WDH, June 18, PAGE 1F
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
BACK FROM
IRAQ VOICES OF THE 32ND INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM JUNE 18, 2010 MARSHFIELD NEWS-HERALD ✵ STEVENS POINT JOURNAL ✵ WAUSAU DAILY HERALD ✵ WISCONSIN RAPIDS DAILY TRIBUNE
ABOUT ‘VOICES’ In August 2008, the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Brigade Combat Team was called to duty in Iraq. The group — including soldiers from Marshfield, Mosinee, Stevens Point, Waupaca, Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids — spent almost 10 months guarding Iraqi detainees at Camp Cropper near Baghdad. They were reunited with family and friends in January, and they will be honored Saturday with a homecoming event. Inside, you’ll find stories from the soldiers who were deployed, why they enlisted and what they learned from their experience in Iraq. There also is a history of the brigade, a look at how the soldiers trained and a list of area employers who supported them in and out of their uniforms.
WDH, June 18, PAGE 2F
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
2 FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
Parade, music and more will welcome soldiers
Contributing reporters
Ashley Smith Marshfield News-Herald asmith@marshfieldnewsherald.com 715-384-3131, ext. 328
Nathan Vine Stevens Point Journal nvine@stevenspoint.gannett.com 715-345-2252
Nicole Strittmater Stevens Point Journal nstrittmater@stevenspoint.gannett.com 715-345-2249
Nathaniel Shuda Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune nshuda@cwnews.net 715-422-6728
Keith Uhlig Wausau Daily Herald kuhlig@wdhprint.com 715-845-0651
Adam Wise Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune awwise@wisconsinrapidstribune.com 715-422-6726
Contributing photographers
Laura Schmitt Marshfield News-Herald lschmitt@marshfield.gannett.com 715-384-4331
Corey Schjoth Wausau Daily Herald cschjoth@Wausau.Gannett.com 715-845-0606
Online Find out more about the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at: www.marshfieldnewsherald.com Tom Loucks Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune tloucks@cwnews.net 715-422-6777
www.stevenspointjournal.com www.wausaudailyherald.com www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com
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tevens Point will play host to the 3,200 soldiers and families of the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Brigade Combat Team, who will be honored Saturday. The Back from the Sand homecoming event will recognize the 28 units that deployed as part of the brigade — which locally included Stevens Point’s Battery B, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery. It was part of the largest mobilization of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers since World War II. “This is the first homecoming of this size I have witnessed, and it’s really made possible because of the support of the community,” said Capt. Joy Staab, deputy director of public affairs for the Wisconsin National Guard.“It’s incredibly exciting, and a good indicator that people really appreciate what we do.” The event was the idea of Larry Frostman, 61, of Stevens Point.A Vietnam War veteran, Frostman long has been a volunteer in the community but has wanted to do something specifically for military veterans. He likes to say all he did was “connect the dots” by talking to the right people who could make things happen in the community. The city of Stevens Point, the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, local businesses and members of the National Guard were instrumental in organizing and executing the celebration. A parade will begin at noon, featuring the 28 units and representatives from their local communities.According to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, the best parade viewing will be along Second Street, between Maria Drive and Portage Street. People are encour-
Friends and family welcome home in January the soldiers of the 32nd Red Arrow Infantry Brigade Combat Team..
Schedule of events Events are at Pfiffner Pioneer Park and Mead Park. 10 a.m.: Grounds open. 11 a.m.: Food concessions open. Noon: Parade begins. 1:30 p.m.: Parade ends at Pfiffner Pioneer Park. 1:45 p.m.: Program begins. Family activities and concessions will be closed during program. 2:30 p.m.: Entertainment begins.
aged to bring signs and U.S. flags to wave. After the parade, Gov. Jim Doyle will join members of Congress, state legislators, mayors and National Guard officials at a recognition ceremony at Pfiffner Pioneer Park. Live music, including The Spirit of the USO-Illinois and country singers Brian Stace and Brittini Black, will be featured, along with military displays and family activities. Food will be free for soldiers and their families, and available for others to purchase.The event ends at 6 p.m. “We’re excited and humbled. We’ve had great support from the community and from businesses
Family activities and concessions re-open. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Kids inflatables. 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Family activities. 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Shuttles to playground. 2:30 to 4 p.m.: Illinois USO Band. 4:30 to 6 p.m.: Music by Brian Stace and Brittini Black. 5:30 p.m.: Concessions close. 6 p.m. Event ends.
local and statewide,” said Sara Brish, sales and marketing director for the convention and visitors bureau. The 32nd Brigade, augmented by six other Wisconsin Army National Guard units, was ordered to active duty Feb. 1, 2009. Members were deployed to Iraq in April and May 2009 after two months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas.They returned from duty in January. Staab, who also was deployed as part of the 32nd brigade, is history officer for the brigade. She said her office will take photos of the event. “We want to document the great thing this community did for the troops,” she said.
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WDH, June 18, PAGE 3F
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE Military parade lineup
Start Maria ar Dr. Wadleigh ad ggh St. Second St.
Bukolt Ave. Fourth Ave. Franklin St. . Ave by os
Cr Pfiffner Pioneer Park
Employees who are part of the National Guard or Reserve can nominate their employers for the Employer Support of the guard and Reserve Patriot Award. The award honors employers that have exceeded the legal requirements in support of their military employees. Here is a list of central Wisconsin businesses that were honored with Patriot Awards in the past year during the brigade’s deployment to Iraq: ◆ Central Wisconsin: Auto Zone (stores throughout the area). ◆ Colby: Colonial Center. ◆ Marshfield: Roehl Transport, Inc. (received
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Finish
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ROBERT BERG/GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA
Company D-Baraboo, Madison 829th Engineer CompanyChippewa Falls, Richland Center, Ashland 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion Company A-Onalaska Company B-Madison 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery Battery A-Marshfield Battery B-Stevens Point
Area ESGR Patriot Award winners
three awards). ◆ Plover: McCain Foods. ◆ Rudolph: Bank-A-Count Corporation. ◆ Stevens Point: Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital (received four awards), Travel Guard and Trig’s supermarket. ◆ Waupaca: ABC Computer. ◆ Weston: Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital. ◆ Wausau: Central Wisconsin Woodworking Corporation, Jones Lang Lasalle. ◆ Wisconsin Rapids: Wisconsin Rapids Police Department. Source: Wisconsin National Guard
Editor’s note: This is a Jan. 2 story from Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, public affairs officer for the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team while it was deployed in Iraq. It was written just before the troops returned to Wisconsin.
