Nearly 400 Wisconsin Guard Soldiers to mobilize in March

The Wisconsin National Guard received a mobilization order for the 724th Engineer Battalion. The nearly 400 Soldiers are ordered to active duty beginning in March 2010 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The affected Soldiers are part of the Headquarters Company in Chippewa Falls, Company A (Forward Support) in Hayward, the 273rd Engineer Company (Sapper) in Medford and 950th Engineer Company (Clearance) in Spooner and Superior.

Soldiers assigned to the 724th Engineer Battalion will report on active duty to their perspective armories in early March before traveling to Fort McCoy, Wis., where they will conduct several weeks of mobilization training before deploying overseas. The mobilization, including time scheduled for additional training at McCoy, is expected to last about one year. The soldiers will spend about ten months of the year-long mobilization in Iraq.

The 724th Engineer Battalion last mobilized to Iraq in March 2003 to July 2004 where they provided engineer support to coalition forces. Two subordinate units of the 724th are currently deployed. The 829th Engineer Company (Vertical), with units in Chippewa Falls, Richland Center and Ashland are deployed with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Iraq. And the 951st Engineer Company (Sapper) is currently deployed to Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, every unit in the Wisconsin National Guard has deployed Soldiers and Airmen in support of the global war on terrorism. There are currently about 3,700 Guard members on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and several other places around the world. However, the Guard's remaining 6,500 members are ready in Wisconsin and fully capable of providing support anywhere in the state or nation.

Note to Editors and News Directors: Opportunities to cover the 724th Engineer Battalion preparing for this mobilization is limited because most of the affected soldiers only train one weekend a month until they report for active duty in March. The small full-time staff at the armories is continuing to provide normal administrative support in between scheduled monthly training assemblies (i.e. weekend drills). Please contact the National Guard public affairs office in Madison at (608) 242-3050 if you would like assistance covering any of our mobilizing units - please do not call the unit directly.