Local Hero

WRITTEN BY: ALEXIS SWENSON PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

At age 17, Tom Krabbenhoft joined the Minnesota Army National Guard on a part-time basis. Krabbenhoft was interested in joining in part due to coming from a military family. Beyond that, the year was 1984—when teachers were on strike. Krabbenhoft asked for a challenging role and was placed in Infantry where he experienced significant culture shock from the rigid discipline and routine.

"I wasn't going to be the teenager that mapped the human genome. Sometimes you just gotta be honest with yourself," said Krabbenhoft. "You're going from teachers on strike and not really succeeding in academia to doing things that you read about and see on TV."

Service Life Upon finishing Basic and Advanced Individual Training, Krabbenhoft returned to Moorhead, MN where he often volunteered to accompany Army key personnel utilization program (KPUP) tours. In 1987, Krabbenhoft became a Forward Observer, controlling artillery and mortar fire along with calling in air strikes. Two and half years later, he pursued Stinger Missile training and became one of the chief instructors for the weapon in the United States. Krabbenhoft also joined a newly developed Air Defense Artillery unit in Grand Forks, ND.

"I was the third enlisted person to join and the lowest-ranked. It was ground floor of something unique and different. I was there for the opportunity and adventure," said Krabbenhoft. "It was an incredible thing at the time to get in on a fairly new, proven weapon system."

Krabbenhoft's unit provided air defense for the 6th Infantry Division in Alaska, affording him many trips north. With each trip, Krabbenhoft's exposure to danger elevated. First, he and another military member became stranded in a shack for several days while protecting air missiles due to dangerous ice fog. Ice fog occurs when the temperature is so cold that condensation is pulled out of the ground resulting in small ice crystals suspended in the air. The pair rifled through the garbage looking for Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) scraps during the day while the wolves sifted through it at night until the ice fog cleared up.

Another time included enduring a 14-hour bus ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks where the external temperature was -50 F and the temperature on the bus was -30 F. While the heat was on inside the bus, the heating system simply could not compete. On another occasion, a tent fire erupted due to a combination of Yukon Stoves fired up with gas and highly flammable old canvas tents.

"Everything you do there is completely different. You need to eat more calories because your body generates so many more calories to keep warm in an arctic environment. We were given an extra 2500 calories a day. It was brutal to do that for extended periods," said Krabbenhoft.

Most notable for Krabbenhoft was a helicopter crash in 1992 due to a hydraulic actuator failure. His mission in Alaska concluded and he was looking for a ride back to Anchorage, 160 miles away. When he had the unexpected opportunity to tag along on a flight to Anchorage on a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, he graciously moved forward with it.

"All of a sudden, it started to rotate really slowly. I looked behind and the guy behind me hit the floor. I reached up and

Most notable for Krabbenhoft was a helicopter crash in 1992 due to a hydraulic actuator failure.

It was absolutely terrifying; I could feel the wind rushing and the helicopter beneath me. It sounded like I was in the middle of 20 trains.

The only thought I had was I was going to get sucked out of the helicopter. I was completely sold on the idea that I was doomed.

grabbed a nylon harness; I was not strapped into the helicopter," said Krabbenhoft. "I was thrown forward a couple of feet and hit a door lined up with a firewall closet where it's open on the bottom. It was absolutely terrifying; I could feel the wind rushing and the helicopter beneath me. It sounded like I was in the middle of 20 trains. The only thought I had was I was going to get sucked out of the helicopter. I was completely sold on the idea that I was doomed."

Of the 19 individuals on the helicopter, all survived, but sustained injuries ranging from mild to serious. Krabbenhoft didn't realize how bad his injuries were until several weeks later when issues with his legs and spine showed up. He was unable to do the things he loved to do in Infantry and transferred to the Air Guard to serve in a Logistics role. Despite the fact that none of his leadership education credits transferred and the sense of loss for losing the combat aspect of his work, Krabbenhoft enjoyed the brotherhood of his new unit.