I
t’s been a long deployment for 3,200-plus soldiers of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, but it is finally coming to an end. Sometime in early January, the first of many chartered airliners will touch down at a Wisconsin airfield, and “Red Arrow” soldiers will begin planting their boots back on the ground in their home state after completing their service in Iraq. The mobilization — which involved the largest operational deployment of Wisconsin Guard troops since World War II — actually started more than a year before it formally began.Throughout 2008, the brigade’s soldiers beefed up their once-a-month weekend training and spent a week longer than normal during annual training in August 2008. (In) January (2009), the brigade’s soldiers traveled to Camp Blanding, Fla., for a final three weeks of pre-mobilization training, checking off requirements for weapons qualification and individual warrior tasks, and accomplishing the collective training that would pull them together into effective teams of soldiers, leaders, staffs. By the time the 32nd arrived for two final months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas, toward the end of February 2009, it may already have been the besttrained National Guard brigade ever to report to a mobilization training site. But Red Arrow soldiers continued to train, now focusing on the specific missions that awaited them in Iraq — missions, in many cases, completely different from the types of things the brigade’s units would normally do. ...
The brigade’s missions, though perhaps less glamorous than combat operations, were no less important or difficult.The 32nd was assigned not to break Iraq’s military forces with combat power, but to work together with government, military and civilian officials to build up Iraq.This is important and difficult work in a combat zone. When we arrived here in May 2009, we were ready to do our jobs as well as they could be done.And we were committed to leave Iraq a better place than we found it. In the harsh and challenging environment that greeted them eight months ago, Red Arrow soldiers got right to work. Spread out across a country about the size of California, they took over the administration of several forward operating bases and the International Zone in central Baghdad, they assumed responsibility for theater internment facilities and treated detainees humanely and with respect, they provided area security and base defense, they secured ground movements, formed quick reaction forces, moved 10,000 detainees without incident, closed the largest detention facility on the planet, trained a corps of professional Iraqi corrections officers, inspected the nation’s detention facilities to ensure they met international standards, turned U.S.-controlled International Zone properties to the Iraqi government and kept the IZ safe. ... Wisconsin National Guard soldiers here saw dramatic improvements in Iraq’s confidence as a sovereign nation and in the growing capability of Iraq to positively influence its own destiny. But we did more
Our Vets Thank You For Your Service!
“We did more than merely stand witness to Iraq’s historic progress: Wisconsin troops helped write much of that history ... ” Lt. Col. Tim Donovan
public affairs officer, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
than merely stand witness to Iraq’s historic progress: Wisconsin troops helped write much of that history by their impressive performance here. ... The 3,200 Red Arrow soldiers experienced the hardship of a long deployment far from home, endured sandstorms and searing desert heat, were enriched by our exposure to the fascinating Iraqi culture, mastered new and difficult jobs, worked effectively with other services and service members from other nations, formed deep friendships likely to last our lifetimes, and escaped occasional
attacks by an ignoble enemy. You can’t help be changed by these experiences. I think they have made us stronger, better. Our replacements from the Texas Guard’s Houstonbased 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived a few weeks ago, and we wish them well.As we transfer our missions to the Texans who will succeed us here, we will move south to Kuwait to wait for our flights home — the end of a journey that began nearly one year ago.We’ll see you soon. And to Iraq, we say, “Farewell.”
WELCOME HOME 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
We cannot begin to comprehend the many sacrifices you have made to safeguard our country s freedom and future. Thank you for returning safe and sound to your loved ones.
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A look back at 9 months in Iraq
Soldier homecoming parade route
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University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ROTC Color Guard 132nd U.S. Army Band 32nd Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company Camp Douglas 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry including: Headquarters and Headquarters Troop-Madison Troop A-Fort Atkinson Troop B-Watertown Troop C-Reedsburg 257th Brigade Special Troops Battalion including: Company B-Kenosha 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company-Appleton, Clintonville Company A-Waupun, Ripon Company B-Green Bay Company C-Fond du Lac Company D-Marinette Battery A, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery-Racine 108th Forward Support Company-Sussex 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company-Eau Claire, Abbottsford Company A-Menomonie Company B-New Richmond, Rice Lake Company C-Arcadia, Onalaska Company D-River Falls 32nd Military Police CompanyMilwaukee, Oconomowoc 1158th Transportation CompanyBeloit, Black River Falls 132nd Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company-Portage Company A-Janesville, Elkhorn
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WDH, June 18, PAGE 4F
4 FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
‘It made me grow up’
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pc. Aaron Decker’s experience in Iraq wasn’t at all what he expected. As a detainee guard at Camp Cropper in Baghdad, Decker got a chance to see firsthand the lives and culture of the prisoners. “It made me realize the different culture over there,” said Decker, 21, of Unity. “It made me grow up a little bit and see how the rest of the world lives compared to us.” The neighborhood outside of Camp Cropper was just like any other typical Third World country, Decker said. “They lived in mud huts over there,” Decker said. “They didn’t have a lot of food, and they didn’t have a lot of luxuries. But they’re a lot more family-oriented and religionoriented than most of the people back in the States. “They’re a very friendly people, but it was just a com-
pletely different culture.” For about 13 hours a day, Decker made sure prisoners’ needs were met, from providing food and water to overseeing their rest time. “We got more contact with the detainees than I expected,” Decker said. “Especially when we did family visitation. Their families got to come in and meet with them for an hour or so, and you spent a lot of time actually meeting the families and dealing with them.” For the short amount of time Decker received off — whether it was one day or a few hours after his shift — he got a chance to play in a charity USO football bowl game and tour Saddam Hussein’s palaces. “The palaces were pretty much destroyed,” Decker said. “We went through Victory Over America and Victory Over Iran palaces, but they were never completed. Just these massive
buildings with artwork, hand-painted marble, giant halls and secret passages, but it’s just for show now.” Decker will start school next semester at the University of WisconsinLa Crosse, where he will study to become a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. “We didn’t have a lot of time to go to the gym,” Decker said. “But the down time that we did have, I got to work with a lot of people. A lot of guys we just met with overseas, I got to teach them a couple of things.” Although there were little things he missed — home cooking, weekends off work, being with friends and camping — Decker said he appreciates his deployment. “The time I received, I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Decker said. “It was a great experience, and I had a very good time over there. The people were amazing.”
