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Wisconsin Guard unit departs for historic mission 12/7/2012 The Plymouth-based Battery B, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery departed Dec. 3 for several weeks of pre-deployment training at Fort Bliss, Texas en route to a rare National Guard fire support mission in Afghanistan. "This mission means quite a bit," acknowledged 1st Sgt. Steve Czekala, Battery B's senior enlisted Soldier. "It's very significant because of the fact that this is the first time a National Guard unit's ever done anything like this." While other Army National Guard field artillery units have performed fire support missions in the past, Battery B will be the first National Guard High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) unit to do so. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit driven to complete Afghanistan mission 11/27/2012 "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening It's not too likely that the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1157th Transportation Company made many intentional scenic stops while conducting convoy escort missions for the past several months in Afghanistan, but the men and women of the Oshkosh-based unit has kept their commander's promise to meet or exceed expectations, and it has logged tens of thousands of miles in doing so. While the mission allows 1157th Soldiers to see parts of Afghanistan that others do not, those missions are not without challenges. The missions range from one or two days to a few weeks in length. Common obstacles include poorly maintained roads requiring improvised detours and slower convoy speeds, dense civilian traffic and frequent vehicle breakdowns with the National Afghan Truckers (NATs). There is also the very real danger of encountering armed insurgents along the way. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard security team prepares for Afghanistan mission 11/16/2012 Senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders saw firsthand what 16 state Guard members will do on a daily basis when they deploy to Afghanistan early next year. Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson, the state's deputy Adjutant General for Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper visited the deploying 104th Security Force Advise and Assist Team (SFAAT) training at Fort Polk, La., on Nov. 14. The SFAAT is part of a key cog in the nation's overall exit strategy for Afghanistan. That strategy depends on establishing an Afghan government and military able to function on its own after U.S. forces leave the country in 2014. "I think that the important thing to recognize is that the SFAAT's [mission] is really the evolution of the military's effort in the advisory role in assisting, in this case, the Afghan National Army in building capability within their organization," Anderson said. Read Full Story
Unique Wisconsin Guard unit embarks on specialized mission to Afghanistan 10/1/2012 The 16-member 104th Security Force Advise and Assist Team (SFAAT) received a salute from Gov. Scott Walker, Maj. Gen Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, and other senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders during a sendoff ceremony Monday (Oct. 1) at Joint Force Headquarters in Madison. The unit will serve in an advisory and mentorship role to the Afghan National Police concerning internal and external security missions. Lt. Col. David Larson, the 104th SFAAT commander, said the mission is part of the transition required for the Afghans to assume greater responsibility for their security. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard members lauded for making a difference in Kosovo 9/28/2012 From the Balkans to the dairyland, thanks and praise showered Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers returning from 10 months supporting a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. "Thanks for going and showing what Cheeseheads from Wisconsin can do to help the rest of the world," Wisconsin Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper told approximately 125 Soldiers from the Milwaukee-based Headquarters Company, 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB) and the 32nd Military Police Company during a welcome home ceremony Thursday (Sept. 27) at the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee. "You absolutely made a difference in today's world." The majority of the 157th MEB Soldiers served as the brigade headquarters for the Multinational Battle Group East (MNBG E), also referred to as Task Force Falcon. Others supported the Kosovo Force (KFOR) medevac mission and staffed the aviation headquarters, lift and maintenance, and also supported NATO operations in Bosnia. The mission was to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Soldiers paving the way for successful Afghanistan mission 9/24/2012 About 150 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers are nearing the end of their mobilization training at Fort Bliss, Texas, and are preparing for nearly nine months of engineering missions in Afghanistan. The Soldiers, who will deploy to Kandahar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, are entering a six-day collective training exercise where they will complete projects similar to their overseas mission, such as road improvement, motor park construction, force protection improvement and helicopter pad upgrade projects. Beginning with a mountain road improvement project, the missions the unit will complete this week also provide an opportunity for the 229th to be validated on their mission readiness. The 5th Armor Brigade is ultimately responsible for certifying the 229th, but the unit's validation is imminent. Read Full Story
