Politics & Government

Video: West Grad Welcomed Home From Iraq

Andy Rauterberg, 19, a Waukesha West graduate, is spending two weeks at home after being in Iraq since January. He returns to Iraq in two weeks to finish his tour.

When 19-year-old Andy Rauterberg, private first class, stepped off the airplane Monday at General Mitchell International Airport, the 2010 graduate was excited to see his family, friends and drive his shiny new pick-up truck.

The plane even landed early and some of the other soldiers on that plane made their way through the airport to go home to their families. Not so fast for Rauterberg, who was detained by Milwaukee County deputies at the airport.

Rauterberg hadn’t done anything wrong. His family just knew his mother, Rebecca Rauterberg, wanted to be there when her son stepped off the plane. She wanted to be there for the big surprise and was running late trying to find parking for Rauterberg’s truck, which didn’t meet the 7-foot clearance of the parking garage.

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“They told me that not everybody was here,” Rauterberg said. “I had to wait. They told me my family was still coming.”

As people were starting to get worried about how long the deputies could detain Rauterberg, Rebecca Rauterberg ran toward the large group of people waiting to welcome Rauterberg home – with a large posse of friends and family in tow to make the large group even bigger.

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Rauterberg had no idea that the large group would be greeting him at the airport when he landed after being in Iraq for eight weeks. On leave for two weeks, Rauterberg will soon head back to Iraq where he will finish his tour around November. He’s been there since January.

“I was speechless,” he said. “I expected to see just my family. But seeing my whole family, my friends and everybody, it was making my eyes water.”

Joining the Army

Rauterberg was young when he decided to join the Army – he signed up at the end of his junior year of high school. Two weeks after turning 18, he was on his way to boot camp at Ft. Knox at the end of June 2010, according to his dad, Dave Rauterberg.

Rauterberg said he was wanted to join the military ever since he was a young boy.

“By late junior year, it was coming down to it, so I went in and saw a recruiter,” Rauterberg said. “I picked my job, signed right up. It has been nothing but great ever since. Deploying – yeah, it is tough, it really sucks – but it is just part of the job. There is so much more that comes with it – just the pride coming home and seeing everybody, it makes it all worth it.”

For Rauterberg’s mother, it was worth it to just be able to give her son a hug when he walked off the plane. She’s been able to keep in touch with him through Skype.

“It’s not the same,” she said. “We can’t hug him.”

But, she’s clearly proud of her son as she described the hot working conditions in Iraq, all while they have to wear their heavy fatigues.

“I give these guys so much credit that they can do it,” she said.

And now that he’s home – Rauterberg turned 19 in June – it will be a busy two weeks.

“We have got his birthday to catch up on,” Rebecca Rauterberg said. “It’s just been wild.”

A proud teacher

Patti Diekfuss, a math teacher at Waukesha West High School, got to know Rauterberg as a student in her Algebra 2 classroom. Her son was also friends with Rauterberg, so she was able to see the transformation when Rauterberg joined the Army and became a man before she knew it.

Rauterberg would spend time working on math at her kitchen table.

“He is just a really amazing kid,” said Diekfuss with tears in her eyes.

And his parents know it, she said.

“They are pretty proud of him,” Diefuss said.


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