Wisconsin Guard unit begins agribusiness mission in Afghanistan

By 2nd Lt. Stephen Montgomery

82nd Agribusiness Development Team

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (4/11/2012) - The Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) has taken over the mission of helping Afghan farmers in Kunar Province after a transfer of authority ceremony Tuesday (April 10) at Camp Wright. 

Col. Fred Allen, commander of the Illinois National Guard's 1-14th ADT, encased his unit's guidon in a canvas sleeve, symbolizing the end of his unit's mission in Afghanistan and handing that mission over to Col. Darrel Feucht, commander of the 82nd ADT. 

"It's been a long road to assemble this team, train this team and, now, engage this team," Feucht said. "This team has worked hard with great anticipation for this day."

The 82nd ADT is the Wisconsin National Guard's first agribusiness development team, a National Guard initiative that leverages civilian skills crucial to improving agricultural methods.

"We now stand ready to perform our motto - to grow, to guide, to guard," Feucht continued. "To provide guidance to the Afghan farming community and guide each other in this partnership, to grow together as a unified team and grow crops, and to guard each other from those that do not see our goals in common."

The Wisconsin National Guard learned it would gain an agribusiness development team mission in 2010, and the unit trained for 12 months before reporting for active duty in February and completing mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind.