Local soldier gets Red Hat send-off

Desert Storm vet going to Afghanistan

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- A rural New Ulm soldier headed to Afghanistan for a year of active duty service got a slice of Great Britain and hometown hospitality Friday afternoon.

U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. Tim Beranek had a tea party send-off with the Red Hat Ladies at the Three Sisters Tea Room in the Grand Hotel building.

Beranek, a 1988 New Ulm High School graduate, is a maintenance clerk with the 1151st Towed Artillery Support Team in Appleton. He'll report for duty Feb. 1 at Fort McCoy, Wis. for a month of training before heading overseas. The exact location of his final destination is unknown.

A 15-year veteran of the regular Army and Army National Guard with 15 medals and ribbons on his chest, Beranek served in Germany early in his career and enjoyed touring Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain and France. He particularly enjoyed touring the Alps, castles plus Munich and Nuremburg, Germany.

Being recalled to wartime active duty is nothing new for Beranek.

He lived in a tent for four months with the regular Army in the sands of Kuwait and Iraq as a vehicle mechanic in Operation Desert Storm 13 years ago with the 1st Armored Division, aka "Old Ironsides."

In 1991, the 1st Armored destroyed 440 enemy tanks, 485 other vehicles and 190 artillery pieces while capturing 6,700 Prisoners Of War. He's the only member of his unit with previous wartime service.

Duty in Afghanistan will be cooler than Kuwait and Iraq. Winter temperatures will be 30's and 40's and 80's and 90's during the summer instead of 120 degrees in the Middle East.

Beranek said he's enjoyed his three years with the 1151st.

"The rest of the guys are younger, but they're a great group," Beranek said. "We all know each other well and have good morale. We work well together, but when it's time to have some fun, we all do that together too."

Meanwhile, Beranek's civilian life will be on hold. For the past 12 years, he's worked as a manufacturing engineer at Kraft Foods in New Ulm. A single man, he has many relatives in the New Ulm area. He praised his employer.

"Kraft has been very supportive and taken care of me," Beranek said.

In his spare time at home, Beranek enjoys bowling, snowmobiling and attending classic and muscle car shows.

He plans to spend his spare time reading, writing letters, playing hand-held games and listening to his portable CD player while on active duty.