GFW principal becomes active duty soldier

Jeff Bertrang

will serve in

Kosovo

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

COURTLAND -- Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop High School Principal Jeff Bertrang will miss the coming school year since he will be serving full-time military duty with the 34th Division of the U.S. Army for the next year.

A Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, Bertrang leaves today (Sunday) for training in Rosemount and Georgia before heading to Kosovo for six months of active duty as a planning officer. Bertrang will be part of a 2,200 member unit from a dozen states that will relieve soldiers currently doing law enforcement duty in Kosovo.

It may not be in the national news much in America, but strife including gross human rights violations and terrorist and criminal gang activity continues in Kosovo-Mtohija, according to Serbian government sources.

Kosovo's national strategy calls for a consensus among the authorities, opposition, the Serbian Orthodox church, and non-government organizations.

Bertrang -- who was drilling with the National Guard in the Twin Cities --knew he was going to be recalled to active duty about a month ago.

In the meantime, he's been busy training former GFW High School Student Dean/Activities Director Jeff Sampson to take over his position besides doing all the military paperwork and related active duty mobilization details such as preparing his family for his absence in many ways including winterizing his home.

Being recalled to active duty is nothing new for Bertrang. His prior active duty service includes the Hormel meat plant strike in Austin more than a decade ago and during floods and tornados in St. Peter.

While serving with the 125th Battalion of the National Guard in New Ulm, Bertrang did active duty training in Norway.

He'll keep track of things at home and work as best he can on line.

"I'll miss the students," Bertrang said about how he feels about missing the coming school year.

Bertrang feels good about military support in the area and the military members themselves.

"Employers around here have a good understanding of reservists being recalled to active duty," he said. "There are many strong family support programs. Most service members around here have been serving together for years and have developed close, personal friendships with each other."

His wife Wendy said she has received many offers of help while her husband will be away.

"The community has been wonderful," Wendy said.

The Bertrangs adopted an 18-month-old Ukrainian boy that arrived in Minnesota just two months ago. The couple spent several weeks in the Ukraine arranging the adoption. Things have gone well, Jeff said.

"He's adapting well," Bertrang said. "He has no fear and loves to play and tears things apart like most boys his age."

The 34th Infantry Division provides a ready response to natural disasters and civil disturbances, division and brigade war fighting exercises, overseas deployments to Europe and Central America, Combat Maneuver Training rotations, Norwegian Exchange and Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer exchanges with the United Kingdom and Germany.