SGT Jorey Brazell joreybrazell@yahoo.com
Members of the Minnesota Army National Guard are preparing for deployment to Kuwait in July 2011. Among the 2,400 soldiers that will be traveling to Kuwait are five young people from Cook County—Jorey Brazell, Johnny Biesemeyer, Lauren Biesemeyer, Daniel LaJesse, and Paul Samuelson.
The soldiers will be leaving Cook County months before they travel to the deserts of Kuwait for Operation New Dawn. They are scheduled to report to the 53,000-acre military training center at Camp Ripley, Minnesota for training on May 11. They will participate in more training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin before their July deployment. The exact date of departure is not yet known, and as Brazell explained, even if it were, that is not public knowledge for safety reasons. In fact, all of the soldiers were reticent about their upcoming military activities.
However, a Minnesota National Guard news release in January 2011 said this is the second largest deployment of Minnesota soldiers since World War II. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division consists of 29 units from 27 Minnesota communities. Four of the five Cook County soldiers are affiliated with the 1/94th Cavalry and one with the 1/194th. All are based in Duluth and Pine City.
SPC Johnny Biesemeyer johnnybiesemeyer@yahoo.com
According to a National Guard spokesperson, these Minnesota National Guard members will play an important role in the final drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq. 1st Brigade Soldiers, stationed in Kuwait, will provide base defense in Kuwait and perform route security operations in support of U.S. Forces throughout Iraq.
Sergeant Jorey Brazell is the son of Mickey and Dee Brazell of Grand Marais. He has been in the Army National Guard for three years now. He graduated from CCHS in 2007. He underwent basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and advanced training at Fort Lee, Virginia. He has been training to be a fuel supply specialist, but on this deployment he will be a truck commander. Brazell said most of the guardsmen deployed on this mission would be working outside of their usual job (MOS/military occupational speciality). “We are going to be drivers, gunners, and truck commanders,” said Brazell.
SPC Lauren Biesemeyer laurenbiesemeyer@gmail.com
Brazell said he couldn’t say much more about the deployment, but expressed appreciation to the community. “Thanks for supporting us,” he said.
Specialist Johnny Biesemeyer is the son of Victoria and Barry Shaw of Grand Marais. Biesemeyer graduated from CCHS in 2008 and attended college for a year before joining the National Guard in November 2009. He underwent basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and advanced training at Fort Ripley, Minnesota. When he is not drilling with the Guard, he works as a sales and service specialist at HOM Furniture in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Biesemeyer will be working as a convoy driver during this deployment.
He also said, “Thanks for all the support.”
SPC Dan LaJesse
Specialist Lauren Biesemeyer is the daughter of Victoria and Barry Shaw of Grand Marais. She enlisted in 2005 on the delayed entry program before she graduated from CCHS in 2006. She underwent basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Her unit is the 1/194th, but she said she would be taking part in the same deployment as her brother and the other Cook County soldiers.
Biesemeyer is a medic and received her training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Asked how one learns to be a medic, she said, “We stick each other a lot!”
Lauren Biesemeyer thanked the community and said, “I’d also like to add a message thanking my mom, Vicki Shaw, and my stepfather, Barry Shaw, for all the love and support they have given me through the years.”
SPC Dan LaJesse was a member of the CCHS Class of 2005, joining the National Guard before graduation. He underwent basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky in 2004 and has participated in numerous training opportunities since then, including training to become a trainer himself. He trains other soldiers on various vehicle operations and a wide range of weapons. He very much enjoys his training duties and notes that they are a “stepping stone” toward becoming a Master Gunner, his long-range goal.
PVT Paul Samuelson paul.j.samuelson@us.army.mil
During this deployment, he will be working in his job (MOS), which is 19 Delta, or cavalry scout. He will be working on convoy route clearance, security and reconnaissance.
LaJesse also serves as the assistant National Guard recruiter for the North Shore. “I kind of love this stuff,” he said. “You have to if you are going to be doing this.”
Private Paul Samuelson is the son of Cheryl and Ed Walimaa of Grand Marais. He graduated from CCHS in June 2010. During his high school career, he worked as a Minnesota DNR smoke chaser. He completed basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in November 2010. His job (MOS) is unit supply specialist, however, Samuelson said for this deployment he will be working as a convoy driver.
Samuelson said, “Thanks to everyone for all the support they give us. It really does mean a lot to us.”
The soldiers should be able to receive e-mail at least periodically throughout deployment and they provided their contact information for North Shore friends who would like to be in touch with them during this deployment.
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