Family, friends bid farewell to Kosovo bound Wisconsin Guard Soldiers

There was no shortage of support for approximately 30 deploying Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers during an official sendoff ceremony in West Bend Saturday (Sept. 24).

Gov. Scott Walker joined other state officials, family, friends and Wisconsin Guard leadership in honoring the Soldiers before a 12-month mobilization - which includes approximately two months of pre-deployment training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., followed by roughly 10 months in Kosovo in support of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission Kosovo Force, or KFOR.

Walker thanked the deploying Guard members on behalf of a "grateful state and nation" for the service they've already given and the sacrifice they'll give over the course of the next year.

The bulk of the Soldiers come from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment and will support the medevac mission as part of KFOR's Aviation Task Force. Twelve Soldiers, assigned to 248th Aviation Support Battalion, will join units from North Dakota, New Jersey and Wyoming to support the ATF's headquarters, lift and maintenance units, respectively.

"The Soldiers' experience is going to be perfect for this mission because the terrain and flying we do here is similar to what we'll be doing in Kosovo," said Capt. Joseph Bradley, commander of Detachment 1, Company B, 248th Aviation Battalion. "We'll do our peace sustainment mission and we'll do it well."

State Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper spoke to the families in attendance and, by show of hands, polled the deploying Soldiers on deployment experience. He urged the Soldiers with prior deployment experience to guide newer Soldiers through the process.

Pfc. Alex Mumm, 238th flight operations specialist, is anxious to begin his first deployment.

"It'll be interesting to get over there and find out what a deployment is all about," Mumm said. "I'm definitely ready to be over there."

Kosovo Force - a cooperation between 30 countries, including 22 NATO nations - has worked to provide peace and stability in the area since 1999. Roughly 150 Soldiers of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade are currently training at Camp Atterbury and will report to Kosovo in late November.

Kristi Dilley, Mumm's girlfriend, said she plans to use every means of communication available to stay in touch.

"Duty has called, but he'll always be in my heart," Dilley said. "He's worth the wait."