Minnesota National Guardsmen Life After Afghanistan

Minn. National Guard Soldiers Attacked in Afghanistan Adjust to Life at Home
KSTP News 5
Kate Renner
August 16, 2014

Members of a Minnesota National Guard unit that was attacked on their base in Afghanistan by a suicide bomber this past winter met Saturday in Anoka to learn how to re-integrate into society.

The 849th Mobility Augmentation Company spent 11 months in Afghanistan. Of the unit’s 100 soldiers, five were wounded in the January attack and two were sent home early.

The company returned to Litchfield in June. The group participated in their 60-day reintegration program over the weekend.

Captain Matt Jukkala, 849th Mobility Augmentation Company Commander, has spent the past two months returning to life as a husband and a manager at Caterpillar Paving in Brooklyn Park.

"Deployed life was very simple,” Jukkala said. “You woke up, you ate, you got ready for your mission, you did your mission, you got back, cleaned your stuff, ate again and went to the gym and worked out.

And just literally repeat.”

He was among those who were at Saturday’s workshop at Anoka County Technical College. The group focused on a range of topics, including employment and family life.

"(When) You get into civilian world it's really based on building repertoire with the people who report to you, getting to know people, networking, that you really don't have to lean so hard on in the military because of the rank structure and the structure of the organization," Jukkala said.
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