Gov. Walker visits deployed Wisconsin Guard troops in Kosovo

By Spc. Joshua Barnett

MNBG E Public Affairs

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.

"It's amazing to me to see the multinational effort, and see the cohesiveness despite cultural and language barriers," Walker continued. "It is really impressive to see how efficiently things are run and how well it's run - it's a testament to the United States Armed Forces and there seems to be a lot of respect from the other multinational forces."

The deployed Soldiers include members of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, the 32nd Combat Forward Military Police, as well as aviation elements Company F, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment, and Detachment 1, Company B, 248th Aviation Support Battalion.

The 157th MEB served as the headquarters element for Multinational Battle Group East (MNBG E), which is a U.S.-led battle group composed of soldiers from the Armenian, French, German, Greek, Moroccan, Polish, Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian armies.

"It is a very important mission that the 157th is leading," Dunbar said, "and very important for the governor and I to come on behalf of the people of Wisconsin and see the troops in action and be able to go back and talk to the families and employers and tell them what a great job they've been doing."

During the two-day visit Walker met with the Wisconsin Soldiers at three military bases in Kosovo. They explained the roles they've played since arriving in country in November, 2011. Troops also shared stories of what they missed most during the deployment and what they're looking forward to when they get home, including meeting new babies, toasting the Green Bay Packers with a cold beer, and deer hunting.

"We will welcome you when you get home in the same style we sent you off a year ago, but it is a pleasure to come over here and see what you do first-hand," Walker told some of the troops during his visit. "I'm proud of you."

Dunbar stressed the importance of the year the Soldiers spent away from their homes and families.

"This mission matters, to not only the United States of America, but to the people of Kosovo and the broader region," he said. The Wisconsin National Guard leadership - Col. [Jeffrey J.] Liethen, Command Sgt. Maj. [Bradley J.] Shields, the officers and NCOs - did a phenomenal job working with a multinational organization plus about 10 other states' National Guards doing a great job keeping our commitment to this part of the world."

The trip culminated when the governor traveled back to the U.S. with redeploying troops from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's aviation elements, who handed the mission over to their replacements Sept. 1.

"It's actually kind of exciting, to go back with the aviators," Walker said. "It's kind of a rush to be able to literally come back with some of them, and then be ready to welcome back the rest in a few weeks."