Serving Post 9/11 Following the events of 9/11 in 2001, Krabbenhoft took a full-time job at the Air Guard, managing weapons and war readiness materials. "Like most people, my life was forever changed when the second plane hit. I realized things were never going to be the way they had been," said Krabbenhoft.

In 2009, he was deployed to the Middle East. Although Krabbenhoft's deployment was intended to last six months, a lifethreatening infection cut his time short in the most poignant experience of his life. He was given a verdict of less than 24 hours to live in a location where advanced medical care was not available. Krabbenhoft had the option of either being sent in his uniform to a high-risk area known for American kidnappings or to take his chances at the base. He chose to try his luck on base where doctors promised to give him all the knockout punches they had.

With no way of diagnosing the infection, Krabbenhoft was hooked up to multiple IVs where several dozen bags of antibiotics were dispersed over several days. Those medications, although ultimately saving his life, left him with major long-term effects including serious hip, back, shoulder, and neck issues.

Impact of Serving A few months after Krabbenhoft was sent home, he found himself prescribed and sometimes taking over 20 pills a day to manage the debilitating pain throughout his body. He gained 100 lbs, was diagnosed with heart disease and diabetes, and experienced intense anxiety.

"It felt like watching yourself from the outside. I didn't believe in anxiety before that happened to me. Now, I was having trouble leaving the house which was mindboggling for me. I kept taking those pills and it got so out of hand it was unbelievable," said Krabbenhoft. "Within a two-week time frame, I found out I was getting kicked out of the military, losing my job, and getting a divorce. It felt like I was in an unfaithful world. When you're taking that many pills, it distorts your reality."

Krabbenhoft struggled for three years with his new reality of pills, distorted reality, and lost relationships. "When I came back, I was salvageable, but I didn't have anybody reach out to me from my unit or help me through," said Krabbenhoft. "Therefore, it was easier to discard me than salvage me. My situational awareness has always been above average, so it was easy for me to know something was wrong, but it wasn't being fixed. My kids lost their dad."

It felt like I was in an unfaithful world. When you're taking that many pills, it distorts your reality."

Turning a Corner Today, Krabbenhoft's life looks vastly different and part of that is due to his motivation to learn how to ride a motorcycle. To do so, he knew he needed to lose weight, reduce the number of pills he was prescribed, and do a lot of physical therapy. Krabbenhoft hired a personal trainer,

began a workout program, and tried various alternative pain relief methods including chiropractic care, massage, and dry needling. Over four years, he lost a substantial amount of weight to walk away pill-free with the exception of over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen. Krabbenhoft credits much of this to his girlfriend, Shannon, an orthopedic nurse for many years.

"Shannon enlightened me to alternative pain relief which has been a huge blessing. Her guidance has been immeasurable to me; I am pretty much indebted to her," said Krabbenhoft.

Current Life Currently, Krabbenhoft works as a realtor referral agent for Coldwell Banker-Element and serves as Director of the FM Legion Riders, an organization of motorcycle enthusiasts who are dedicated to supporting veterans and children's charities. Krabbenhoft is passionate about his work with the group and their biggest event held in the winter. Every February, the group spends the night in a tent, outside the Moorhead American Legion to bring awareness to veteran suicide prevention and homelessness. He is also abundantly grateful for his children, striving to build

back was lost when he first returned from the Middle East. "I have a couple of wonderful daughters who are very creative culinary and musically. I also have a 15-year-old boy who is very physically fit and athletically oriented. He's a talented football player and wrestler. Their lives got affected as well with everything that happened—losing them was hardest" said Krabbenhoft.

The Good Life For Krabbenhoft, the good life is one filled with meaning and balance. "Being around for tomorrow and being able to make a positive difference. It's even better when you can do that with a good group of people. Also, a motorcycle ride on a hot day with a cold beer waiting at the end," said Krabbenhoft. •

Being around for tomorrow and being able to make a positive difference. It's even better when you can do that with a good group of people. Also, a motorcycle ride on a hot day with a cold beer waiting at the end.