Wisconsin National Guard cultural support team receives a hometown welcome at Miller Park

By Tech. Sgt. Jon LaDue

Wisconsin National Guard

Milwaukee fans gave a triumphant cheer Monday (Aug. 25) as the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 9-5 at Miller Park - but fans gave an even bigger applause to start the game as three Soldiers of the Wisconsin National Guard were honored for their recent return from a historic deployment to Afghanistan.

The three Soldiers, all women, were three of four Wisconsin Guard Soldiers who spent the past year helping Army Special Forces units in Afghanistan build relationships with local nationals, especially women and children as part of the Army's Cultural Support Program - who operate as Cultural Support Teams or CSTs. The Wisconsin women are some of the first females in U.S. history allowed to serve alongside Special Forces in combat operations.

"I feel honored to be honored for going to Afghanistan and doing the mission that we did," said Sgt. Sonia Buchanan, of Cottage Grove, Wis. "It's going to open doors for girls down the road."

Buchanan was joined at Miller Park by 1st Lt. April Nelson, of Viroqua, and Sgt. Kristen Elegeert, of De Pere, Wis. (Master Sgt. Karen Dumke, of Waupun, was also on the CST mission but was out of state during the game).

The women stood jubilantly for about three minutes as they watched pictures of themselves on the giant Miller Park screen and heard their story shared with more than 28,000 fans in attendance.

The event and recognition was part of the Brewers' "Mission Welcome Home," a program coordinated through the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize Wisconsin's service members returning from deployments since 9/11, according to an event coordinator Nate Nez, who also serves as a senior program specialist at WDVA.

"It really puts a personal face to what our troops are doing - especially here in Wisconsin," Nez said. "It shows communities, when the service members are not in uniform, that they are from small town Wisconsin and they are doing some unique missions."

There's no doubt the CST's 10-month tour in Afghanistan was unique and historic. The four Soldiers were among nearly 250 applicants nation-wide. A little more than 100 were selected for screening and the four Wisconsin Soldiers were among 56 to complete the inaugural training at Fort Bragg, N.C. Their primary task was to engage the female population in areas where such contact may be deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male servicemember including conducting medical civic-action programs, searches and seizures, humanitarian assistance and civil-military operations.

And while there's no way to tell how many young women were at Miller Park Monday or how many female Soldiers nation-wide were inspired by the CST mission, the recognition given by the Brewers and embraced by a stadium full of fans is enough to make the future look bright for everyone ... but especially for female service members.

"I think it puts us out there and shows everyone in Wisconsin and throughout how important it is to have females in combat," Nelson said. "It also helps the younger generation realize that women can do whatever they want and accomplish whatever they want as far as goals and a profession.

"There's other females throughout the nation who haven't had as much support and recognition from their state," said Nelson, "it makes me proud that I'm from Wisconsin."