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951st 'Sapper' Company returning to Wisconsin Saturday 11/20/2009 The Soldiers of the 951st 'Sapper' Engineer Company have completed their tour of duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are returning to Wisconsin tomorrow [Nov. 21]. Wisconsin National Guard leaders, family and friends will welcome them home at approximately 3:30 p.m. at Rhinelander High School, 665 Coolidge Ave., Rhinelander. Read Full Story
Coming around the far turn: Across the 32nd Brigade 11/19/2009 The 3,200 men and women of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team have accomplished a lot during their time in Iraq so far: big accomplishments like closing the largest detention facility on Earth at Camp Bucca; small accomplishments like winning the flag football championship at Camp Cropper. And wherever they are serving in Iraq, Red Arrow soldiers are making a difference. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Air Guard unit returns from Iraq deployment 11/13/2009 Members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing returned to Madison Thursday, Nov. 12 following a two-month deployment to Iraq. A steady stream of smiling faces exited the plane and shook hands with Gov. Jim Doyle, Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, Brig. Gen. John McCoy, deputy adjutant general for Air, Col. Joe Brandemuehl, 115th Fighter Wing commander. Most echoed the sentiment uttered by Tech. Sgt. Todd Cottrill. Read Full Story
951st 'Sapper' Company returning from Afghanistan 11/12/2009 More than half of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st "Sapper" Engineer Company is back in the United States following a nearly 10-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The remainder of the unit is expected to arrive in the U.S. next week. For security reasons, flight information will not be released. Read Full Story
32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers honored on Veterans Day 11/12/2009 While Veterans Day ceremonies often pay tribute to what our service members have done in the past to serve and protect our nation, Soldiers in the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Brigade, currently deployed to Iraq, reminded folks back home what veterans are doing today courtesy of numerous videos broadcast throughout the state. We honor them and all veterans. Read Full Story
Veterans Day has new meaning this year for Wisconsin's newest veterans in Iraq 11/9/2009 Many of the 3,200 soldiers of the Wisconsin Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are the state’s newest veterans, while others are on second, third or even fourth combat zone deployments. This news release includes 90 quotes from 42 Red Arrow soldiers you may use in your Veterans Day stories back in Wisconsin. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard ground, air commanders meet in Iraq 11/8/2009 IRAQ - While more than 3,200 Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team have their boots on the ground in Iraq, some of their fellow Guardsmen from the state's Air National Guard have their jets in the sky overhead. It isn't often that aerial support for Army Guard ground troops comes from an Air Guard unit from the same state, but for the past two months about 300 members of Wisconsin's Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing are in Iraq with about a dozen F-16 fighters. The two top commanders - Army Guard Col. Steven Bensend and Air Guard Lt. Col. Erik Peterson - met at an air base in Iraq as the fighter unit was nearing completion of its mission here. Read Full Story
Flags lowered to half-staff in Wisconsin Saturday for Army Spc. Nickolas Mueller 11/6/2009 Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Saturday, Nov.7, in honor of Army Spc. Nickolas Mueller, Little Chute, who died Oct. 26 of injuries received when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. The National Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Doyle. Read Full Story
Bucca's best come out 'guns blazing' for competition 11/3/2009 CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - With speed and precision, Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Benzshawel, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 17th Fires Brigade took home top honors in this year's 3-Gun Competition at Camp Bucca Oct. 17. The Appleton native edged out the closest of 69 other competitors by 2.19 seconds. Airmen, civilians, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines from across Camp Bucca demonstrated their proficiency wielding a variety of weapons to include the M-9 pistol, M-4 carbine and M-500 shotgun in hopes of earning top bragging rights as the camp's top marksman. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard has key role in Baghdad's future 10/26/2009 With a few pen strokes and hugs, and two very large keys, the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team officially transferred two large properties inside Baghdad's International Zone back to the Iraqi government. "In terms of square footage of habitable structures, Essayons and Freedom Compound are the largest we've turned over so far," said the 32nd Brigade's Maj. Gregory Schlub, officer in charge of real properties for Joint Area Support Group-Central in Baghdad. The two properties, formerly used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, total 35 acres and about 380,000 square feet of building space. They include 650 apartments, three business towers, a museum and seven villas. Read Full Story
Food, fun and football link families with deployed Soldiers 10/21/2009 Families and friends of the Wisconsin National Guard gathered at the Alliant Energy Center Sunday (Oct. 18) to Tailgate with the Troops - the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, that is. Thanks to modern technology and lots of community support, more than 2,000 family members feasted on brats, hot dogs, pizza and chips and watched the Green Bay Packers cream the Detroit Lions - with their deployed Soldiers. The event, "Tailgating with the Troops" was sponsored by Serving the 32nd, a private organization whose mission is to bring together the people of Wisconsin to say "thank you" to the Soldiers and families of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Read Full Story