About the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Name: Aaron Decker Age: 21 Hometown: Unity Rank: Specialist Job while deployed:
Detainee guard at Camp Cropper Civilian job: Marshfield Armory; student at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
‘Live like you’re going back’
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Name: Daron Jensen Jr. Age: 20 Hometown: Stevens Point Rank: Private First Class E3 Job while deployed:
Detainee operations Civilian job: Part-time student at Mid-State Technical College in Stevens Point; helps out at grandparents’ business in Milwaukee
fc. Daron Jensen Jr., 20, of Stevens Point, wanted to enlist for one reason. “Pride. Something to be proud of,” the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Combat Team member said. “It was always something I wanted to do since I was younger. It feels good.” Jensen is a 2008 Stevens Point Area Senior High graduate. He enlisted his junior year of high school, went to basic training that summer and was deployed to Iraq after he graduated. He returned home in January after 10 months in Iraq. He worked at a compound inside a prison handling Iraqi detainees in scorching heat, while wearing long sleeves and body armor. He won’t forget about the time when the some of the Iraqi prisoners started a riot. Jensen, who worked in a different area inside the prison, said he never found out why the riot happened. One of the rumors floating around was that the detainees
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weren’t getting water. For almost three hours, he assisted soldiers who were working in the area. About 500 detainees started fires, threw rocks and bottles from behind bars and broke through a fence during the incident. “They got tired,” Jensen said, so the riot eventually ended without anyone getting hurt. Now, he’s back to civilian life as a part-time student at Mid-State Technical College in Stevens Point. He said while it feels good to be home, he was so used to having only two weeks of leave that it took some time to realize he won’t be deployed again anytime soon. “You’re kind of anxious, and you live like you’re going back the next day. I just got over that,” he said. He has three years of service left, but said he probably will re-enlist. “Whatever happens in the future, happens,” he said. But if or when the call comes to deploy again, he will answer it in a heartbeat.
With more than 3,400 soldiers and units based in 36 Wisconsin communities, the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is the largest unit in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Brigade combat teams are the basic deployable combat maneuver units in the U.S. Army today. The 32nd IBCT resembles a small-scale combat division, with infantry, cavalry, field artillery and special troops units for intelligence, signal, military police and combat engineers. The 32nd IBCT is descended from the 32nd Red Arrow Division. In 1967, the 32nd Division was reorganized as the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Mechanized). The 32nd was reorganized again in 2007 into the 32nd IBCT to reflect the needs of the U.S. military for operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team spent 2008 training and preparing for a mobilization and deployment. The unit was alerted in late 2007, and it received a mobilization order in December that called up more than 3,000 soldiers for an active duty mission in Iraq beginning in 2009. Eight other Wisconsin National Guard units were tapped to augment the brigade. This was the largest operational deployment of Wisconsin National Guard forces since World War II. Source: Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs
WDH, June 18, PAGE 5f
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WDH, June 18, PAGE 6f
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6 FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
Adjustment ‘a bit hard’ Name: Jeff Ramsay Age: 21 Hometown: Marshfield Rank: Private first class Job while deployed: Detainee guard at Camp Cropper Civilian job: Marshfield Armory, student at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
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fc. Jeff Ramsay didn’t quite know what to expect when he enlisted in the Wisconsin National Guard.
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“I honestly didn’t know what I was jumping into,” said Ramsay, 21, of Marshfield. “When I first joined, I was a little hesitant.” But after spending almost a year as a detainee guard in Baghdad’s Camp Cropper, Ramsay knows he made one of the best decisions of his life. “I definitely feel like I’ve matured a lot,” Ramsay said. “I have a better way of talking to people, too. I was more like a hermit before I left, but now I’m more outgoing.” It was through the military that Ramsay met his friend and roommate during the Recruit Sustainment Program. Ramsay said the two were able to hang out and catch events and celebrities who would visit the compound. “They had events where World Wrestling Entertainment superstars came over there, and we got to meet them,” Ramsay said. “That was probably my favorite day over there. They were there for a meet-andgreet, and it was nice to meet people who you see on TV.” Since being home, Ramsay said, the adjustment from life in Iraq to life in Marshfield has been a bit hard. “It was kind of a challenge,” said Ramsay. “I went from sitting all day to the job I do now, which is dishwashing (at Clearwaters Hotel and Convention Center). So I’m on my feet all day.” But he’s gotten used to being able to wear his own clothes, being comfortable and meeting new people. “A part of me likes the Army more than I thought,” said Ramsay, who has re-enlisted for another tour. “They say our daily job was one of the most difficult ones, because we were holding back the guys who were making plans to kill our soldiers. We were able to watch some of the bigger masterminds. I feel much better now that I’ve been able to go there and help serve the country.”
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WDH, June 18, PAGE 7f
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VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
An ‘appreciation for life’
Name: Brad Bauman Age: 26 Hometown: Durand, Ill.; currently lives in Stevens Point Rank: Sergeant “The two times I’ve been to Iraq, neither unit has lost anybody. There were a couple close calls the first time. I did convoys the first time. We had a few trucks hit IEDs (improvised explosive devices), but we were fortunate enough not to have any serious injuries,” he said. “Everybody has each other’s back. You’re watching out for each other.” Bauman’s time with the Army will be up at the end of summer, and he doesn’t plan to reenlist. He has one year left at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he is studying athletic training, and he doesn’t know what the future holds. But he will take his
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‘It’ll be one more tour’
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gt. Brad Bauman joined the U.S. Army National Guard right before his senior year of high school to pay for college. He never expected to be deployed once, let alone three times. “I joined in 2000, so before that National Guard units weren’t really used to being deployed. I didn’t think it would ever happen,” he said. Then came the terrorist attacks on 9/11. “They started telling us that we were probably going overseas after that happened. I was kind of scared. I went through basic training right after 9/11. They told us, ‘We’re going to war,’” Bauman said. In 2003, he was sent to Fort McCoy in Tomah for four months to prepare to go to Iraq, but the orders were canceled. He was on active duty during that time, though, so technically he was considered deployed even though he never left U.S. soil. Later, he was stationed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in the Unit 1158 Transportation Company out of Beloit. He specialized in driving Army equipment, mainly tanks, to and from bases in Iraq. In January, he came home after 10 months in Iraq with the 32nd Red Arrow Infantry Combat Team. For half of the time, he did biometrics — retinal scans, taking fingerprints, photos and DNA — at a prison in which Iraqi detainees were held. He worked as an escort the rest of the time, taking detainees to hospitals or appointments and transporting them to other compounds. He said during his deployments he was fortunate not to have any deaths in his group.
