A Bismarck native who was once deployed to Iraq will be leading his infantry company to Afghanistan.

Capt. Aaron T. Schwengler, who is in the Bravo Company, will be leading his air assault infantry company to combat in Afghanistan. They will be stationed at Paktika, which shares a border with Pakistan.

Schwengler is originally from Bismarck, and while here, he joined the National Guard and began his 13-year career in the Army.

"During basic training is when I fell in love with the Army," Schwengler said.

After graduating from North Dakota State University with a political science degree, he decided to go on active duty. He then spent three years serving as an artillery man.

"It was fun ... but it quickly lost the challenge for me, so I got out," Schwengler said.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Schwengler was determined to serve his country. In 2003, he was commissioned as an infantry officer, and in early 2004, he was sent to Fort Benning, Ga., where he served in different positions.

"I tested the technologies for the Army for about a year and a half," Schwengler said.

He also was the executive officer for the sniper school.

Schwengler was deployed to Iraq, east of Baghdad, for 25 months. There, he served a number of positions.

"I got back in May of 2008 and attended the Captain's Career Course at Fort Benning," Schwengler said.

After completing the course, Schwengler was assigned to be the infantry officer for the third brigade of the 101st Air Assault Infantry Company. He and his wife, Melissa, live in Fort Campbell, Ky., where the company is stationed. They have two children, 9-year-old Emily and 6-year-old Zachary. During their stay in Fort Campbell, there is work to be done before the company is deployed.

"It's been a lot of training to get us ready for Afghanistan," Schwengler said.

The company will be departing in early 2010 and plan to protect the population of Paktika for a year. Bravo Company, or Battlehard, is a group of 120 men specialized in air assault. They recently completed about 30 days of training in Fort Polk, La., for their deployment to Afghanistan. Schwengler said during their training, they were taught how to work with the population. They learned the Pashto language and everything else they need for Afghanistan.

"The company did really well," Schwengler said. "We came out of there and we focused on what we needed to work on."

Schwengler believes the war is still important and not at all forgotten or lost.

"The fight is still there," Schwengler said.

Schwengler's mother, Karen Walter-Gunsch, is a Bismarck resident and is proud of her son.

"I have a lot of pride because he's doing what he feels is right to do by serving our country," Walter-Gunsch said.

She also worries about him being deployed to Afghanistan.

"There's the fear that 'what if something happens to him?'" Walter-Gunsch said. "I would give anything if serving his country didn't mean putting his life at risk."

Schwengler and his mother keep in touch through e-mail and the phone. They also visit each other when they are able to.

"I'm going to be spending Halloween with him," Walter-Gunsch said.

The Battlehard Air Assault Infantry Company will remain stationed at Fort Campbell and continue to prepare for their deployment in early 2010.

"I think there's going to be a lot of good things that this company does," Schwengler said.

(Macy Egeland is a Century High School student. She can be reached at macy.egeland@bismarcktribune.com.)