Deployed Tomah-based Guardsmen part of Tailgating with the Troops 10/21/2009 Even though Rachel Miller talks frequently with her husband, Staff Sgt. Scott Miller — deployed with the Tomah-based Headquarters Company, 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard — she wasn't about to miss the chance to do so again. Read Full Story
Deployed Wisconsin Guard Soldiers connect back home in novel way 10/19/2009 Score it a virtual victory for four Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers currently deployed to Iraq, and their families, thanks to a non-profit organization and the Green Bay Packers. The organization Pro vs. GI Joe brought together four Green Bay Packers with four Soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in a battle of "Guitar Hero" and "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" despite the fact that they were thousands of miles apart. Four Soldiers deployed with the Janesville-based Company A, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion of the 32nd Brigade traveled from Camp Bucca, Iraq to Camp Virginia, Kuwait for the event to connect with Green Bay Packer's kicker Mason Crosby, running back Ryan Grant, nose tackle B.J. Raji and defensive end Jarius Wynn at Lambeau Field Atrium Friday, Oct. 16. Read Full Story
Coming off the backstretch: Around the 32nd Brigade 10/15/2009 IRAQ - The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team continues its mission on the ground during a time of historic transition in Iraq. Soldiers there are deeply involved in turning territory back over to the Iraqis as well as building public works projects, sometimes with not much more than Wisconsin ingenuity, for Iraqi residents. Read Full Story
Deployed Guardsman inducts friend into hall of fame 10/10/2009 When Ted Szymanski was notified he would be inducted into the Lakeland College Athletic Hall of Fame, he could think of only one person he wanted to deliver the induction speech - his best friend, Wisconsin Army National Guard Master Sgt. Mark Smith. But Smith is presently deployed to Iraq with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. So he recorded a video of the introduction speech and e-mailed it from Iraq. The video was played during the Hall of Fame banquet Friday, Oct. 9. Read Full Story
Nearly 400 Wisconsin Guard Soldiers to mobilize in March 10/9/2009 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. Read Full Story
Nearly 400 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers alerted for possible active duty 10/8/2009 Nearly 400 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers in the 724th Engineer Battalion received alert notifications recently for possible mobilization to active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 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. The alert notification directs the units and their Soldiers to begin preparing for a possible order to active duty. If these units are actually mobilized, affected Soldiers would expect to be on active duty for about 12 months. All Soldiers in the newly alerted units haven been notified of the possible mobilization. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Army Guard unit copes with loss 10/7/2009 As family and friends prepare to pay tribute to Sgt. Ryan Adams in Wisconsin, his friends and comrades-in-arms from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 951st Engineer Company will pay tribute in a warrior's fashion - by continuing the mission. Read Full Story
Flags lowered to half-staff in Wisconsin Saturday for Wisconsin Army National Guard Sgt. Ryan Adams 10/7/2009 Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Saturday, Oct.10, in honor of Wisconsin Army National Guard Sgt. Ryan Adams, a native of Rhinelander, who died Oct. 2 of injuries received during a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The National Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Doyle. Read Full Story
128th Air Control Squadron returns from Southwest Asia 10/6/2009 Approximately 60 members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Control Squadron returned to Volk Field early Monday afternoon, concluding a deployment to Southwest Asia that began May 13. "One-Two-Eight, welcome home," Brig. Gen. Donald Dunbar, adjutant general for Wisconsin, told unit members surrounded by cheering family and friends during a brief ceremony. The 128th ACS, an extension of the Theater Air Control System, augmented the active component 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia. Read Full Story
Statement by Brigadier General Donald P. Dunbar on the death of Wisconsin Army National Guard Sergeant Ryan Adams 10/3/2009 The entire Wisconsin National Guard family joins me in mourning the loss of Sergeant Ryan Adams, who died Friday in Logar Province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit. Seven other Wisconsin Guard Soldiers were injured in the same attack and are receiving medical care as needed. The immediate families of all seven Soldiers have been notified. The Wisconsin National Guard will not be releasing names, or medical condition, of the injured Soldiers. Read Full Story
32nd Brigade leaders visit Arcadia, Onalaska Soldiers at remote base 9/23/2009 CAMP ASHRAF, Iraq - With 27 units spread throughout a country the size of California, the commander of the Wisconsin National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade, Col. Steven Bensend, can't just hop in a Humvee to visit his troops. Instead, he orders up a couple of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and takes key staff members along by air. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Air Guard unit sends fighter jets to Iraq 9/22/2009 The 115th Fighter Wing launched 14 F-16 fighter jets earlier today (Sept. 22) as a part of the Wing's scheduled Air Expeditionary Force rotation that began last week when approximately 200 Airmen deployed to Iraq. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard Soldiers help close Camp Bucca 9/17/2009 What was once the largest detention facility closed this week at Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq, with help from the Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers deployed with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Read Full Story