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
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pc. Rebecca Engebretson was a senior at D.C. Everest High School when she joined the National Guard. Up to that point, she really hadn’t given serious thought to joining the military. But a friend who joined the National Guard when Engebretson was a junior talked about the experience, and slowly Engebretson came around. “I knew that I really wouldn’t be able to afford college when I wanted to go,” Engebretson said. “So this seemed right.” Once she decided to join, she committed to the National Guard. Her father and other relatives had served in the U.S. Army, and even though they counseled her to join the U.S. Air Force, she wanted to stick with the National Guard. “It just kind of appealed to me,” Engebretson said. Like her fellow soldiers, she was ready to serve in Iraq when she enlisted. “I knew I was going to go,” Engebretson said. “It was kind of the whole patriotism thing. You know, doing something for your country.” She went out to lunch with her mother and grandmother the day she was to leave central Wisconsin, and “then my dad and his parents showed up. We weren’t all that close, so that was a surprise,” Engebretson said. They all sat together quietly, and when she had to go, both her mother and father, who are divorced, cried. “It didn’t really hit me until we were halfway down to Fort McCoy,” Engebretson said. Then, like her fellow soldiers, she concentrated on her training. She
Job while deployed: Detainee operations Civilian job: Full-time student at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point studying athletic training Army experiences wherever he goes. “It probably gives you a greater respect and appreciation for what Americans have. It just gives you a lot of life experience. “You get to see a lot of other places in the world and lots of things that other people don’t ever get a chance to see, or really even think about much,” he said. “On my second deployment, we did our missions all over in Iraq. You’d pull into a base, and you’d see all these little kids coming out, and they’d ask you for food or water. They just don’t have very much. “(I have) a greater appreciation for the life that we live.”
Name: Rebecca Engebretson Age: 20 Hometown: Schofield Rank: Specialist Job while deployed:
Worked in prisoner intake at a detainee compound and as a guard Civilian job: Works at Kwik Trip in Weston and plans to attend college in the fall
wasn’t fearful. “I knew that it wasn’t that bad (in Iraq) anymore,” Engebretson said. She found that being a female guard in the compound wasn’t as big of a deal as she first thought. There was another female guard who had worked in the compound before her, and “they were kind of used to her being there,” Engebretson said. That doesn’t mean the job was easy. The detainees constantly tried to push the American guards to provide more cigarettes, food and other items. Others just wanted to talk to someone. And still others hated the Americans. It was stressful work, but Engebretson is glad
she was able to serve. She learned about Iraqi culture and Islam. And she believes that her work, and those of her fellow soldiers, ultimately will help make things better in Iraq. Engebretson plans to attend college this fall, and intends to study business management. She’s not sure where she’ll go, but is considering Rasmussen College in Wausau. Meanwhile, she has 21⁄2 years left in the National Guard. She’ll volunteer to be deployed to Afghanistan. “That’s an exciting tour I would like to do,” Engebretson said. “I can’t go anywhere else. It’ll be one more tour, then I’ll get out.”
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The American Legion Supports Our Troops AMERICAN LEGION POST 54
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2100 S. Maple, Marshfield
715-384-9697
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Pfc. Jeff Ramsay, top row far right, poses for a photograph with fellow soldiers. Below: Soldiers from the Michigan Regiment, 125th Infantry, 32nd Division parade through Massevaux Alsace, France, on July 14, 1918. Bottom: Life magazine came to Reedsburg to cover the 32nd Division’s 1961 mobilization for the Berlin Crisis. Left: A helicopter flies above an unusually shaped part of an Iraqi building.
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The 32nd Division often led
Welcome Back Soldiers!
“L
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ook out! Look out! Here comes the Thirty-Second” — so begin lyrics penned in 1942 for the 32nd Division March. The words were written before the 32nd’s World War II combat began in Buna, so they recount the division’s World War I record 25 years earlier. “Look out! Look out! They led the way in France Red Arrows never glance Though hell burn in advance. ... ” Organized in July 1917 from the National Guards of Wisconsin and Michigan, the 32nd Division fought in four World War I campaigns: Alsace, Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne and Meuse-Argonne, all in France.
Thank You For Serving Our Country
John A. Ritchay John A. Ritchay Jr. Michael J. Ritchay
Phillip G. Nowicki Aaron W. Ritchay
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The division earned its distinctive unit insignia — a vertical red arrow through a horizontal red bar — by piercing every enemy line it faced. It also garnered a nom de guerre (or “war name”) from a French general for the ferocity of Red Arrow soldiers in battle: Les Terribles. The 32nd Division was mobilized again in October 1940, more than a year before the United States entered World War II. Some elements of the division were shipped to Europe, but most Red Arrow Division soldiers fought their way through the Southwest Pacific from Buna and western New Guinea through Luzon to the occupation of the home islands of Japan. Red Arrow soldiers suffered 7,268 casualties while logging 654 days of combat.
WDH, June 18, PAGE 9f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
“Thank You” cannot express the depth of gratitude owed to those, like you, who have sacrificed so much to serve our Country. Please know that your service to Our Country is greatly appreciated.
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2800 Hoover Road, Stevens Point, WI www.herrschners.com Monday through Friday 9am to 8pm Saturday 9am to 6pm • Sunday 11am to 4 pm
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U.S. soldiers participate in a flag-football game organized around a USO visit that included such football notables as Bruce Smith, Brian Bosworth, Raghib Ismail and Barry Switzer. Right: A U.S. medical vehicle rumbles down an Iraqi road.
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U.S. soldiers from Company G, 128th Infantry, 32nd Division fire their rifles into a Japanese dugout Jan. 3, 1943, near Buna.