First wave of Wisconsin Guard Soldiers welcomed back from Kosovo 9/14/2012 The mild drizzle and cool temperatures outside did little to diminish the warm reception inside the West Bend Armory for approximately 30 Soldiers of two aviation units returning from a successful deployment to Kosovo. The West Bend-based members of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment and Detachment 1, Company B, 248th Aviation Support Battalion completed a yearlong mobilization in which they supported the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) medevac mission and staffed the headquarters, lift and maintenance units. 1st Sgt. Ted Corsi of Detachment 1, Company B, said his seven Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers integrated with Soldiers from North Dakota, Wyoming and New Jersey to provide maintenance support for Task Force Talon. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard members return from successful missions in Afghanistan 9/12/2012 Approximately 35 members of the Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team enjoyed a warm welcome in Hartford, Wis., Tuesday (Sept. 11), a little sooner and with different experiences than originally planned. "I gotta tell ya, this crew is the best of the best that the Wisconsin National Guard, the United States Army and United States Air Force has to offer, bar none," a cheerful Col. Darrel Feucht, 82nd ADT commander, told families and friends during a homecoming ceremony at VFW Post 8834. "We had a mission, the mission changed and we had to go some other place. We stepped up to the plate and the Bucky Badger patch instantly became an icon in Kabul for everything we did there." The 82nd ADT left Wisconsin in February and took over the agribusiness mission in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in April. In May the unit was remissioned, with the agribusiness specialists becoming part of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Kunar and the remainder of the 82nd ADT taking on new missions - principally security or quick-reaction force - in Kabul, Afghanistan. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard brigade notified of possible deployment 9/11/2012 The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team has received a notification of sourcing regarding a potential deployment to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, possibly as early as the fall of 2013. The brigade's approximately 3,400 Soldiers were notified this past weekend during a regularly scheduled drill. The location of the potential deployment has not been determined yet. Current Department of Defense policy calls for a 12-month mobilization, which includes nine months overseas. The total number of 32nd Brigade Soldiers that may deploy is not known at this time. The 32nd Brigade last deployed in 2009 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade performed multiple missions at numerous locations in Iraq, including base security and detainee operations. Read Full Story
The Guardian 9/10/2012 From Soldier of the Quarter competition to combatives training, from realistic riot control training to friendly-but-fierce sporting competitions, find out the character of the men and women who are closing out a successful tour of duty in Kosovo as part of Multinational Battle Group East in the latest issue of The Guardian. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard troops return next week from overseas 9/7/2012 Approximately 90 Wisconsin National Guard members - the roughly 60-member 82nd Agribusiness Development Team and about 30 aviation Soldiers from West Bend, Wis. - are back on U.S. soil from Afghanistan and Kosovo, respectively, and are expected to return to Wisconsin next week. The 82nd ADT left Wisconsin Feb. 4 for several weeks of mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., before taking over the agribusiness development mission in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in April. Approximately one month later, the 82nd ADT reorganized, with the agribusiness specialists supporting Provincial Reconstruction Team Kunar and the remainder of the unit serving in Afghanistan in various capacities. Read Full Story