115th Fighter Wing deploying to support Operation Iraqi Freedom 9/16/2009 Families and friends will bid farewell to approximately 200 members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing. Send-offs are scheduled for Thursday [Sept 17] at 5 p.m. and Saturday [Sept 19] at 10:00 a.m. at the Wisconsin Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters, 2400 Wright St., Madison. Immediately afterwards, the Airmen will depart as part of an aviation package deployment which includes F-16 fighter aircraft, pilots, aircraft maintenance specialists and support personnel. Read Full Story
Caring and Sharing: Wisconsin program sends packages to deployed troops 9/10/2009 BAGHDAD - Hands frantically tearing at tape and cardboard; an ear-to-ear smile; the excitement of not knowing what is inside; the joy of knowing somebody cares enough to send something. It sounds like Christmas, but it's not. It's an eager soldier opening a care package. Troops all over Iraq get care packages from groups or anonymous individuals, but 2nd Lt. Johnathan Meyer, an officer who screens applicants for entry into the International Zone in Baghdad with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, has known the woman who sent this package since he was a toddler. Read Full Story
WS senior's exit project has troops in mind 9/7/2009 West Salem High School senior Catey Greenwood is heading up an effort to let members of Wisconsin's 32nd Infantry Brigade - currently stationed in Iraq -know that they are not forgotten. Greenwood's efforts are part of her senior exit project. "I'm hosting a support group for teens whose family members are currently overseas and we are also creating care packages to send over to the 32nd Brigade by Christmas," Greenwood said. The brigade is in Baghdad, and it's deputy commander is her father, Col. Mark Greenwood. Read Full Story
Halfway point in Iraq: Around the 32nd Brigade 9/7/2009 More than seven months after they entered active duty in the U.S. Army - and now about halfway through the time they will spend in Iraq - the 3,200 men and women of the Wisconsin National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are focused on missions ranging from transporting detainees from what was once the largest theater internment facility in the country... to securing forward operating bases... to furnishing a shabby school in Umm Qasr... to transferring Baghdad's International Zone back over to the Iraqi government. Read Full Story
Moving detainees: daunting task is just another day for Wisconsin Guard troops in southern Iraq 8/27/2009 Moving several hundred detainees across Iraq is a daunting task, but for two Wisconsin Army National Guard companies it's just another day. The two companies, Janesville's Company A, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion, and Fond du Lac's Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, stationed at Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq, are responsible for transferring detainees from Bucca to theater internment facilities further north. These movements are part of the consolidation of TIFs and the eventual turnover of operations to the government of Iraq. Once detainees are transferred they either continue serving their sentences or are released. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit ready to move beyond Afghan elections 8/26/2009 As the votes are tallied from the Aug. 20 presidential election in Afghanistan, the winner appears to be the democratic process. "All reports leading up [to election day] certainly indicated it was going to be a much worse day than actually happened," said Col. Tim Lawson, who leads a 16-man group of Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers serving a year-long deployment as an embedded training team. "They had a higher turnout than expected and much less violence than we expected. At the end of the day it was a victory." Lawson's team's mission is to advise the Afghan National Police in the western regional command, an area roughly 25 percent of the country bordering Iran. Much of the recent emphasis has been to ensure the elections were not disrupted by anti-government forces. Read Full Story
Sibling Airmen share deployments 8/25/2009 When brothers and sisters spend their entire childhoods together, they normally want to go their separate ways when they reach adulthood. Some join the military, but most remain civilians. For some siblings, they not only join the military, they find themselves deployed to the same location more than 6,000 miles from where they grew up. Such is the case for the following Airmen from the Wisconsin Air National Guard, deployed here from Volk Field as part of the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guardsmen hold the hill in Iraq 8/24/2009 From atop one of the only hills in southern Iraq, a team of Wisconsin National Guardsmen keeps a watchful eye over the surrounding area. Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, Fond du Lac, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-127, Appleton, man an outpost on Safwan Hill, far from the comforts of nearby Camp Bucca. The soldiers on the hill provide security for communications towers there and have a birds-eye view to help other units in the area. Read Full Story
Marshfield High School grad teaching skills in Iraq to save lives 8/19/2009 As a graduating Marshfield High School student, Melissa Franz joined the National Guard so that her college tuition would be paid. She never expected by the time she was 26 years old, she'd have been deployed twice to Iraq. "I'm a senior medic. The work that I'm doing is helping to save lives on the battlefield," said Franz, who oversees and teaches a life saving course for all soldiers traveling in convoys. Read Full Story
32nd IBCT Soldier talks to a WXOW-TV reporter about his duties and responsibilities while being deployed 8/19/2009 One of the biggest struggles for deployed soldiers is staying in contact with their loved ones. News 19 was able to connect a local soldier from the 32nd currently stationed in Iraq with his wife from Onalaska through satellite technology. Through the help of satellite, Trina Barnett could speak to her husband stationed thousands of miles away. Read Full Story