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the Berlin Crisis, and he called the 32nd Division to federal service. The division served until August 1962 at Fort Lewis, Wash., before returning to Wisconsin. In 1967, the 32nd Division — by then made up entirely of Wisconsin units — was deactivated and reorganized as the 32nd Separate Infantry. Other reorganizations followed over the next four decades, until the 32nd’s organization in 2006 as an infantry brigade combat team. Most units of the 32nd Brigade were called up individually or as battalions for operations in Iraq — and a few for Afghanistan — until the entire 32nd brigade and all 3,300 of the brigade’s soldiers were mobilized in February 2009 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Source: “In the Zone”
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In two world wars, the 32nd Division often led the way as: ◆ The first U.S. division on German soil in World War I. ◆ The first division to deploy as an entire unit from the United States in World War II. ◆ The first U.S. division to be shipped as a single convoy overseas in World War II. ◆ The first U.S. division airlifted into combat. ◆ The first U.S. forces to launch a ground assault on Japanese forces in World War II. ◆ The first U.S. Army occupation troops to land in Japan. In October 1961, President John F. Kennedy quickly needed to expand the active-duty U.S. Army during
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Clockwise from top left: Pfc. Jeff Ramsay has his photo taken with the Bella Twins during the WWE’s tour of Iraq. The image of Saddam Hussein still can be found on the sides of buildings in Iraq. Ramsay participates in medical training. U.S. soldiers take rifle practice.
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WDH, June 18, PAGE 10f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
10 FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
It’s ‘just like any other job’ He’s ‘in the best of hands’
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ver since Spc. James Slagle II, 24, of Stevens Point, was a little boy, he had wanted to join the U.S. Army. “I just thought it was really cool. I had this whole Army thing when I was little. You get this certain vision of what it’s going to be like, and all of a sudden it’s nothing like that,” he said. “Some days you love it. Some days you really hate it. It’s just like any other job.” When he was 17 years old, and with his parents’ OK, Slagle joined the National Guard, and he’s already been deployed twice. In January, the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Brigade Combat Team soldier returned home to his wife after 10 months in Iraq, and he said he would have kissed the ground if it hadn’t been so cold. “It’s kind of surreal at the first step of getting off the plane seeing her standing there. I’m so happy being home,” Slagle said. He worked in a compound inside a prison and handled Iraqi detainees. The compounds separated prisoners by religions. “Some of (the detainees) were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of them they actually killed the Americans. We really didn’t know what they were in there for,” he said. Whenever he needed to communicate with the detainees, he would use a “chief,” a detainee who could communicate easily with others. The Iraqi correctional officers also could communicate. They would tell the detainees to do something three times in Arabic and English, and 99 percent of the time the detainees listened, Slagle said. If they didn’t, he and the other soldiers in the compound had stun guns,
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Name: James Slagle II Age: 24 Hometown: Stevens Point Rank: Specialist
and the correctional officers had mace. They never had to use them, though. “If you got up in their grill, they usually did what you wanted,” Slagle said. Though he was always around the detainees and they would often talk to him, Slagle never talked about his personal life. “It’s kind of like the prisons here, where they could use that stuff against you. Yeah, they are all the way back in Iraq, but they can still make stuff happen from inside the prisons,” he said. He often was afraid, but he never let it show. “You couldn’t really let them know that you were, because then they’d take advantage of you,” he said. His scariest moment
pc. Eric Junkin wanted to be a soldier ever since he was a little boy growing up in Texas. “My hero was G.I. Joe,” Junkin said. He was just into his teens when terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11. Watching the news, and then following the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, did nothing to dissuade him from joining the military. “It made me want it more,” Junkin said. Junkin knew the risks and the rewards of military life, and he was ready to go when his outfit, the 32nd Red Arrow Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was told that it would be deployed to Iraq. But still, it wasn’t easy. Things had changed since Junkin joined the National Guard in Texas in 2006. While he was going through advanced training to become a diesel mechanic, he met his future wife. Crystal Junkin, also 22, was from Tomahawk. She had the same sort of drive to join the military as Eric, and the two have the same laid-back, takeit-as-it-comes attitude toward life. The two got married, and soon had a daughter, Hannah, now 2. They live in Wausau now, and are expecting their second child. Crystal also is a member of the 32nd. But with the birth of Hannah, she received an honorable discharge. After leaving the Guard, Crystal saw that it was a mistake, and rejoined. But paperwork and other military red tape meant that she would not deploy with her husband and her unit. Leaving Crystal and Hannah behind was “pretty hard,” Eric Junkin said. “I did not want to say good bye.” The thought that he might not see them
Job while deployed: Detainee operations Civilian job: Washes cars at Central Car Wash in Stevens Point while deployed was when a rocket hit the ground 50 meters from his compound. “We were sitting chilling, and all of a sudden we hear this boom! It’s like ‘Oh (expletive), that sounded really close,’” he said. “I was scared, but we also knew that we had another job to do. We had to get (the detainees) all into their buildings. We had to make sure they were safe.” Though Slagle is home now, he very easily could be deployed again. While he was in Iraq, he reenlisted for six more years. He intends to stay in the Army for 20 years, and then retire. He plans to start college this fall at MidState Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids to study diesel mechanics.
WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
Name: Eric Junkin Age: 22 Hometown: Wausau Rank: Specialist Job while deployed: Junkin worked as a guard
and in prisoner intake at a detainee compound Civilian job: Works at Brickner’s of Wausau, in the dealership’s Express Care Center
again was at the top of his thoughts. His tears flowed, Crystal’s did not. At least in front of Eric. “I held it together when he was getting ready to leave,” Crystal said. “But when I got home, I had my mother take Hannah, and then I broke into tears. I let it all out for a couple of hours.” Because she was part of the unit, she comforted herself with the fact “that I knew he was in the best of hands,” Crystal said. While in Iraq, Eric worked in different roles at a compound for Iraqi detainees, including working through intake procedures for the prisoners and as a guard in different capacities in the compound. Eric was in contact with Crystal almost every day,
using Skype, an Internet phone service that allows people to talk via video. That allowed Eric to see Hannah grow from a distance, but did nothing to diminish the excitement he felt in seeing her when he returned to Wisconsin. And Hannah felt the same way, Crystal said. The little girl nearly jumped from her mother’s arms onto her father. The experience taught Eric to value the time he has with Crystal and Hannah, he said. But he would go overseas to war again, and expects to. This time, Crystal said, she wants to be there, too. “I actually want to go,” Crystal said. “We’re the National Guard. We’re always the ones prepared to go do anything.”