Gov. Walker visits deployed Wisconsin Guard troops in Kosovo 9/7/2012 Gov. Scott Walker personally thanked Army National Guard Soldiers from the Badger state for their overseas service keeping the peace in Kosovo during his first overseas visit as governor this week. Walker, who as governor is the commander-in-chief of the Wisconsin National Guard, accompanied Maj. Gen. (WI) Don Dunbar, Wisconsin adjutant general, on a troop visit to see and hear about the missions the approximately 200 deployed Wisconsin Soldiers performed during the past year as part of NATO's Operation Joint Guardian, a peacekeeping mission to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all residents of Kosovo. "Thank you for your service," Walker told the troops, who are preparing to return to Wisconsin in the coming weeks. "You are part of a proud Wisconsin tradition, and too often we tend to take our freedoms for granted. You should feel very proud of what you've done collectively. I'm immensely proud of the job you've done here. Read Full Story
Kosovo deployment nearing end for Wisconsin aviators 9/5/2012 CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Task Force Talon, the Multinational Battle Group East aviation unit that includes West Bend-based aviation Soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard, transferred authority for its peacekeeping mission to Task Force Cash during a Sept. 1 ceremony. "This ceremony not only marks the end of our deployment in Kosovo, but it marks the end of a journey that lasted two years for us," said Lt. Col. William G. Watson, Task Force Talon commander, from the North Dakota National Guard. "We met in fall of 2010 at the joint assessment and I knew we had a good team right from the beginning." The outgoing task force was made up of Army National Guard Soldiers from New Jersey, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The Wisconsin Soldiers - from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment and Detachment 1, Company B, 248th Aviation Support Battalion - supported the Kosovo Force (KFOR) medevac mission and the headquarters, lift and maintenance units. They have been deployed to Kosovo for a year in support of NATO's Operation Joint Guardian, a peacekeeping mission to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all residents of Kosovo. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard Soldiers support South Korean readiness exercise 9/4/2012 YONGSAN K-16 AIRFIELD, South Korea - Fifteen Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers recently returned from a successful combined joint readiness exercise. The 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, the state support chaplain and two Judge Advocate General Soldiers supported Ulchi Freedom Guardian, an annual joint exercise between the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The realistic training event focuses on preparing, preventing and prevailing against the full range of current and future threats facing South Korea and the region. The 112th MPAD worked alongside a South Korean military public affairs team to conduct mock press conferences in a combined press information center, and also staffed a "White Cell" work group generating notional media stories based on exercise scenarios. The training has been a valuable experience for Capt. Kristin Boustany of DeForest, Wis., who formally accepted command of the MPAD in an Aug. 5 ceremony. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard Soldiers protect Afghan drivers 8/31/2012 Afghanistan - The lives of soldiers and host nation truck drivers are intertwined every day as they hit the road together. The drivers depend on the Soldiers for security and the Soldiers depend on the HNTs to get cargo from point a to point b. Both play an integral part of the mission of Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan, which is to oversee the sustainment operations and other functions in Afghanistan. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers weather Typhoon Bolaven 8/29/2012 YONGSAN K-16 AIRFIELD, South Korea - Members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, along with the state support chaplain and two members of the Judge Advocate General office, are safe after what had been billed as the summer's largest and most powerful typhoon to hit East Asia this summer failed to muster more than some wind and a steady drizzle near Seoul. However, Typhoon Bolaven - downgraded to a tropical storm before it reached the Korean peninsula Tuesday - did leave thousands of homes without power, cancelled ferry services and hundreds of flights, and killed at least five Chinese fishermen near the island of Jeju south of the peninsula, according to news reports. The annual joint exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian - which Wisconsin National Guard troops are supporting in South Korea - was halted for much of the day Tuesday as a precautionary measure. Read Full Story
Community bids farewell to Wisconsin Soldiers bound for Afghanistan 8/28/2012 Nearly 150 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers arrived at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Monday where they will conduct about 45 days of mobilization training in preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Community members, family, friends and Wisconsin state and National Guard leaders participated in a formal sendoff ceremony for Soldiers of the 229th Engineer Company, from Prairie du Chien and Platteville, and the Tomah-based 106th Quarry Detachment, at the Prairie du Chien High School Saturday (Aug. 25) The 229th has prepared for the deployment since they were first notified of the mobilization in October of 2010. Read Full Story
Community to bid farewell to deploying Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers 8/24/2012 Nearly 150 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers are closer to deploying overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom following about four weeks of pre-mobilization training at Fort McCoy. The Soldiers - who hail from the Platteville and Prairie Du Chien-based 229th Engineer Company and Tomah-based 106th Quarry Detachment - will depart for Fort Bliss, Texas, this weekend for about 45 days of mobilization training before deploying to Afghanistan's Kandahar Province where they will perform engineer construction missions. The training at Fort McCoy allowed the units to refine their Army Warrior Skills and battle drill missions. The unit reacted to improvised explosive device contact, small-arms contact and indirect fire, and evacuated casualties while accomplishing its engineer missions. Read Full Story
The Guardian 8/6/2012 From containing wildfires to honing job skills in preparation for life after deployment, find out what's happening with deployed Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers in Kosovo and Bosnia in the latest issue of The Guardian. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard unit training for Afghanistan mission 7/27/2012 The classrooms included cattle stalls, sheep pens, fish hatcheries and farm fields, and the lessons covered soil and seeds, livestock, water management and even women's handicraft production. Not typical training for Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, but important knowledge for an atypical unit, the 97th Agribusiness Development Team, as it wraps up a five-day "Agriculture 101" crash course through the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). "The unit's job over there will be to facilitate the food supply chain management of agribusiness," said Col. John Schroeder, 97th ADT commander. "A complete supply chain management from planting through marketing - working with universities, with the ministers at the village level, the province level all the way up to the national level." Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers support Bosnian mission 6/26/2012 CAMP BUTMIR, Bosnia-Herzegovina - While the majority of the deployed Wisconsin Army National Guard's 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Soldiers support NATO peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, a smaller contingent are on mission in another Balkan state entirely. Last year, as approximately 300 Wisconsin Guard Soldiers mobilized to support the Kosovo Force mission at Camp Bondsteel, five Badger State Soldiers found themselves flying to Camp Butmir in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The five took over positions supporting NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo and its European Union Force, the international peacekeeping effort that began in 2005 when active peace enforcement operations as part of the Stabilization Force ended in the region. Read Full Story
Workshop guides deployed Guard members on return to civilian workforce 6/21/2012 CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - How seriously does the Wisconsin National Guard take unemployment? With an unemployment rate among its members in excess of 13 percent, seriously enough to send two members of the Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection (WERC) to Kosovo June 11-15 to help Guard members there prepare for the workforce here. "If this was done at the demobilization station or reintegration, we feel it's too late," said Chap. (Capt.) Joseph Ledger, WERC manager. "They need to start thinking about what they're going to do when they get home now, so they can go home to a job and not to unemployment, to better their family life." Ledger and Mark Sier, a civilian contractor with WERC, helped nearly 200 deployed Soldiers with a résumé-writing workshop and job interview rehearsals. Read Full Story
Female Guard Soldiers recall Special Forces mission in Afghanistan 6/12/2012 Four Wisconsin Army National Guard members were chosen to support Special Operations Forces missions in Afghanistan because they were women, but their success depended upon their abilities as Soldiers. Three of the four shared some of their success stories with senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders, as well as leaders from other local reserve components, learned June 1 during the Wisconsin National Guard's senior leader conference at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Madison, Wis. Master Sgt. Karen Dumke of Waupun, Wis., 1st Lt. April Nelson of Viroqua, Wis., and Sgt. Kristen Elegeert of De Pere, Wis., agreed that military bearing was critical in working with what had been an all-male tactical environment. Read Full Story
