Minnesota National Guard troops back from Iraq

Fort McCoy
Fort McCoy in west central Wisconsin, where members of Minnesota's National Guard will stay for about a week after returning from duty in Iraq.
MPR Photo/Mark Zdechlik

155 soldiers from a Minnesota National Guard unit, based in Little Falls, returned to the U.S. from Iraq Monday.

Cpt. Brian Winter of the 851st Vertical Engineer Company said adrenaline is running high among the troops at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. He said the troops have been serving in Baghdad for the past nine and a half months.

A picture worth two words
A sign welcomes home returning members of the Minnesota National Guard.
MPR Photo/Bob Kelleher

Winter said the soldiers were involved in a number of construction and electrical projects.

"Right now, they're settling into their barracks and over the course of the next four or five days we'll be doing some medical examinations and the bane of our existence, which is paperwork," Winter said. Winter says the unit hopes to be back in Minnesota on Saturday.

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