Welcome Home and
Thank You for your service to our country 5001122827
STEVENS POINT 5301 Hwy. 10 East 343-1547
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MARSHFIELD Across from Shopko 125 W. Upham St. 384-3082
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Thanks For All Your Service to This Country
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WDH, June 18, PAGE11f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
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The ‘unit becomes family’ ‘We made a difference’
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pc. Mark Lewis wasn’t afraid to go to Iraq. It’s not that he was cavalier about it. But ever since he joined the National Guard in 2008, he had known it was likely he would go to war. He accepted that, and it was part of the reason he joined the military. “It was something I felt I would be proud of for the rest of my life,” Lewis said. But the acceptance of going to Iraq didn’t make it easy when the day came to leave. “The worst day of the entire deployment is the day you leave,” Lewis said.“You see your family’s faces, and it’s hard.” For Lewis, the sadness and excitement evolved into focus as he went through training in Texas to become a prison guard. “As you go along, your unit becomes your family,” Lewis said.“And it just turned into a job.” Lewis eventually became a zone representative in a compound that held Iraqi prisoners. Being a zone rep meant being “a glorified baby sitter” — the person in charge of daily needs and supplies for detainees. Lewis’ shift was 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., and he worked six days a week. Spending so much time with the detainees meant he got to know them well. He learned about the different factions of Islam, branches of the religion that varied in beliefs and extremism. Though they were separated in the compound, old hatreds and jealousies bubbled under the surface. With the specter of Abu Ghraib haunting all American guards, Lewis found he had to walk a fine line between asserting his authority over the prisoners and ensuring they were treated with dignity and respect — no easy task with people who hated each other, and hated Americans. Abu Ghraib gained notoriety throughout the world in 2004 when photos of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi
Name: Mark Lewis Age: 21 Hometown: Rib Mountain Rank: Specialist
Job while deployed: Zone representative at a detainee compound Civilian job: Landscaper/student
prisoners were released. At the same time, the prisoners constantly badgered Lewis and his fellow soldiers for more stuff, such as cigarettes or food. Lewis said they constantly lied and would play mind games to get their way. Cigarettes were valued like gold, Lewis said, and the detainees would constantly push for more. They would use the religious tension to get their way, and turn on other Iraqis to get more smokes. “We had to treat every detainee with respect,” Lewis said. “And that’s very, very hard to do. ... I had to keep (my temper) under control.” Lewis developed a talent for compromise. His end game was to appease wellbehaved prisoners to keep them happy on one level, but to also hold back to make sure they understood that he and his fellow soldiers were in ultimate control. Along the way, he found
that the detainees were people Lewis could relate to at one level. “Family is the most important thing to them,” he said. “They cry just like we cry.” But the old grudges die hard, and those hatreds that go back centuries will be tough to deal with as the American military pulls out of Iraq. “I’m glad it ain’t my problem,” Lewis said. Meanwhile, he’s proud of the work he did in Iraq.The experience has given him an appreciation of the small things in life, like being able to go out to dinner. “You don’t take things for granted,” he said. He feels a bit strange, too, though, because the experience changed him in ways he hardly can explain. Yet he returned to a home that stayed the same. “We felt like we spent 10 years over there, and we came back, and nothing’s changed,” Lewis said.
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s a child, 1st Lt. Bryan Weichelt knew he wanted to enter the military. But his experience in Baghdad ultimately would change his career and life perspective. “I always wanted to be a soldier,” said Weichelt, 27, of Stratford. “Ever since I was little. So when the time came, my friends were already in, so I decided I would just do it. I was 21 already, had a few years of college, and guess it was something I always wanted to do.” While stationed at Camp Cropper in Baghdad, Iraq, Weichelt worked as a platoon leader overseeing about 50 soldiers who worked as detainee guards in the prison compound. Most of the detainees had worked under Saddam Hussein’s regime and were held at the prison for interrogations. “So it was actually an interesting place to be working,” said Weichelt, who expects to be promoted to captain in a couple of months. “We basically ensured that no one was getting in that wasn’t supposed to, and no one was getting out that wasn’t supposed to.” That meant controlling the movements of detainees from interrogations to meetings with lawyers or medical appointments. Weichelt said the guards and detainees interacted with one another on a Golden Rule concept. “They were very cooperative,” he said. “And we didn’t have a lot of problems. Somehow, it came out that (one detainee) wrote a letter saying he would never take up arms against Americans ever again based on how he was treated on the compound in Camp Cropper. So that was pretty cool, knowing that we made a difference.” Weichelt said many of the detainees they were in charge of were professors and lawyers who came
from very broad backgrounds. “Certainly, everyone has different customs and whatnot,” Weichelt said. “But the core values are typically the same — family and God above all else. Certainly people twist the way they believe things differently, but what I learned about their culture was that they’re a lot like us.” Living on the compound 24 hours a day, seven days a week for eight months gave Weichelt a new perspective on life. “Being away from home for so long gives you a different sense of the meaning of time and how best to use it and not take it for granted,” Weichelt said. After going to school and receiving degrees in criminal justice and psychology in hopes of entering law enforcement, Weichelt said he’s working on his master’s degree in information technology through the University of Wisconsin-
Platoon leader at Camp Cropper Civilian job: IT support specialist at Marshfield Clinic Stout. “(My deployment) dissuaded me from that career path,” Weichelt said. “Being away from home, working holidays, nights and weekends — those were things that I had already given up for a year.” He was able to find work in the IT department at the Marshfield Clinic. Weichelt said while overseas, besides his family, he missed the little things such as the smell of rain or freshly cut hay, homecooked meals, watching TV or doing anything you want to do, when you want to do it. “Ironically the freedoms we fought for were the freedoms we missed the most,” Weichelt said. “If I had the option, I would not go back, unless I’m called to active duty. But I think giving up one year of my life was enough. “There’s too much to live for here — too much to do.”