115th Fighter Wing deploying to support Operation Iraqi Freedom 8/18/2009 More than 200 Airmen from the 115th Fighter Wing are preparing for their voluntary deployment to Iraq late next month in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 115th will deploy its Aviation Package, which includes a number of F-16 Fighting Falcons as well as pilots, aircraft maintenance specialists and support personnel as part of their scheduled Air Expeditionary Force rotation. Their mission is to support ground forces in Iraq with close air support or other combat capabilities directed by the combatant commander. Read Full Story
Clearing roadside bombs perilous duty 8/13/2009 Members of the Wisconsin National Guard's 951st Engineer Company clutched cups of coffee and squinted into the early morning sun as Lt. Mark Bulinski, 28, and Sgt. First Class Chet Millard, 32, briefed on the day's mission: Find and disarm roadside bombs on one of Afghanistan's most lethal highways. By Jessica Weinstein THE WASHINGTON TIMES Read Full Story
All in the family: father, son deploy together 8/12/2009 Chief Master Sgt. Teddy Ostrowski and his son, Airman 1st Class Teddy Ostrowski Jr., are deployed from the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Control Squadron, Volk Field, to the 71st Expeditionary Air Combat Squadron. As Guard members, the Ostrowskis have worked together for the past two years during weekend drills, but this is their first deployment together. Read Full Story
Wisconsin airmen provide security for critical supply, transit air base 8/12/2009 The 31 Wisconsin National Guard airmen deployed from the 115th Security Forces Squadron have integrated with their deployed counterparts and provided a smooth transition for operations as part of the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic. Read Full Story
Deployed Wisconsin soldiers honor fallen Marine 8/10/2009 More than 100 service members and civilians honored the memory of a fallen Marine from Wisconsin by participating in the Jerabek Challenge memorial run Aug. 8 at Forward Operating Base Prosperity in Baghdad. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit plays role in forces drawdown 8/7/2009 The Tomah-based Headquarters Company of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, has been in charge of their mission for less than a month, and already the unit is preparing for the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. According to Maj. Kevin Gregar, executive officer for the 732nd CSSB, the battalion-sized element his unit oversees has already transferred approximately 110 pieces of equipment - vehicles, material handling equipment and storage containers - for return to the United States. Read Full Story
Eau Claire-Based Unit Switches Focus to Training 8/2/2009 For many of the soldiers in the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, their current deployment to Iraq is at least their second tour of duty in the war-torn Middle East nation. But that doesn't make it old hat by any means. This time around the Eau Claire-based unit's mission and the security situation are vastly different. In many ways, commanders said in telephone interviews last week from Iraq, it's like being in a completely different country from the one they patrolled from November 2004 to October 2005. Read Full Story
Wisconsin troops not leaving Iraq until mission complete 7/29/2009 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said conditions in Iraq have improved, which may accelerate the U.S. combat brigade drawdown from the country, but that doesn't mean the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is coming home earlier than planned, Wisconsin Guard officials told reporters in a live satellite feed today. Read Full Story
32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team LIVE from Iraq 7/29/2009 The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Commander Col. Steve Bensend and Command Sgt. Maj. Ed Hanson will update Wisconsin on the brigade's missions in Iraq live via webcast today [Wednesday, July 29], 10 to 11:30 a.m. via the Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System ( DVIDS). Bensend and Hanson will field questions from preregistered Wisconsin media organizations about the more than 3,200 soldiers deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers deployed in February in the largest single overseas deployment of the Wisconsin Guard since World War II. The 32nd Brigade was mobilized in February and completed training at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Camp Buehring, Kuwait, before arriving in Iraq in early May. The brigade's 27 units expect to complete their missions in January 2010. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard battalion is nation's best 7/27/2009 IRAQ - A Wisconsin Army National Guard infantry battalion currently serving on active duty in Iraq has been selected as the top battalion in the nation's National Guard. Eau Claire-based 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry will receive the Walter T. Kerwin Jr. Award for Readiness and Training as the outstanding National Guard unit for 2009. The award will be presented in October at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guardsmen prepare for Afghan elections 7/22/2009 With the Aug. 20 presidential elections looming, Wisconsin Army National Guard Col. Tim Lawson is emphasizing one message to the Afghan National Police: The world is watching you. Lawson heads a 16-man group of Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers who recently began a year-long deployment as an embedded training team, advising the Afghanistan National Police in the western regional command, an area roughly 25 percent of the country bordering Iran. Read Full Story
Camp Cropper Theater Internment Facility 7/21/2009 32nd Brigade Sgt. Frank Merola shot video and produced a package on the Wisconsin Army National Guard troops working at the Theater Internment Facility (TIF). Video and photography inside TIFs is tightly restricted, so this cleared video footage offers a fairly rare look inside. Read Full Story