Training pays off for Wisconsin Guard Soldier in Afghanistan 6/11/2012 BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Spc. Chase E. Crull of Hollandale, Wis., a generator mechanic assigned to the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1157th Transportation Company, was recognized as a hero in the 548th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade for actions taken during a recent convoy escort mission support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 548th CSSB provides supplies to 1st Army Division and coalition partner units in the Regional Command East and Capital. Read Full Story
Six Soldiers return home from joint UAV operations in Afghanistan 6/8/2012 Wisconsin National Guard leaders, family and friends welcomed home six Red Arrow Soldiers Wednesday (June 6) at the Dane County Regional Airport from their deployment to Afghanistan where they operated the RQ-7 Shadow 200 unmanned aerial vehicle. The Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (TAUS) Soldiers returned from demobilization training at Camp Shelby, Miss., where they concluded their approximate year-long mobilization in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The six Soldiers, members of Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, worked as a joint team in Afghanistan - providing a bird's eye view to their brothers in arms. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard part of tactical operation in Kosovo 6/6/2012 RUDARE, Kosovo - From planning to execution, Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers helped successfully remove a roadblock on the outskirts of this small northern Kosovo town June 1, improving freedom of movement for Kosovo residents. Badger state Soldiers are currently deployed to Kosovo as part of the headquarters element of Multinational Battle Group East (MNBG E), one of two battle groups in the region supporting Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO peacekeeping mission. The blocked roadway - the main artery between the southern portion of Rudare and Mitrovica - was one of nine roadblocks KFOR officials had determined prevented freedom of movement in the region. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard members training to subdue threats on KFOR tour 5/30/2012 CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers currently serving in Kosovo as part of Multinational Battle Group East recently got hands-on lessons about dealing with threats that are close enough to touch. Eight Guard members from the Badger State took part in a combatives course May 7-11, designed to "prepare Soldiers to close with and defeat the enemy in hand to hand combat," according to the Modern Army Combatives website. The Soldiers were given classroom and hands-on training before moving on to the practical portion, which included exercises at the room-clearing training facility here as well as scenarios in actual buildings around the post. Read Full Story
82nd ADT conducts last agribusiness mission, prepares for change 5/16/2012 KUNAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN - The Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team conducted its final mission as an ADT in Asadabad's Agriculture Compound May 9, but the Soldiers and Airmen will remain in country to serve in other capacities. Approximately twenty-five of the 58 Soldiers and Airmen will head to Kunar Province to join a provincial reconstruction team - which aids Afghani leaders and civilians improve security, rebuild infrastructure and bolster efficiency of the Afghan central government. The National Guard has successfully used the agribusiness development team concept in Central America for the past two decades, drawing on the rich farming experience of many Guard members. The Guard brought the concept to Afghanistan in 2007. The initiative capitalizes on the skills of its Citizen Soldiers to give a developing democracy a safer and more productive way to feed its people. The Wisconsin National Guard began forming its team in 2010, and the unit trained for 12 months before reporting for active duty in February and completing mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Soldiers advance careers while supporting peacekeeping mission in Kosovo 5/11/2012 Half-way through their year-long deployment, roughly 80 Soldiers - including 26 from the Wisconsin National Guard - have taken a major step in the advancement of their enlisted careers. The soldiers have taken time from their normal deployment duties to complete the Warrior Leader Course (WLC). WLC is the first step in the Army's Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES), providing basic leadership training that allows Soldiers the opportunity to acquire the leader skills, knowledge and experience needed to lead small units, and serves as the foundation for the advanced NCOES courses. Essentially, the course's purpose is to teach soldiers how to be NCOs. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard unit getting ready in Afghanistan 5/1/2012 The 1157th Transportation Company, a Wisconsin Army National Guard unit based in Oshkosh, Wis., has begun preparing to assume their convoy escort mission in Afghanistan. According to Staff Sgt. Dominic Renteria, spokesperson for the 1157th, the unit is inspecting the vehicles to be used for missions, taking inventory of equipment and performing routine maintenance. "Many are very eager to begin operations as soon as possible," Renteria said, noting that the 1157th still needs to complete its final training before officially taking over the mission. Read Full Story
