HONOREE:
Austen Jahnke
BRANCH:
Army National Guard
GAME:
Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans
Specialist Austen Jahnke was the first 2018 Operation Fan Mail honoree at the Aug. 9 preseason Green Bay Packers game. WPS Health Solutions kicked off their 10th year of presenting the program by bringing Austen, his aunt, Robyn Criego, his uncle, Ken Knox, and his grandmother, Sharon Risberg, onto the field to recognize him before the game.
Austen joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 2015 and is currently serving as a gunner with Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry in Menomonie, Wis. He became this year’s Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldier of the Year after winning Best Warrior Competitions at both the state and regional levels. He placed fourth nationally after competing with 13 other soldiers in July. Each of these competitions was a three-day test of endurance, mental toughness, and military skills. One of the Army National Guard’s missions is to be our nation’s first military responders in times of emergency. While in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, Austen spent time in Florida helping with relief operations following Hurricane Irma.
Austen is an Eau Claire, Wis., native, and he’s currently studying at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
