Cape guardsmen prepare to assist NATO in Bosnia

Six soldiers from a Missouri National Guard unit in Cape Girardeau will head to war-torn Bosnia in January for a six-month tour of duty to support NATO's peace-keeping forces.

"The people going have known for six months about the possibility, but it's been in the planning for a few years," said Guard spokeswoman 1st Lt. Tamara Spicer. "Right now they are preparing to go. In the National Guard, you have to always be prepared to go."

The five engineers and one assistant chaplain from the 35th Infantry Division in Cape Girardeau received the alert for mobilization for duty for Operation Joint Forge, the name of the ongoing mission. The soldiers train monthly at the National Guard Armory at 2626 Independence.

87 from state to go

They are among 87 members of the Missouri Army National Guard throughout the state who are being called up to go to the country scarred by civil war, still struggling with ethnic prejudice and littered with land mines that make any unpaved surface extremely dangerous.

"It's settled down quite a bit, but we still know it's dangerous," said Sgt. Andy Conklin, an assistant chaplain from Cape Girardeau who is going. "There are a lot fewer troops going in than there had been."

Conklin, 21, was at the armory Wednesday getting his paperwork in order. Today Conklin was to join the other five soldiers in Jefferson City to make sure insurance and family issues are taken care of before they leave. The other five soldiers have been at Fort Leonard Wood this week taking land-mine awareness classes.

Conklin is studying to be a minister at St. Louis Christian College and has been in the National Guard for 3 1/2 years. He felt compelled to go to Bosnia because of his religious and military background.

"Me personally, I'm concerned about the soldiers going over there," he said. "My job is going to be checking with them and making sure they're OK. If that gives me a chance to talk to them about God, then that's a great opportunity."

Conklin and Spicer said they couldn't say much about the specifics of the work the soldiers will be doing. Spicer said the mission is to "contribute to a safe and secure environment" and to support the effort to create lasting peace.

Other units seeing call-ups in Missouri include those in Lexington, Poplar Bluff, Springfield, St. Joseph and Kansas City. The 35th Division has headquarters in Kansas City and units in Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama.

The National Guard in Jefferson City made the announcement Wednesday. Spicer said the troops will all mobilize this month and deploy to Bosnia in January. The soldiers are only activated for six months, but that could change.

"That's subject to world events," Spicer said.

After the soldiers are mobilized they will be trained about Bosnia's culture and history to understand the situation, Spicer said. They will also get refreshers in basic military training, she said.

Conklin said the other soldiers he's talked to don't seem concerned.

"Some people are not happy about being away from their family," he said. "But no one is expecting anything negative to happen. This is a good opportunity for us, to learn about the military, go around and talk to people and see the world."

Conklin's parents, however, are concerned, he said.

"My mom's not too hip on the idea of me going over to Bosnia," he said. "But she's going along with it because she knows that the military and religion is what I want to do with my life. They understand."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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