Wisconsin airmen bring unique skills to mission 7/21/2009 SOUTHWEST ASIA - A ground theater air control systems unit from the Wisconsin's Air National Guard deployed here in May, bringing experience and expertise to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The 128th Air Control Squadron from Volk Field joined forces with their active-duty counterparts at the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron in Southwest Asia. "Our unit has a lot of experience, which is common among members in the Guard. For instance, I have 10 years active-duty experience and have worked on older systems that had some of the same components as the newer systems," said Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Pradarelli, 71st EACS ground radar systems technician noncommissioned officer in charge. "This knowledge gives us an edge in maintaining the new equipment." Read Full Story
Remote ground radar keeps personnel, maintainers safe 7/21/2009 SOUTHWEST ASIA - Danger is ever present in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, but in Southwest Asia, U.S. and Coalition forces can rest easier knowing a squadron here is working around the clock to provide a complete snapshot of the battle space. Members of the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron are keeping this and other locations around the AOR safe from hostile aircraft. Read Full Story
Wisconsin airmen recognized in theater 7/21/2009 Capt. Jeannie Horn, of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Control Squadron, received the "Company Grade Officer of the Month" award for June 2009 during a brief ceremony July 17. Col. David Been, commander of the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group, presented the award. Also recognized that day, Staff Sgt. Daniel Koepke, a ground radio technician with the 128th ACS, was promoted to Tech. Sgt. July 17. Fellow noncommissioned officers Tech. Sgt. Oleg Katsnelson and Senior Master Sgt. Charley Rydmark presented Koepke with his new rank. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guardsmen help build future for Iraq 7/20/2009 At the Iraqi National Training Academy, located on Victory Base Complex near Baghdad, Iraqi instructors are training four platoons of recruits to become the foundation of the Iraqi correctional system. This facility is the first of its kind, and this is the first class to be trained entirely by Iraqi instructors. "This facility, from the ground up, has been designed to be the leading edge of the American withdrawal of forces from Iraq," said 2nd Lt. Christopher Cahak, Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry's officer in charge of training. "It's an incredibly important mission, we take it very seriously and this mission has been handed to the Wisconsin National Guard." Read Full Story
Update from Iraq: Around the 32nd Brigade 7/15/2009 BAGHDAD - They have endured frequent dust storms and intense heat. They've overcome language and cultural barriers. They've worked long days with little time off. They have missed the births of their sons and daughters. And they've been living and working in multiple locations in an active combat zone. They are the nearly 3,300 soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, two months into their 10-month missions in Iraq. Read Full Story
Patrol base named for Wisconsin Guard soldier turned over to Iraqi forces 7/14/2009 SAMARRA, Iraq — The changing role of U.S. forces in Iraq was evident across the entire country June 30, but in Samarra it also created a poignant moment for those who remembered Wisconsin Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Todd Olson. Olson, who died Dec. 27, 2004, of wounds he suffered in action in Samarra early in his tour with 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, was honored at a ceremony turning a Samarra patrol base over to the government of Iraq. The outpost, Patrol Base Olson, had carried his name for more than four years. Read Full Story
Those left behind find many ways to cope with soldier's absence 7/8/2009 Brenda Christianson is a seasoned veteran. She’s not a soldier - but close. She is the leader of the Family Readiness Group supporting family and friends of soldiers deployed with the Fond du Lac-based Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard. Brenda’s son is currently serving in Iraq. Her husband is scheduled for a second tour of duty in 2010. Read Full Story
Soldiers' stories - Local guardsmen keep busy in Iraq 7/8/2009 From taking correspondence courses to learning Spanish and Web site design, local soldiers with the Wisconsin National Guard, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Iraq are finding ways to lessen the pain of separation from their families and pass the time. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard trains Iraqis to run prisons 7/7/2009 Prison reform was a hot topic in this year's state budget debate in Wisconsin. But it's even more of an issue in Iraq, where Wisconsin National Guard troops are training Iraqis to run detention facilities. The United States is preparing to hand over the detention facilities it's been running since soon after the war began to the sovereign Iraqi government. By Gil Halsted, Wisconsin Public Radio Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard unit readies for mission 7/7/2009 ADDER, Iraq - The Tomah-based Headquarters Company of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, is preparing to assume command of its mission in Iraq next week. The 732nd is settling into the routine at Forward Operating Base Adder and members are learning their new responsibilities, said Maj. Kevin Gregar, the 732nd executive officer. "At the mobilization station [Camp Atterbury, Ind.], we trained on common soldier skills and collective tasks," Gregar explained. "Now we're getting into the nuts and bolts of supporting subordinate units." Read Full Story
Technology Helps Bring Military Family Together For Ultrasound 7/7/2009 Technology is helping a Rock County family share important moments while they're split a world apart. In May, John Bourdeaux deployed with the Wisconsin National Guard's 732nd Combat Sustainability Support Battalion. He's currently stationed in southern Iraq. His wife and 3-year-old son, Eli, are in Edgerton, and on Tuesday they all got a first look at the newest member of the family together. John Bourdeaux joined the family for the ultrasound via the Internet by videoconferencing on a laptop using Skype. Channel3000.com Read Full Story