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WDH, June 18, PAGE 12f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
12 FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
‘Gained a lot of patience’ Trying to keep it ‘normal’
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andy Lockman learned a key element to mentally surviving his second deployment to Iraq. “Patience,” he said, “I gained a lot of patience.” Lockman served as one of four zone representatives helping oversee 240 detainees and other soldiers on a military compound in west Baghdad in 2009 during his deployment with the 32nd Brigade Combat Team. He was assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery out of Stevens Point. While he had been deployed before — he returned in the summer of 2007 after helping defend a base in Kuwait and clear routes in Iraq — everything was different about this stay. Long gone were the perils of securing buildings and dodging explosives in the country’s most dangerous streets. Instead, Lockman helped handle detainees at what essentially is a detention facility housing all age groups. “I knew what I was doing (going into the deployment), but I didn’t know how I was going to react to it,” Lockman said from his home in Wisconsin Rapids. “The last time I was there, we were knocking on doors, talking to people, getting mortared and countering (improvised explosive devices). “I didn’t have to worry about outside elements this time; now, I had to be nice to them.” Just like a security officer at U.S. jail, Lockman dealt with some local residents who were pleasant and easy going, while others caused trouble.
Name: Randy Lockman Age: 24 Hometown: Wisconsin Rapids Rank: Sergeant The detainees sometimes smuggled contraband and passed notes, which wasn’t allowed. Lockman said those who broke the rules faced longer stays at the facility. “Over time it will end up counting against them, which is on them,” Lockman said. “It’s their time.” Lockman never asked why some of the detainees were being held at the facility. That information could have angered him and distracted from his duties. “It’s probably why I didn’t
pc. Kris Waterson’s life these days is laid back. “I’m just hanging out with friends, job searching, living life,” Waterson said. “The day-to-day routine — I’m just really enjoying it.” It’s a state that Waterson appreciates, especially given the nine months he spent in Iraq as part of the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Combat Team. Arriving in Iraq for the first time, Waterson said he very quickly realized he was a long way from home. “Getting off the plane, it was a heat wave, like walking into an oven,” Waterson said. “In 120 degrees, you are going to sweat regardless, so you have to stay hydrated. Kool Aid packets are the best.” Working at Camp Cropper on the outskirts of Baghdad, Waterson helped oversee the detainees held at the base. He said his job included watching over prisoners and escorting them from the compound to some of their appointments, such as to the doctor or dentist, or to visits with their families. “(Iraq) was not a very clean place,” Waterson said. “Most detainees had some kind of disease, so sanitation and cleanliness were huge.” Waterson said he and his fellow soldiers tried to keep things as normal as possible, from eating three meals a day to trying to keep a normal sleep schedule. “I tried to get about seven hours a night, but it didn’t always happen,” Waterson said. During down time,
Job while deployed: Compound zone representative Civilian job: Security officer at Rainbow Casino in Nekoosa get (upset); I didn’t know what they were in for,” Lockman said.“I just knew they were there for strikes against the U.S. or against their own government.” The sergeant isn’t quite sure what his military future holds for him, but he says he’d like to go back to active-duty status, preferably in Afghanistan. “I think that, with my experience, I might be able to help other soldiers,” Lockman said. “It’s not the same country, but it’s the same kind of stuff going on.”
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prepare him for what he hopes will be his career away from the military. Waterson will attend Fox Valley Technical College and hopes to work in the prison system in some capacity. He said he has been lucky throughout his service to receive plenty of support from his parents, Lorie and Kurt Waterson of Waupaca. “They are very supportive,” Waterson said. “I think they are happy to see me do something with my life that is meaningful and that I am on track.”
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Waterson enjoyed going online to catch up with family and friends, and spent time at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation site on base, which has a movie theater and video games. He added that receiving gifts from home also helped bring a little more comfort. “Beef jerky, cookies — anything with some flavor,” Waterson said. “Pictures are also very nice.” While sometimes finding his work difficult, Waterson said the experience has helped
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Job while deployed: Detainee operations Civilian job: Will attend Fox Valley Technical School this fall
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715-675-1171 7 5480 Hillcrest Dr., Wausau, WI 54401 5 w www.willowspringsgarden.net D Directions: 3.6 miles north of Fleet Farm on H Hwy. K to Hillcrest Drive. West on Hillcrest 1/ 1/2 mile. Watch for Signs!
WDH, June 18, PAGE 13f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
Our local banks salute you, men and women of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, heroes now in our communities. A special thank you for all that you do. We greatly appreciate your dedication to our country and to our community. The sacrifices you have made will never be forgotten.
LOCAL DECISIONS • LOCAL COMMITMENT • LOCAL INVESTMENT As local financial
Stevens Point • (715) 342-4400 Wisconsin Rapids • (715) 422-1100
Bancroft • (715) 335-4545 Kellner • (715) 421-1660 Saratoga • (715) 325-3000 Hancock • (715) 249-3300
institutions, we are owned and operated by people you know... people you see in church, at the grocery store, volunteer at community projects and civic organizations.
Our decisions and
policies are based on what we see and know about the local community. The decisions are made by people who live here, many you see at places like the theater or grocery store. We base our decisions on our knowledge of the market place, not computer printouts or financial trends in big cities.
Rosholt • (715) 677-4523 Stevens Point • (715) 344-5522 Elderon • (715) 454-6264
Stevens Point • (715) 341-5600
Nearly 100% of the
1216 Wildwood Drive , Stevens Point, WI 54482 Phone: (715) 344-1000 • Fax: (715) 344-8153 www.unitedfcs.com
a n B k of A l a n o i mherst t a blished n a t r s e t E In 5001122280
1893 Over A Century Of Service Amherst • (715) 824-3325
money deposited with these institutions is reinvested back into the community in the form of home mortgages, commercial loans, agricultural loans and municipal loans. These loans in turn generate jobs that lead to purchases that lead to economic expansion, better equipment better effciency, more jobs, and ultimately, to a better standard of living for everyone living in our community.
www.mycwcu.com 1301 Post Road , Plover 2201 Division St., Stevens Point (715) 341-0520 (715) 295-9611
Milladore • (715) 457-6417 uburndale • (715) 652-2105 Rozellville • (715) 384-3142 Hewitt • (715) 384-2011 Stevens Point • (715) 342-9071 hfield North • (715) 384-0071 hfield South • (715) 384-5117 Wisconsin Rapids • (715) 422-590 Withee • (715) 229-2796
WDH, June 18, PAGE 14f
14 FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
Back at home
Kris Waterson, 21, left, of Waupaca and Shane Dawson, 21, of Neillsville returned home from active duty in Iraq. The troops were greeted by crowds of well-wishers in January in Stevens Point after their return from Iraq. A formal homecoming celebration will be held Saturday in Stevens Point.
