Area 3 Veterans Luncheon is Monday, Nov. 10

Join the southwest metro Rotary Clubs in saluting veterans at the annual Veterans Luncheon! This year’s event will be held 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at the Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave. (Note that the Veterans Luncheon will be held the day before Veterans’ Day.)

The Veterans Luncheon will take the place of our club’s regular meeting that week, so there is no additional cost for you to attend. Plus, each member of the club may register two veterans at no additional cost. If you’d like to bring more than two veterans, the cost for the extras will be $25 each.

Featured speakers will be Major Jackie Stenger and Sgt. First Class Angela Bedessem of the Minnesota National Guard.

In 1991, at the age of 20, Stenger enlisted in the Army Reserves as a combat medic. In 1997, she transferred to the Minnesota National Guard. She's deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her most recent deployment in 2012 was as the Commander of the 147th Human Resources Company, conducting a Theater Gateway mission in Kuwait and Postal Operations for over half of Afghanistan. She resides in Blaine with her husband, First Sergeant (Retired) Ronald Stenger, and her two daughters, Sierra (18) and Kylie (10).  She currently serves as the 34^th Infantry Division Full-Time G1 and the M-Day Deputy G1.

Major Jackie Stenger 

Bedessem enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1992 at the age of 17, as a Personnel Management Specialist. After serving in the Reserves, first at Fort Snelling, then in Savannah, Georgia, she returned to Minnesota and joined the Minnesota Army National Guard in 1997. She deployed to Iraq with the 34^th Infantry Division in 2009, working enlisted personnel actions for the Battalion S1 and Postal Operations for Contingency Operating Base Basra. She recently moved from Woodbury to St. Paul where she currently resides with her husband, Bryan. They have one son, Matthew (19). She currently serves with the 34^th Infantry Division G1 as a Senior Human Resources Sergeant.

Sgt. First Class Angela Bedessem

Registration for the event closed Thursday, Nov. 6. Please let Jennifer Bennerotte know if you have any questions about the event.

The Veterans Luncheon counts as the Rotary Club of Edina regular meeting next week. There will be no meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13.