The Wadena National Guard Armory unit is changing units from A1-194 to D2-136 combined arms battalion, but most operations will remain the same.
Members of the 194th battalion were some of the group of 152 soldiers who were deployed overseas for about a year and returned in December. Now, the Wadena Armory is combined with Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Crookston, Thief River Falls, Bemidji and Grand Rapids.
The headquarters will be in Moorhead instead of Brainerd, but business will be the same, said Dan Schmidt, readiness noncommissioned officer at the Wadena Armory.
Capt. Mike Pazdernik officially will hand over the unit to Capt. Kris Jankovic at a change of command ceremony on May 21 at the Wadena National Guard Armory. Soldier Ken Schmitz will be promoted to the new first sergeant of the D2-136 the day before on May 20.
Other changes have come in the Family Readiness Group, which is for families of soldiers.
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Karla Richardson is no longer the Family Readiness Group coordinator but still helps out in the group. Val Schmitz is now the Family Readiness Group coordinator. The group meets once a month and will send care packages to soldiers.
Donations can be brought to the Wadena Armory, Richardson said. Beef jerky is a favorite of many soldiers, she said, but homemade beef jerky cant be sent because the packaging needs to be like that of store-bought beef jerky.
Thirteen soldiers are deployed from the Wadena Armory but are attached to other units, Richardson said. Also, several other soldiers from the area are overseas but deployed with different units, she said. The names of soldiers deployed arent released for confidentiality reasons.
Soldiers who are back seem to be doing well, Richardson said. Also, she has heard from the state that the group of soldiers that returned in December have had fewer problems than other groups, she said.
Laurie Giddings is the treasurer of the Family Readiness Group and has a son, Paul, who is deployed overseas. Her husband, Craig, is also a soldier and returned from deployment with the A1-194 in December.
Its been more difficult getting information about how the local soldiers are doing because they arent all in the same unit, Richardson said. But Giddings said shes heard from some of them and most seem to being doing well.
Theyre already complaining about the heat, she said. Weve heard its already in the 100s.
Soldiers of the A1-194 were honored at a banquet in Brainerd in April.
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At the banquet, Pazdernik was presented the Guide-on unit flag. Each unit has a different flag, Richardson said.
Richardson received the Order of St. Joan DArc Medallion from the United States Armor Association. The medallion is given to women in support of armor and calvary units.
At the banquet, Richardson said some history of the 194th unit was given. Soldiers from the unit in 1941 fought in World War II in the Philippines. In 1951, soldiers of the 194th served in Korea.
The new unit, D2-136, will still drill at the Wadena Armory and wont be too much different, Richardson said.
