MILWAUKEE – We often see our troops in uniform, unaware of how much they physically train to serve the country.

What we know:

As with any test, the grade depends on grit, hard work and preparation. One Army fitness test shows just how demanding that preparation can be, with push-ups that recruits describe as especially humbling.

Tyler Choy, an Army National Guard recruiter, keeps score. He grades each exercise using age, gender and the amount of weight lifted, or the time needed to complete the task.

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Choy says recruits must score at least 60 points to pass each challenge, based on how heavy they lift or how fast they move.

“If you’re looking at maxing, you’re looking at 250 pounds. 60 points to pass the test, you’re looking at 140,” said Choy.

The training is meant to prepare soldiers for a wide range of real-world situations.

What they’re saying:

“To make sure that we have the endurance to reflect whatever our job is,” Choy said.

Those jobs can include responding to hurricanes, protests and voting precincts, sometimes in situations that carry potential danger. The deadly attack on Army National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., serves as a grim reminder of the reality of that work.

“I do know that, in the back of my mind, there’s a possibility that could happen, but I have the ability to serve and help other people and that’s what I decided to put above my own interests,” Choy said.

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Choy emphasized the importance of endurance and stamina when responding to emergencies or unexpected events.

“Sometimes, in the line of work we do, we need to react quickly and react with a lot of pressure and momentum,” he said.

Big picture view:

He helps build that momentum by training future leaders in the military, even before they ship out to basic training.

“You don’t need to pass this test before going to basic training, but the more we are able to help people prepare for it, the better chances of them passing at basic training,” Choy said.

And with any test, the goal is the same: to be ready to succeed.

VERNON, Wis. – Mechanical failures and staffing shortages slowed snow removal in the Village of Vernon over the weekend, leaving some residents waiting until well after the storm for streets to be cleared.

Plows, fire trucks stuck during storm

What we know:

Several village vehicles – including snowplows and fire trucks – became stuck or broke down during the storm, forcing delays in clearing operations and emergency responses.

Residents contacted FOX6 questioning why Department of Public Works vehicles were not clearing streets during the storm.

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80-year-old Don Anderson said it was nearly a day and a half after the snow stopped before he finally saw pavement on his street.

“Something that was driving that process wasn’t working,” Anderson said.

Village of Vernon Department of Public Works Director Brett Bartels declined to speak on camera but said nine DPW incidents occurred over the weekend in which trucks either became stuck or broke down.

Staffing shortages add to delays

What they’re saying:

Village of Vernon Fire Department Assistant Chief Patrick Hays said one fire truck became stuck three times Saturday while responding to a minor crash on Hillview Drive.

“We got hit and we got hit hard,” Hays said.

Hays said a DPW plow was sent to help but also became stuck, further slowing snow clearance efforts.

“Which created a problem for the rest of the Village and delayed streets getting plowed,” he said.

Bartels said DPW is currently operating with two employees instead of the usual five. He said an on-call snowplow driver position has been posted for about a month, but no one has applied.

Another worrying sign is the village’s proposed 2026 budget, which includes a nearly 47% cut to public works funding.

Village promises review of storm response

Dig deeper:

With more snow on the way, Anderson said he hopes the response improves.

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“I want the Village to do better next time,” he said.

Bartels said his crew worked about 20 hours clearing streets after the storm and does not believe the proposed budget cuts would affect snowplow operations next year.

Village officials said the administrator-clerk posted an update Sunday, stating DPW will work with the Village Board to review the response to the storm.

The University of Wisconsin football program dipped into the junior-college ranks for its second transfer portal addition of the offseason, adding a player who’s coming back home to play for the Badgers.

Linebacker Taylor Schaefer, a JUCO standout with deep Wisconsin roots, has announced he’s joining the Badgers for the 2026 season. The expectation is that he’ll have two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.

“Coming Home,” Schaefer wrote.

Taylor Schaefer on Instagram: “Coming Home. 🔴⚪️”

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If the name sounds familiar, it should. Schaefer grew up in Sturgeon Bay, played his high school ball at Southern Door, and built the kind of reputation locally that usually ends with someone wearing Wisconsin colors.

