2009/11/20:State Journal: Wisconsin National Guard's most banged-up unit to return home Saturday

Wisconsin National Guard's most banged-up unit to return home Saturday
Wisconsin State Journal
By STEVEN VERBURG | sverburg@madison.com | 608-252-6118 | Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009 11:45 am | 1 Comment

Wisconsin National Guard specialist TJ Fecteau, of Eau Claire Fecteau - family photo

The most banged-up Wisconsin National Guard unit since World War II is scheduled to return home Saturday.

The 108 members of the 951st Engineer Company racked up 15 Purple Heart medals and 100 combat action badges in 250 combat missions in Afghanistan.

"What these guys did was route clearance," state Transition Assistance Advisor Jeff Unger said, referring to checking for hidden explosives. "Every time they stopped and got out of that vehicle they put themselves at risk."

Unger and Bob Evans, the director of psychological health for the state guard, said since WW II no other guard unit has had as many Purple Hearts and combat missions as the 951st.

A major part of the unit's mission was to patrol Afghan roads and clear them of the improvised explosive devices that have been so deadly in Iraq and Afghanistan before other Army units passed through. The unit also scouted terrain and roads for supply routes and gathered information from local residents.

A wounded sergeant from the unit was on the cover of Time magazine and other members were included in photos taken on Sept. 8 minutes after one of the unit's vehicles ran over an IED on a remote road in Wardak Province.

TJ Fecteau of Eau Claire was the Wisconsin National Guard specialist driving the armored truck that tripped the bomb that day.

"The only way I can describe it so that a civilian can understand is a vehicle collision on the highway at 65 miles per hour, getting T-boned. It's huge," Fecteau said Thursday.

The soldiers' goal was to spot buried explosives and call in a team to detonate them, but it didn't always work that way.

"Our job was to go out and find the IED, and unfortunately a lot of the times the IED found us," Fecteau said.

In the Sept. 8 incident, the 20-year-old Fecteau suffered several pressure fractures in his spine. He spent more than a month in a hospital at Fort Knox, Ky., before returning home two weeks ago. He said he will be wearing a full wrap-around back brace for another three to six months.

"It keeps my posture to where it's normal," Fecteau said. "I can't bend, sitting is complicated."

The pain of the fractures and the discomfort of the brace have been overshadowed by the imminent return of his unit. Members have been at Fort Shelby, Miss., for up to a week, and are scheduled to arrive for a welcome home ceremony at 3:30 p.m. at Rhinelander High School.

Fecteau is especially eager to see his best friend, Spc. Codey Johnson, also of Eau Claire.

Johnson was rushed to his aid after the explosion. One of the Time magazine photos shows Johnson crying as he kneeled over Fecteau, who was strapped to a stretcher.