Wisconsin soldiers run 5K in Iraq 7/6/2009 Approximately 30 deployed Wisconsin National Guard soldiers assigned to the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquarters, Camp Douglas, Wis., endured dust-filled air and early morning temperatures that soared into the 90s as they celebrated Independence Day by participating in the Red Arrow Independence Day 5K run July 4 at Forward Operating Base Prosperity in Baghdad. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Airmen part of new battle initiative 6/29/2009 Three Wisconsin Air National Guard members are spearheading an initiative which would bring control of Afghani airspace to the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, Southwest Asia. Capt. Seth Kaste, Capt. Chris Divyak and Tech. Sgt. Travis Skowronski of the Volk Field-based 128th Air Control Squadron recently completed three weeks of air battle management training for the Operation Enduring Freedom area of responsibility at Khandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, with the intent of training an additional 50 airmen of the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, including additional members of the 128th. This training and certification will allow the 71st EAC to be the first unit in history to conduct Afghanistan’s air battle management from a remote location when it inherits the mission from the Royal Australian Air Force Control and Reporting Center July 1. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Airmen part of new battle initiative 6/29/2009 Three Wisconsin Air National Guard members are spearheading an initiative which would bring control of Afghani airspace to facilities in Qatar. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guard leaders visit 32nd Brigade in Iraq 6/23/2009 The senior leaders of the Wisconsin Army National Guard visited many of the 3,200 Wisconsin troops of the state's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Iraq last week. Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson, Army National Guard commander, and state Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper traveled to several forward operating bases that are home to Wisconsin Guard soldiers for the next eight months. Read Full Story
105th Cavalry takes charge of base defense and camp support operations at Camp Cropper 6/22/2009 CAMP CROPPER, IRAQ - A half dozen Wisconsin state flags fly in the dusty desert breeze over Camp Cropper, Iraq, where units of the Wisconsin National have taken over responsibility for base defense, camp support functions and other missions for the next eight months. Camp Cropper is located near the Baghdad International Airport west of the Iraq capital. The camp's mission includes development of trained Iraqi corrections officers and the care of detainees - a mission that requires support from about 900 soldiers assigned to eight Wisconsin Army National Guard units. Read Full Story
829th Engineer Company soldiers adapt to new mission in Iraq 6/15/2009 (CAMP CROPPER, Iraq) — Wisconsin Guard soldiers assigned to the 829th Engineer Company are busily engaged in a security mission at the theater internment facility at Camp Cropper, Iraq. The 829th is based in Chippewa Falls, Wis., with detachments in Richland Center and Ashland. The 829th’s mission for the next eight months focuses on guarding and escorting detainees. Read Full Story
Keeping the roads safe in Afghanistan 6/11/2009 by Paul Knoff, WCCN Wisconsin Radio Network, WI Audio MP3 (1:09) Cpt. Brian Barth is leading over 100 soldiers of the 951st Sapper Company, Wisconsin Army National Guard. The 951st is based in Rhinelander and Tomahawk. Read Full Story
Want a military blanket that reminds you of home? She has you covered 6/11/2009 The saga of a thousand camouflage quilts began with a single request from a soldier heading to war. In 2006 Sgt. 1st Class Todd Richter, then a sergeant with Bravo Battery of the 121st Field Artillery battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, was preparing to mobilize for his first deployment — a year of convoy escort duty in Iraq. He asked his mother-in-law, Plymouth resident Linda Wieck, to make him a quilt for that deployment. To date, Wieck and her growing band of volunteers have made nearly 1,600 quilts, which are now packaged with “cool-tie” neck bands and homemade cards. She estimates 75 percent of all quilts have been sent to National Guard members. Read Full Story
Wisconsin soldier 'attends' daughter’s graduation through cyberspace 6/9/2009 BAGHDAD June 9, 2009 — Military service in a combat zone 6,294 miles from his home in Seymour, Wis., didn't keep Wisconsin National Guard Col. Martin Seifer from seeing his daughter graduate from her hometown high school June 1. Read Full Story
32nd Brigade troops at Camp Taji work to build better future for Iraq 6/9/2009 CAMP TAJI, IRAQ — At a desert outpost about 20 miles north of Baghdad, three units of Wisconsin National Guardsmen deployed with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team hope something will grow in the barren environment: Iraq’s future. The units, Company A, 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Onalaska; the 108th Forward Support Company, Sussex; and Battery A, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Racine, assumed responsibility May 12 for several operations at the theater internment facility reconciliation center at Camp Taji. Read Full Story
President pins Purple Heart on Rhinelander native 6/9/2009 By John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel An injured soldier from Rhinelander got a Purple Heart in Germany from President Barack Obama on Friday. Sgt. Matt Berth, a 26-year-old Army engineer with the Wisconsin National Guard, had the medal pinned on his chest during the president's two-hour visit to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where many soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are taken for treatment. Read Full Story
