Fallen | Rhinelander street named for Sgt. Ryan Adams

From the The Lakeland Times: Armed Forces Day 2014 provided the appropriate backdrop for a brief ceremony Saturday afternoon in Rhinelander.
The name of the street in front of the Wisconsin Army National Guard armory, Military Road, was formally renamed Adams Way, in honor of Rhinelander resident Ryan Adams, who had been a member of the Wisconsin Army Guard's 951st Engineer Company (Sappers) when he was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 2, 2009.
It was his second deployment, the first being to Iraq in 2003.

Photo: The parents of Ryan Adams, Pete (left) and Jalane Adams, at Saturday's ceremony. (By Brian Jopek, The Lakeland Times)

For an update on veterans of the 951st: Esprit still strong among soldiers battered in Afghanistan

Fifteen Purple Hearts later, the 951st Sappers will be back in Wisconsin tomorrow

The most banged-up Wisconsin National Guard unit since World War II is scheduled to return home Saturday.

The 108 members of the 951st Engineer Company racked up 15 Purple Heart medals and 100 combat action badges in 250 combat missions in Afghanistan.

"What these guys did was route clearance," state Transition Assistance Advisor Jeff Unger said, referring to checking for hidden explosives. "Every time they stopped and got out of that vehicle they put themselves at risk."

Unger and Bob Evans, the director of psychological health for the state guard, said since WW II no other guard unit has had as many Purple Hearts and combat missions as the 951st.

Read the Wisconsin State Journal story here.

The 951st is the northern Wisconsin combat engineer company that was featured in a
Time magazine photo essay.

Saddened by loss of Sgt. Adams, but Wisconsin's 951st back on Afghan road

Soldiers of Wisconsin's 951st are back at work clearing roads of IEDs following the death Friday of Sgt. Ryan Adams (Wisconsin National Guard photo at right shows Adams in Afghanistan in May 2009). A rocket-propelled grenade killed Adams and injured seven of his fellow soldiers who were on a route-clearing patrol in Logar Province, Afghanistan.

This update comes via Maj. Jackie Guthrie, the state guard PAO in Madison.

"The 951st is a close-knit group of Soldiers," said Capt. Brian Barth, company commander. "They understand that this can happen. But we continue with the mission."

Adams was killed by insurgents Oct. 2 while his route clearing platoon was on patrol in Logar Province, Afghanistan. He was commanding a vehicle providing security for his platoon when the attack occurred. Seven other Soldiers were injured in the same attack and are receiving medical care as needed.

Three Soldiers from the 951st knew Adams since childhood, and served as pallbearers during the "ramp ceremony," when his casket was loaded onto a plane to be brought to the United States. "He's never going to be forgotten in the unit," Fulton said. "As long as we're alive, Sgt. Adams will be alive with us. We're continuing on with the mission, doing the best we can."

That entails helping ensure that other Soldiers stay alive to complete their missions. The unit, based in Rhinelander and Tomahawk, puts in long days clearing roadside bombs along routes in an approximately 6,000-square mile area of responsibility.

"We are in high demand due to the [improvised explosive device] threat," Barth said.

Besides hunting IEDs, the 951st searches key terrain features as well as bypass roads for major supply routes, alternative supply routes and combat trails, and gathers biometric data - name, date and location of birth, home of record, iris scans and fingerprints - from local residents. Missions can range from six to 56 hours in length. Since February, the unit has amassed more than 240 combat missions.

"We've got Soldiers that perform with the best of them," he said, noting that his unit works alongside active component Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division and the 82nd Airborne Division.

"How do you label success?" he continued. "It's tough losing a Soldier. Getting back on the road is success."

Fulton described Adams as a dedicated Soldier with a unique sense of humor who looked out for others.

"He didn't have a mean bone in his body," Fulton said.

"He was the model for the [non-commissioned officer]," Barth added. "He challenged people, regardless of rank, to perform their best. Sgt. Adams was a great individual."

The 951st mobilized Nov. 30, 2008 and are nearing the end of their deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Injured soldier from Sgt. Adams' unit to be featured in Time

Sgt. Ryan Adams of Rhinelander, seen at left, was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan on Friday. The Wisconsin National Guard soldier was part of the 951st, an engineering unit (seen on patrol at right in photo provided by the Army) with a mission of clearing roads of improvised explosive devices.

Several other members of the unit were injured.

About a month ago, on Sept. 8, one of Adams' fellow soldiers in the 951st was injured by the explosion of an IED.

Sgt. Chet Millard survived the blast. A Time magazine journalist happened to be nearby.

Editions of the magazine that hit newstands in about a week will include coverage of the hazardous mission of the Wisconsin-based 951st, according to a television news report.

A local soldier's tragic accident in Afghanistan provides a painfully heroic image for the cover of a national news magazine.

Sergeant First Class Chet Millard from the 951st National Guard unit based out of Rhinelander-Tomahawk is currently deployed overseas.

On September 8th the heavily armored vehicle that SFC Millard was riding in during a route clearing mission in Afghanistan hit a roadside bomb and the vehicle was slammed into the side of a mountain.

About two weeks before Millard was injured, The Washington Times published a story about the 951st. Millard was quoted in the article.

"I always expect to get hit," said Sgt. First Class Millard, "When we don't -- it's a good day."

- Steve