Legendary NFL quarterback visits Wisconsin National Guard troops 4/17/2012 The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1157th Transportation Company, based in Oshkosh, Wis., had an unexpected visit from former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre and his wife Deanna March 26 at Camp Shelby, Miss. The 1157th is mobilizing for a deployment to the Central Command theater later this year. Favre spent a few hours mingling with the 1157th Soldiers, posing for pictures and signing autographs. He had an opportunity to examine a Mine Resistant Ambush Protection (MRAP vehicle on which the Soldiers were training, and asked about its fuel economy. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard unit ready for Afghanistan 4/17/2012 The Oshkosh-based 1157th Transportation Company of the Wisconsin Army National Guard has completed its mobilization training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and is eager to hit the road - even if that road is somewhere in Afghanistan, where the unit arrived early this morning (April 17). "They're more than ready," 1st Sgt. Tom Krueck said last week at Camp Shelby. "They're excited - they want to get out of here and do what they're supposed to be doing." Initially tasked with transportation and base security missions in Kuwait, the unit was reassigned to conduct convoy security missions in Afghanistan. The change in mission also meant a change in vehicles and tactics from what the unit typically trains for. After their sendoff ceremony Feb. 4, the 1157th trained for several weeks at Camp Shelby. The 1157th was reassigned to deploy to Afghanistan as a result of reallocation of forces by the Department of Defense. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit begins agribusiness mission in Afghanistan 4/11/2012 KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) has taken over the mission of helping Afghan farmers in Kunar Province after a transfer of authority ceremony Tuesday (April 10) at Camp Wright. Col. Fred Allen, commander of the Illinois National Guard's 1-14th ADT, encased his unit's guidon in a canvas sleeve, symbolizing the end of his unit's mission in Afghanistan and handing that mission over to Col. Darrel Feucht, commander of the 82nd ADT. The 82nd ADT is the Wisconsin National Guard's first agribusiness development team, a National Guard initiative that leverages civilian skills crucial to improving agricultural methods. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard members march in memory of POWs 4/9/2012 Twenty members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade headquarters and 32nd Military Police Company - joined by dozens of service members from the U.S, Poland and Ukraine - recently honored the victims of the Bataan Death March by walking in their footsteps, as it were, in a memorial endurance event in Kosovo. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Hudson, a Wisconsin National Guard member assigned to Task Force Falcon, played a key role organizing the 13.1-mile march at Camp Bondsteel on March 26, complete with gravel, paved roads and large hills. He also took part in the heavy category which required participants to carry at least 35 pounds on their backs. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard Soldiers return from special operations mission in Afghanistan 3/19/2012 Three of the four Wisconsin Army National Guard female Soldiers who worked alongside Army Special Forces troops in Afghanistan returned to Wisconsin Thursday night (March 15). Senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders met 1st Lt. April Nelson, Westby, at the La Crosse Municipal Airport; Master Sgt. Karen Dumke, Waupun, at the Dane County Regional Airport; and Sgt. Kristen Elegeert, De Pere, at Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay. Sgt. Sonia Buchanan of Cottage Grove is speaking at the Special Operations Command Academic Week in Orlando, Fla., this week and will return to Wisconsin after she completes the demobilization process. The four female Soldiers graduated the inaugural Cultural Support Training Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. last July, where they learned the basic capabilities to interact and communicate with Afghan women and children - a task deemed locally as culturally inappropriate for traditional Army special operations forces. Nelson, Dumke, Buchanan and Elegeert were among 240 females who signed up for the program. Only 106 were selected for assessment, and 59 of those attended the Cultural Support Team training. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit prepares for field work in Afghanistan 3/15/2012 The Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team is more than halfway through with its mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., and counting the days until it is working with Afghani farmers. The 82nd ADT - the Wisconsin National Guard's first unit formed to help improve the agricultural techniques of Afghani farmers - has spent the past year training on individual and leadership tasks in preparation for its Afghanistan deployment. At Camp Atterbury, the unit has focused on collective training as well as weapons and improvised explosive device reaction and response training. Read Full Story
Female Wisconsin Guard Soldiers return from historic deployment 3/8/2012 Four Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers - 1st Lt. April Nelson of Viroqua, Master Sgt. Karen Dumke of Waupun, Sgt. Sonia Buchanan of Cottage Grove and Sgt. Kristen Elegeert of De Pere - have returned to the United States following several months in Afghanistan, where they helped Army Rangers and Special Forces Teams interact with Afghan citizens. Three of the four expect to begin the weeklong demobilization process March 12 at Fort Bragg, N.C. Buchanan will be one of four Cultural Support Team Soldiers to speak at the Special Operations Command Academic Week in Orlando, Fla., March 14-18; she will demobilize after that Read Full Story
Volk Field weather forecaster key part of mission success in Afghanistan 2/24/2012 Mission ready? Not if the weather forecasters said it's a no-go. An often-overlooked Air Force occupation specialty is the weather forecaster. Who hasn't anguished over a weather forecast gone wrong or at an umbrella left in a stand because the forecaster predicted sunshine? "Mother Nature is unpredictable sometimes," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Thorn, a 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron weather observer, deployed from the Wisconsin Air National Guard's Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center. Weather forecasting might be an imperfect science, but instead of hand-held pressure gauges that resembled Grandpa's box camera, mankind has progressed to satellites and computer systems to more accurately calculate weather trends. Read Full Story
Unique Wisconsin National Guard unit ready for next step 2/8/2012 The 82nd Agribusiness Development Team - the Wisconsin National Guard's first unit formed to help improve the agricultural techniques of Afghan farmers - was honored by Gov. Scott Walker and senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders during a Feb. 4 sendoff ceremony at Hartford Union High School in Hartford, Wis. Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, said that since 1839 Wisconsin has sent its finest men and women to do the nation's bidding, even for unconventional missions such as agribusiness development teams. "It's what you would expect of the Wisconsin National Guard," Dunbar said. "It's hard to take on this kind of a mission, to learn something new and try to put something together that hasn't been done all too often before, and go off to a foreign land and try to engage some of these 'soft skills' that will hopefully help develop a friendly country over time." Read Full Story
Community packs sendoff ceremony for 1157th Transportation Company 2/6/2012 Gov. Scott Walker and senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders joined several hundred family members and friends at the Experimental Aircraft Association's Eagle Hangar in Oshkosh Feb. 4 to bid farewell to the 1157th Transportation Company. Gov. Scott Walker also praised the 1157th. Walker noted that the 1157th deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990, and supported Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in 2005, as well as deployed to Fort Bragg in 2002 - with some serving in the Central Command area of operations - and Iraq in 2006. He recalled Wisconsin's veterans from previous wars, and said the members of the 1157th would continue their fine tradition of representing the state. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit returns from sneak peek at Afghanistan deployment 2/2/2012 Ten members of the Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team - including the unit commander - returned from three weeks in Afghanistan, just in time for a formal sendoff ceremony this Saturday (Feb. 4). According to Col. Darrel Feucht, 82nd ADT commander, the goal of the pre-deployment site survey was to get a sense from the Illinois National Guard's 1-14th ADT - the team the 82nd ADT will replace - about the day-to-day operations of the mission. That mission will be to conduct agricultural development planning, assessment and support activities to expand legal agriculture and agribusiness, services, markets, and education in order to reduce rural poverty, increase employment opportunities in agriculture service industries and improve agriculture education. The 82nd ADT also met key Afghan leaders during their visit. This Saturday's sendoff - beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Hartford High School, 805 Cedar St., Hartford, Wis. - is ceremonial, as the 82nd ADT will not leave for Camp Atterbury, Ind., until the end of February for their final pre-mobilization training. From there the unit is expected to deploy to Afghanistan in late March. Read Full Story
The Guardian 1/24/2012 Christmas at Camp Bondsteel, convoys resume, and command changes - find out what your Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers are doing in Kosovo in this month's issue of The Guardian! Read Full Story