Wisconsin Sappers clearing routes in Afghanistan 6/4/2009 Capt. Brian Barth, commander of the 951st Sapper Company, Wisconsin Army National Guard, reports that all is well after four months in Afghanistan. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard families give back to communities who support them 6/3/2009 As soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) move into place in Iraq, their families back home are doing anything but standing still. Volunteers from the 32nd IBCT Family Readiness Group have kicked off the "Moving Forward, Giving Back" campaign, a community service initiative of the family readiness groups to give back to their local communities while their loved ones are deployed overseas. Read Full Story
Mobilized Wisconsin Guard unit prepares to deploy 6/2/2009 The Tomah-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is nearing the end of its mobilization training in preparation for its Iraq deployment. Once in Iraq, the 732nd CSSB will provide command and control of logistics operations in its assigned area. The unit was placed on alert in January 2008 and received its mobilization order Oct. 3. Read Full Story
Cash bonus to take place of Stop Loss for deploying Soldiers 6/1/2009 A new program that provides special pay for Soldiers deploying past their end-of-service dates is set to take affect Sept. 1 for the National Guard. The Deployment Extension Stabilization Pay program replaces the Stop Loss program and pays a cash bonus of up to $6,000 to Soldiers in units set to deploy who elect to stay in past their end-of-service date in order to deploy. Read Full Story
Flags lowered to half-staff in Wisconsin Saturday for Army National Guard Master Sgt. Brian Naseman 5/29/2009 Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Saturday, May 30, in honor of Wisconsin Army National Guard Master Sgt. Brian Naseman, a native of New Bremen, Ohio and a resident of Racine, Wis., who died in Taji, Iraq, May 21. The National Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Doyle. Read Full Story
32nd Brigade Headquarters assumes responsibilities in Baghdad's International Zone 5/28/2009 Col. Steven Bensend, commander of the 32nd Brigade, took command of the Joint Area Support Group - Central from the commander of the New Jersey Guard's 50th Brigade Combat Team, which had the mission since September 2008. The real estate is the International Zone, described as "a critical swath of urban terrain in the heart of Baghdad." Read Full Story
Statement by Brigadier General Donald P. Dunbar on the death of Wisconsin Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Brian Naseman 5/24/2009 "The entire Wisconsin National Guard family joins me in mourning the loss of Sergeant First Class Brian Naseman, who died Friday in Taji, Iraq. While no words can soothe the pain of their loss, I pledge to the Naseman family the full support of the Wisconsin National Guard during the difficult days and weeks ahead." Sergeant First Class Naseman died of injuires sustained from a non-combat related incident. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. Prior to his recent mobilization with the 32nd Brigade, Sergeant First Class Naseman was a full-time National Guard soldier in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 257th Brigade Support Battalion, 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. Read Full Story
Air National Guard Bands build 'bonds of friendship through music' 5/20/2009 Collectively they are armed with everything from bass guitars and drum sticks to keyboards and microphones. They are Airmen ... better yet, they are rock-band Airmen. Three Air National Guard Bands, totaling 30 Airmen, received pre-deployment training April 14 through 18 at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wis., in preparation for a deployment in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Read Full Story
128th Air Control Squadron departs for deployment 5/14/2009 The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Control Squadron shipped out for a deployment to Qatar May 13 following an afternoon send-off ceremony at Volk Field. For this mission the squadron, an extension of the Theater Air Control System, will be involved with command and control of the Central Command airspace. Read Full Story
Afghan tour ends for state Guard troops 5/12/2009 Wisconsin National Guard leaders welcomed home 17 soldiers from Afghanistan during a brief midnight ceremony Tuesday, May 12, at Fort Riley, Kan. The soldiers, mostly from the Milwaukee-based 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, just completed a one-year tour of duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 10 months in Afghanistan. There they served as part of Coalition Joint Task Force Phoenix comprised of active duty and reserve component soldiers and Marines, as well as military from other nations which trained and advised the Afghan National Police. Read Full Story
Soldiers Use Combat Lifesaving Skills During Casualty-recovery Exercise 5/11/2009 Despite the heavy smoke and loud blasts from simulated artillery rounds, Soldiers from C Troop, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, administered fluids into the veins of simulated casualties, controlled their bleeding, and treated their wounds and fractures during a casualty-recovery exercise April 22. Read Full Story
732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Sendoff 5/7/2009 Family, friends and state officials bid farewell to the headquarters unit of the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, in a 10 a.m. ceremony Saturday May 11, 2009. Approximately 80 soldiers of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, based in Tomah, will depart for about a month of training in Indiana before deploying to Iraq, where it will provide command and control of logistics operations in its assigned area. Read Full Story
Wisconsin employers plunge into urban firefight while visiting Guardsmen 4/2/2009 Civilians Randall Hepp and Greg Koepel found themselves taking cover in a one-story structure in the middle of a simulated Iraqi village Saturday when a diplomatic meeting between a U.S. Soldier and a local sheik was disrupted by insurgent gunfire. Hepp and Koepel were part of a group of more than 80 employers from Wisconsin visiting their employees Guardsmen assigned to the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as part of a program known as Boss Lift. Photo and Story by Maj. Deanna Bague, Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office Read Full Story