Crystal Junkin, left, and her husband, Eric Junkin, read a book with their 2-year-old daughter, Hannah, at their Wausau home. Both Eric and Crystal are members of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
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WE LCO HO ME
ME
On behalf of the families, friends and loved ones of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, welcome home. We join the millions across Wisconsin in commending your honorable service to our nation. It’s good to have you back. A Patriot Award recipient, Travel Guard is recognized as an employer of choice for employees with military backgrounds.
Search or share photos, local events, music, videos and much more.
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June 18th: Backseat Driver June 19th: Giving Up The Ghost
WDH, June 18, PAGE 15f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
VOICES OF THE 32ND BRIGADE
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
15
It’s ‘kind of a mind game’ Service not about politics
S
pc. Shane Dawson gained insight into the situation in Iraq during a chance encounter while stationed there with the 32nd Red Arrow Infantry Combat Team. Helping to oversee detainees at Camp Cropper on the outskirts of Baghdad, Dawson said he spent a first few uncomfortable months giving simple commands during work. One day, one of the detainees approached him. “He asked me why I didn’t talk to them, and I told him that I didn’t see a reason to, I was just there to do my job and go home,” Dawson said. “He had a Ziploc bag and dumped it out, and there were all these photos of him and his family and all these letters. He started telling me about his daughter, son and wife and said 1 he had been there for 3 ⁄2 years, and someday he would get to go home to them. “He took me off to the side to show me that he was human and that I could talk to him,” Dawson added. It was an experience that has stuck with him — one of many he recalls vividly following his nine months in Iraq. Dawson’s family has a tradition of military service. His father served in the U.S. Army in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War. His 20-year-old brother, Keith, recently joined the National Guard and is in basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. But when it came to his own decision, Dawson said his father wasn’t necessarily on board with the plan. “He didn’t really agree with this idea, but he was supportive,” Dawson said. “I liked the idea of serving my country, (and) the money for college was something I really needed.” In Iraq, Dawson said
A
Name: Shane Dawson Age: 21 Hometown: Neillsville Rank: Specialist Job while deployed: there were plenty of things to adjust to, from the heat — “You get off the plane, and it’s like your eyeballs are melting” — to the living conditions, which for him was a small dorm room with two other soldiers. “It was pretty crowded. Even if you picked up after yourself, you still were tripping over something,” Dawson said. “When there was a sandstorm, it was like there was smoke in the building, but it was all sand.” There also was the monotony of daily life. “Every day was the same,” Dawson said. “It wasn’t like it was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It was more like, what you are going to eat that day or what part of the body you are going to work out.” Still, Dawson said he is proud of the work he did,
Detainee operations Civilian job: Will attend the University of WisconsinEau Claire this fall pointing out that he was able to help fingerprint more than 4,000 detainees for the FBI, information that should help keep terrorists out of the United States and identify people responsible for bomb attacks. That experience, along with financial assistance, will help Dawson as he pursues a degree in criminal justice at the University of WisconsinEau Claire. Dawson, who hopes to become a police officer or detective, said working with prisoners in Iraq also gave him insight into that career path. “It is kind of a mind game. You see the same detainees every day, and you do build a relationship with them, sometimes good and sometimes bad,” he said. “I wasn’t trapped into thinking they were my friend, because I know what they were.”
s a full-time, active-duty member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, Capt. Daniel Hendershot knows all too well what it takes to be in the military. The 30-year-old commander of Battery B of the 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery returned in January to central Wisconsin after about nine months in Iraq. “I got to have just about a month off, and then came back to work in Wisconsin Rapids,” said Hendershot, a Stevens Point native. In his role as a full-time operations and training officer for the battalion, Hendershot plans training events, controls budgeting, issues soldiers orders and oversees day-to-day operations. He also facilitates events for all three of the battalion’s units. His interest in the military came relatively early in life. He almost joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a 17-year-old student at Stevens Point Area Senior High. “But like most guys, I didn’t do it because of a girl,” he said with a smile. “Fast forward about three years, and I got the itch again.” Little did he know at that time he would meet his future wife while participating in the ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. They later earned commissions as second lieutenants together. Capt. Lisa Hendershot serves as a company commander and Blackhawk helicopter pilot with the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment in Madison and will deploy to Iraq for the first time later this month. “Since I already did the deployment thing ... she’ll use me as a sounding board,” Daniel said. “With the same clearance level, you can talk about what you want.”
Name: Daniel Hendershot Age: 30 Hometown: Stevens Point; now lives in Portage Rank: Captain Job while deployed: Commander of Stevens Point-based Battery B, Although it sometimes is difficult to separate home life from work, especially when both people are so immersed in their jobs, it also makes things a little easier, Daniel said. “You understand what’s going on,” he said. “You understand the stressors that the other (is) going through.” Those without a military background sometimes do not realize most soldiers keep work and politics separate, Hendershot said. “It truly doesn’t matter what your point of view is about whether what you’re doing is justified,” he said. “I chose to do this job because this is what I want to do and what I’m good at. “It has nothing to do with why we’re over there; nobody even talks about
1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery Civilian job: Full-time Wisconsin Army National Guard operations and training officer for the 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery it.” One misperception about the National Guard is that all its full-time members are recruiters, he said. “They don’t know there’s active-duty guys in almost every local community.” Currently living in Portage, the Hendershots commute to their respective jobs every day and plan to start a family after Lisa returns from her deployment, which begins Sunday. “Now we’re going through a mad dash to see as many family and friends as we can,” he said. Also on the agenda are what Hendershot called “the little things,” such as taking walks or going to a movie. “Those are the things we really miss.”
Welcome Home Soldiers of the 32nd Brigade! Anderson, O’Brien, Bertz, Skrenes & Golla would like to welcome home all of our returning Wisconsin National Guard troops and thank all veterans and their families for their sacrifice.
Over 120 Years of Legal Excellence We are a full service law firm with one of Wisconsin’s most respected legal teams. Each of our attorneys concentrates in one or more areas of law. Our attorneys will work together to aggressively represent you, your family or your business interests. We have been the trusted central Wisconsin law firm since 1886, and our clients are our number one priority. • • • • • • •
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A special Welcome Back to our own David M. James. We’re glad you’re back Dave!
WDH, June 18, PAGE 16f
CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACK
A Homecoming Salute!
We
Support
Our Heroes!
From all your friends at Slumberland The owners and employees of Slumberland want to say
THANK YOU and WELCOME HOME
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