staff Sgt. Scott Miller — deployed with the Tomah-based Headquarters Company, 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard — she wasn't about to miss the chance to do so again.

"Your heart speeds up every time you can see them," she explained.

Rachel was among seven or eight families at the Tailgating with the Troops event Sunday, Oct. 18 at Madison's Alliant Energy Center who spoke by webcam with 732nd CSSB Soldiers deployed to Camp Adder, Iraq. She said it was important for her children — 4-year-old Kaylee, 3-year-old Emma and 6-month-old Nicholas — to see their father.
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Wisconsin Guard unit plays role in forces drawdown

August 7, 2009.

The Tomah-based Headquarters Company of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, has been in charge of their mission for less than a month, and already the unit is preparing for the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq.

According to Maj. Kevin Gregar, executive officer for the 732nd CSSB, the battalion-sized element his unit oversees has already transferred approximately 110 pieces of equipment - vehicles, material handling equipment and storage containers - for return to the United States.
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Technology Helps Bring Military Family Together For Ultrasound - Channel3000.com

July 7, 2009.

EDGERTON, Wis. -- Technology is helping a Rock County family share important moments while they're split a world apart. In May, John Bourdeaux deployed with the Wisconsin National Guard's 732nd Combat Sustainability Support Battalion. He's currently stationed in southern Iraq. His wife and 3-year-old son, Eli, are in Edgerton, and on Tuesday they all got a first look at the newest member of the family together. John Bourdeaux joined the family for the ultrasound via the Internet by videoconferencing on a laptop using Skype.

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Wisconsin Guard unit readies for mission

July 7, 2009.

CAMP ADDER, Iraq - The Tomah-based Headquarters Company of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, is preparing to assume command of its mission in Iraq next week. The 732nd is settling into the routine at Forward Operating Base Adder and members are learning their new responsibilities, said Maj. Kevin Gregar, the 732nd executive officer.
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Mobilized Wisconsin Guard unit prepares to deploy

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (May 29, 2009) — The Tomah-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is nearing the end of its mobilization training in preparation for its Iraq deployment.
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732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Sendoff

Family, friends and state officials bid farewell to the headquarters unit of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, in a 10 a.m. ceremony Saturday May 11, 2009.
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128th Air Control Squadron

August 25, 2009

For some siblings, they not only join the military, they find themselves deployed to the same location more than 6,000 miles from where they grew up. Such is the case for the following Airmen from the Wisconsin Air National Guard, deployed here from the 128th Air Control Squadron, Volk Field as part of the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron.

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All in the family: father, son deploy together

August 12, 2009

Chief Master Sgt. Teddy Ostrowski and his son, Airman 1st Class Teddy Ostrowski Jr., are deployed from the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Control Squadron, Volk Field, to the 71st Expeditionary Air Combat Squadron. As Guard members, the Ostrowskis have worked together for the past two years during weekend drills, but this is their first deployment together.

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July 21, 2009

"Our unit has a lot of experience, which is common among members in the Guard. For instance, I have 10 years active-duty experience and have worked on older systems that had some of the same components as the newer systems," said Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Pradarelli, 71st EACS ground radar systems technician noncommissioned officer in charge. "This knowledge gives us an edge in maintaining the new equipment."

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July 21, 2009

This capability is managed and maintained by more than 100 personnel from the 71st EACS deployed here. The BattleSpace Command and Control Center system allows its users to pull real-time data from coalition members' sensor systems around the AOR, giving this team a view of the entire region.

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July 21, 2009

Also recognized that day, Staff Sgt. Daniel Koepke, a ground radio technician with the 128th ACS, was promoted to Tech. Sgt. July 17. Fellow noncommissioned officers Tech. Sgt. Oleg Katsnelson and Senior Master Sgt. Charley Rydmark presented Koepke with his new rank.

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June 29, 2009 - Three Wisconsin Air National Guard members are spearheading an initiative which would bring control of Afghani airspace to facilities in Southwest Asia.

Capt. Seth Kaste, Capt. Chris Divyak and Tech. Sgt. Travis Skowronski of the Volk Field-based 128th Air Control Squadron recently completed three weeks of air battle management training for the Operation Enduring Freedom area of responsibility at Khandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, with the intent of training an additional 50 airmen of the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, including additional members of the 128th. This training and certification will allow the 71st EAC to be the first unit in history to conduct Afghanistan’s air battle management from a remote location when it inherits the mission from the Royal Australian Air Force Control and Reporting Center July 1.

Air battle management involves coordinating aircraft for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground support as well as standard flight control and air refueling tasks.

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5/14/2009 - The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Control Squadron shipped out for a deployment to Southwest Asia May 13 following an afternoon send-off ceremony at Volk Field. For this mission the squadron, an extension of the Theater Air Control System, will be involved with command and control of the Central Command airspace.

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Task Forces

August 12, 2009

The Transit Center at Manas is a vital air mobility hub for resources, including personnel and equipment, to enter and exit Afghanistan. The base also supports aerial refueling, combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuation and strategic airlift missions. With such a large array of support functions at the air base, maintaining security and stability is critical.

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Wisconsin Guardsmen prepare for Afghan elections

July 22, 2009

Lawson heads a 16-man group of Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers who recently began a year-long deployment as an embedded training team, advising the Afghanistan National Police in the western regional command, an area roughly 25 percent of the country bordering Iran.

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July 21, 2009

Approximately 50 airmen and four KC-135 Stratotankers left Wisconsin for Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, where they will provide refueling support to C-17 Globemaster III cargo and transport aircraft who deliver supplies to Iraq and Afghanistan. The 128th ARW will rotate forces in and out of Turkey until they relinquish command in September. By the end of the deployment approximately 200 airmen that support the in-flight refueling and provide communications, personnel, maintenance and information management support will have contributed to the ongoing war on terror.

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Approximately 30 Wisconsin Guard airmen left Friday for a six-month deployment in support of the global war on terrorism.

The airmen are members of the Madison-based 115th Security Forces Squadron, part of the 115th Fighter Wing. After completing about two weeks of preparations at Fort Bliss, Texas, they will depart for the Kyrgyz Republic, located in the Central Command area of operations. They are expected to serve for approximately six months conducting law enforcement duties such as base defense and security escorts.

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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, June 26, 2009 – With towering vocals that defy her small stature, Army Sgt. Brenda Bushera, a member of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Band, has made a connection with the people of Iraq.

The Wausaukee, Wisc., native has sung the Iraqi national anthem at a number of events since deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including transfer of authority ceremonies here and at Contingency Operating Base Adder.

Singing the Iraqi anthem is the easy part, Bushera said. Learning it, however, was a daunting process that required extensive work with interpreters to learn the pronunciation and diction of the Arabic words in the song.

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Collectively they are armed with everything from bass guitars and drum sticks to keyboards and microphones. They are Airmen ... better yet, they are rock-band Airmen. Three Air National Guard Bands, totaling 30 Airmen, received pre-deployment training April 14 through 18 at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wis., in preparation for a deployment in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
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Wisconsin National Guard leaders welcomed home 17 soldiers of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from Afghanistan during a brief midnight ceremony Tuesday, May 12, at Fort Riley, Kan.
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Fourteen members of the 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment returned to Madison Thursday afternoon March 19th where they were welcomed at Joint Force Headquarters-Wisconsin by their families and friends, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Wisconsin National Guard leaders and the 132nd Army Band.
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