Wisconsin Guardsmen train urban ops, put ‘face to the fight’ 4/2/2009 Wisconsin Guardsmen from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are conducting close-quarters combat and urban-operations training, employing the most current tactics, techniques and procedures to better prepare the Soldiers for deployment, unit officials said. Accompanied by simulated Iraqi security forces, the Guardsmen moved tactically between buildings, entering and clearing rooms safely. Whether the scenario presented a meeting with the local sheik, an urban patrol or a search for a high-value target, the Iraqi forces were part of the operations.Photo and Story by Maj. Deanna Bague, Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office Read Full Story
Wisconsin’s Red Arrow Soldiers tackle grueling desert marathon 3/31/2009 Uphill climbs, sand, high elevation and 26.2 miles make Bataan Memorial Death March one of the nation’s toughest. For most people, there aren’t too many tests of physical endurance tougher than a 26.2 mile marathon. But some of the 3,200 mobilized Wisconsin National Guard soldiers training at Fort Bliss, Texas, found something more than a little bit more challenging: the 26.2 mile Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range. Read Full Story
Wisconsin employers visit 32nd IBCT at Fort Bliss, Texas 3/28/2009 More than 50 Wisconsin employers made the trip to see first-hand some of the 3,200 soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team who are training for deployment to Iraq. Read Full Story
Send-off ceremony March 26, 2009 for 16 Afghanistan-bound Army Guard troops 3/26/2009 Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton joined National Guard officials to bid farewell to 16 Wisconsin Army Guard soldiers bound for Afghanistan Thursday (March 26th) at Wisconsin National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters, 2400 Wright Street, Madison. Read Full Story
32nd IBCT Soldiers step into OC spray lane training 3/19/2009 In order for Guardsmen from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team to receive the most realistic training possible and prepare them to perform one of the most challenging missions in theater, it is crucial for them to undergo oleoresin capsicum gas lane training, during which Soldiers are sprayed directly in the face with pepper spray. Read Full Story
112th MPAD Welcome Home Ceremony 3/19/2009 Fourteen members of the 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment returned to Madison Thursday afternoon March 19th where they were welcomed at Joint Force Headquarters-Wisconsin by their families and friends, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Wisconsin National Guard leaders and the 132nd Army Band. Read Full Story
32nd IBCT Soldiers Trained By Military Police Officers 3/13/2009 Military police officers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, are helping train Wisconsin National Guardsmen from the 32nd Infantry BCT mobilized here. Read Full Story
32nd IBCT Takes on No. 1 Killer 3/13/2009 Guardsmen from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team trained on how to defeat improvised explosive devices, which, according to military officials, is the top killer of Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read Full Story
3,200 Wisconsin National Guard troops Arrive at Fort Bliss, Tx. 2/21/2009 The brigade's Soldiers flew from Wisconsin to Texas over the course of nine days, beginning with the first flights from Volk Field on Feb. 21. Read Full Story
Wisconsin's Military - Community Covenant 2/17/2009 At a Feb. 17 send-off ceremony for 3,200 deploying members of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, community, state and national leaders signed Wisconsin’s Military- Community Covenant,” pledging a joint effort to provide support and care for Wisconsin’s service members and their families. Read Full Story
32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Send-off Ceremony 2/17/2009 Wisconsin sent off the Red Arrow with tears and smiles Tuesday, in the Wisconsin National Guard’s largest operational deployment since World War II. Read Full Story
National Guard soldiers and families to be honored at state send-off Tuesday 2/11/2009 Approximately 3,200 Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers and their families will be honored at a send-off ceremony Tuesday (Feb. 17) at noon at the Alliant Energy Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison. The soldiers are deploying with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team for a tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ceremony participants include Gov. Jim Doyle, members of Congress, state legislators, mayors and National Guard officials. Read Full Story
Wisconsin National Guard will send off 19 soldiers Friday morning 2/10/2009 Wisconsin National Guard officials will send off 19 soldiers — an element of Madison’s Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Military Intelligence) — in a ceremony Friday (Feb. 13), 7 a.m., at the Guard’s state headquarters at 2400 Wright St., Madison. Read Full Story
32nd Brigade completes Florida training prepares to depart in late February 1/30/2009 The Wisconsin National Guard’s 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team has completed three weeks of training at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Florida. More than 3,000 soldiers now will complete final preparations at local armories before departing for their mobilization station in late February, en route to Iraq. This is the largest operational deployment of Wisconsin Guard forces since World War II. Read Full Story
Wisconsin’s 32nd Brigade Combat Team and six other units ordered to active duty 9/8/2008 The Wisconsin National Guard’s largest unit, the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, received a mobilization order this week that will call up as many as 3,500 soldiers for an active duty mission in Iraq. Mobilizing with the 32nd Brigade will be six other units whose soldiers will augment the brigade to meet the deployment’s specific mission requirements. Notification to soldiers, who had been on alert since December 2007, began Friday and continued through the weekend. Read Full Story

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