by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
There were speeches, handshakes, hugs, little kids waving little flags and more than a few tears when families gathered to say goodbye to loved ones – soldiers on their way to a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The deployment ceremony took place the morning of July 7 at the National Guard Facility next to the St. Cloud Regional Municipal Airport. After the ceremony, 20 men of the St. Cloud-based Guard left for Fort Hood, Texas, their last stop before heading for their nine-month deployment half a world away. At Fort Hood, they’ll undergo yet more training, about 40 days worth. They had already completed weeks of training at Camp Ripley near Little Falls.
The 20 men are members of B Company, Second General Support Aviation Battalion. Their mission will be to provide support for combat and combat-service operations, air assaults and the aerial movement of troops, equipment and supplies.
The average age of the 20 deployed troops is 29 – the youngest 20, the oldest 36.
It is the unit’s third deployment to Afghanistan. The previous tours of duty were in 2006 and in 2001. Because of the heavy reliance on night-flying in CH-47 Chinook helicopters and the soldiers use of night-vision goggles, the soldiers dubbed their support service the “All Night Long” unit.
The 20-member unit is highly trained and very experienced. Of the 20 men, only four will be doing their first tour of duty overseas; seven of them will be doing their second deployment; eight will be on their third deployment and one man will be serving his fourth deployment.
Thirteen of the soldiers have at least one dependent family member. They hail from many Minnesota cities in the St. Cloud National Guard region, as far north as Bemidji, as far south as the Twin Cities area.
Werness
Right after the speeches by visiting dignitaries at the July 7 deployment, each of the 20 troops was surrounded by circles of love and pride comprised of spouses, children, girlfriends, family members, relatives and well-wishers.
Some of the Chinook helicopters in the giant National Guard hangar, where the ceremony took place, were opened for the public to enter for a look-see. Private First Class Spencer Werness of Burnsville is a door gunner/mechanic. His loved ones and well-wishers surrounded him, and a flurry of picture-taking began next to a helicopter. Those who attended the deployment ceremony included his parents, Spencer Sr. and Dixie of Burnsville, his sister, an aunt and an uncle, a grandmother, his girlfriend and numerous others.
“He’s so admirable,” said his cousin, Marcus Oistad of Sartell. “We are proud of him that he is serving our country.”
For weeks, during his training at Camp Ripley, Werness stayed with his aunt Lorrie Oistad, who is his father’s sister. Lorrie and her husband, Jeff, are Sartell residents, the parents of Marcus, who is a Sartell High School social studies teacher and head boys’ basketball coach.
Werness will be named “Soldier of the Year” by the fourth-graders at St. Cloud Christian School. The students will pray for him through the next school year, write him letters and stay in touch through social media. Aunt Lorrie Oistad and her daughter, Meredith Oistad, are both teachers at the Christian School – Lorrie a math teacher and Meredith the teacher of the fourth-grade class that will honor and pray for Werness during his tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Praises
A group of military personnel and political leaders delivered speeches praising the 20 deployed troops and their families who attended the ceremony and listened from the audience. A couple of the speakers choked back tears while talking.
Among the military speakers were the company’s commander, Capt. Nolan Kohlrusch; and brigade commander, Col. Shawn Manke. Political speakers were State Rep. Tim O’Driscoll, Sartell; State Rep. Jim Knoblach, St. Cloud; and State Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, Big Lake.
O’Driscoll told the 20 troops they are fortunate because 16 of its members have served previously overseas and thus have a wealth of experience and know-how in dangerous territory.
“Gentlemen, I wish you well and know that, among others, our central Minnesota Warrior to Citizen Group, which I am proud to be a founding member of, will be supporting your family,” O’Driscoll said. “Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. I’m always honored when I’m asked to speak at deployment ceremonies like this one. For the record, I really like speaking at returning ceremonies even better. So, until we meet again, may God bless you, may God bless your families and may God bless the United States of America.”
Kohlrusch said he is constantly amazed by the troops’ professionalism and dedication.
“Your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed,” he said. “I have witnessed with sheer amazement your professionalism, your (work) ethic, your dedication and your sacrifice. Your unwavering commitment has made this unit truly great . . . These 20 soldiers are the embodiment of a team. We hold each other up when times are uncertain; we pick each other up when we are down; we always stay together.”
To the troops’ families, Kohlrusch said this:
“I’d ask you to find pride in knowing that your soldier is fighting for liberty, freedom and our national security. They are embarking on a year-long journey that will take them halfway around the world so your freedom and safety will never, ever be in question. We do this to ensure our children, our childrens’ children and generations to come have the same freedom we now have and even greater opportunity and prosperity in the future.”
Private First Class Spencer Werness Jr. lines up for a group photo with his aunt and cousins from Sartell. From left to right are Katie Oistad, wife of Marcus Oistad, who is holding their son, Sam; Werness; his aunt Lorrie; her daughter Meredith; and Marcus and Katie’s two other boys, Jack and Joe.
Cody Gallmeier of Oak Park (right) helps his sister, Kassie Koecher of North Branch hoist her sons up on the side of a Chinook helicopter July 7. At left is Logan; at right is Isaac. The family photo session occurred during a troop-deployment ceremony at the Minnesota Army National Guard hangar in St. Cloud. Gallmeier is one of 20 troops who will be serving nine months of duty in Afghanistan.
Family members had a chance to tour the inside of the massive Chinook helicopters during a troop-deployment ceremony for their loved ones July 7 at the Minnesota Army National Guard hangar near the St. Cloud Airport.
As his brother, Jack, snoozes, Joe Oistad of Sartell waves two mini-flags at a troop-deployment ceremony July 7 at the Minnesota Army National Guard building in St. Cloud. The Oistads were among many relatives and well-wishers who attended the ceremony to honor Spencer Werness, one of 20 soldiers who will soon be doing a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Werness, of Burnsville, stayed in Sartell with his maternal aunt, Lorrie Oistad, and her husband, Jeff, while he was doing training at Camp Ripley near Little Falls. The boys in the photo are the sons of Marcus Oistad, son of Jeff and Lori.
Spencer Werness Jr. of Burnsville shares a photo moment with his sister Heidi Allen and her son, Carter. Heidi and her husband, Reed, came all the way from Wayne, Neb. to attend Werness’s deployment ceremony.
Jen Werness of Burnsville gives a farewell hug to her brother, Spencer Werness, who will soon be serving a nine-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. A deployment ceremony was held for Werness and 19 other troops in his unit at the Minnesota Army National Guard hangar near the St. Cloud Airport July 7.
Twenty troops about to serve in Afghanistan receive official deployment orders from their captain during a deployment ceremony July 7 in St. Cloud.
Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) addresses soldiers and their families during a deployment ceremony July 7 at the Minnesota Army National Guard hangar near the St. Cloud Airport. The 20 troops will be serving soon in Afghanistan.
Family members stand for the National Anthem during a troop-deployment ceremony July 7 at the Minnesota Army National Guard hangar next to the St. Cloud Airport. The families are the loved ones of the 20 men who will soon be serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Twenty soldiers stand at attention during a deployment ceremony July 7 at the Minnesota Army National Guard helicopter hangar in St. Cloud. The troops will be deployed in Afghanistan after training at Ford Hood, Texas. Sixteen of the men have already served overseas in combat zones, one of them three times.