It just took a few detours along the way for that moment to arrive.

Schaefer’s journey reads like the kind of story coaches love to retell on signing day. He wasn’t a national recruit out of high school. He didn’t have a mountain of Power Four offers waiting for him back then, and he didn’t land in the Big Ten conference on his first try. Instead, Schaefer carved out his path to Wisconsin the hard way: first redshirting at Minnesota Duluth, then grinding through developmental reps, and finally transferring to Iowa Central Community College to see if he could push his trajectory upward.

For taking the JUCO route, the return was about as good as it gets.

At Iowa Central, Schaefer didn’t just blend into a roster full of hungry players. He stood out. Over his JUCO career, he piled up 146 tackles, 70 solo stops, 15.0 tackles for loss, and seven sacks in 22 games, including a breakout 2025 season where Schaefer finished with 97 total tackles, 10.0 TFLs, and five sacks in just 10 games for the Tritons. Those numbers don’t happen by accident. They happen because of his motor. The instincts are real, and the physical tools match what the Badgers’ defensive scheme demands.

That production turned him into one of the most widely pursued defensive players in the JUCO ranks who was available in the portal. Schaefer quickly drew heavy interest, picking up scholarship offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Iowa State, Nebraska, Purdue, Minnesota, and Colorado, among others, a far cry from the attention he received out of high school.

Programs were calling because they saw a linebacker with Big Ten measurables, proven productivity, and frame versatility at 6-foot-4 and around 240 pounds. He moved well enough to play multiple spots and had enough length and power to fit inside or bump out based on the front.

But for all the regional and national interest, the pull of Madison never really faded. Wisconsin was the dream when he was younger. Once the Badgers got Schaefer on campus for his official visit, the conversations in meeting rooms, the coaching staff’s demeanor, and the opportunity to come in and compete for snaps made the decision easier to see coming.

From Wisconsin’s perspective, the fit makes plenty of sense.

There’s no denying that, on paper, inside linebacker is one of the more talent-rich position groups returning in 2026, with Christian Alliegro, Mason Posa, and Cooper Catalano all positioned to play meaningful snaps again. But depth charts aren’t static, especially in Fickell’s program, and you’re always one injury away from seeing your rotation stretched past your comfort level.

Schaefer arrives as a player who can compete immediately while still offering developmental upside across multiple linebacker roles. He’s long enough to play in space, strong enough to play inside, and athletic enough to push for sub-package work potentially.

This is also the profile Wisconsin wanted in the portal: older, proven, physically ready, equipped for Big Ten football, and wired to embrace competition. He won’t be handed anything, and he doesn’t expect to be. But Schaefer gives the Badgers something their linebacker corps needed: an experienced, versatile defender who plays fast and tackles well.

His path to Madison may have detoured through the Division II ranks and JUCO ball, but there’s nothing accidental about how he got here. The progression has been steady: a redshirt year, a season Schaefer worked his way into the mix, followed by a breakout season, and now a Big Ten opportunity as a result. That’s a three-year arc that says as much about his trajectory as any camp evaluation or high-school film ever could.

This is also the kind of roster-building move that matters for Wisconsin in this particular offseason. You don’t retool a defense solely through high-school recruiting anymore. That’s not possible. Every program now has to explore every avenue, whether that’s the portal, lower-division standouts, or anything else that can bring in proven production and experience. In a win-now college football landscape, those traits matter more than ever.

The hope is that adding a player like Schaefer gives Wisconsin exactly that. He’s ready to compete and ready to continue pushing the room.

For the Badgers, it’s a nice early win in the portal cycle, the type that keeps the roster balanced and the depth chart insulated from attrition. And for Schaefer, it’s a homecoming that’s been years in the making.

Wisconsin still has more work to do when the Division I transfer portal opens on January 2. But adding Schaefer gives the defense another talented piece, another physical presence, and a competitor wired the way Luke Fickell prefers. It’s the kind of move that doesn’t grab national headlines, but often ends up mattering most when the pads come on.

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