Wisconsin National Guard

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Wisconsin Army National Guard


caption=Wisconsin Army National Guard Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
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country= United States of America
allegiance= State of Wisconsin
branch= National Guard
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motto=Forward
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mascot=Badger
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The Wisconsin National Guard (“Guard”) has dual state and federal roles, and is jointly funded and maintained by both governments. Its federal mission is to provide trained units to the United States Army in time of war or national emergency. Its state mission is to help civil authorities protect life and property and preserve peace, order, and public safety in times of natural or human-caused emergencies. The governor, who is the commander in chief of the Guard when it is not activated for federal service, appoints the adjutant general who directs the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, of which the Guard is a part. Members of the National Guard are typically part-time soldiers who attend unit drills one weekend per month and serve a two-week annual tour of active duty. All officers and enlisted personnel must meet the same physical, education, and other eligibility requirements as members of the active-duty services.

History

Guard members continue the legacy of the “Minutemen” of the American Revolution—citizen-soldiers trained and ready to put their peacetime pursuits on hold when called upon to serve their state or nation. Throughout much of its history, the U.S. has maintained only a small standing army. Instead, it has primarily relied on the militia system for security which, formalized in the Uniform Militia Act of 1792, embraced the principle of universal military obligation for most able-bodied males. Militia members participated in periodic compulsory unit training musters, and were responsible for providing their own weapons. In 1848, the first session of the Wisconsin Legislature provided for the distribution of federal arms and military equipment. Wisconsin Guard troops fought in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, both the First and Second World Wars, and the Korean War. Guard members have been activated on numerous other occasions, including for the Berlin Crisis the Persian Gulf War, peacekeeping operations in the Balkans, and current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Wisconsin Army National Guard

There are currently about 9,600 members in the Wisconsin National Guard. They reside in all of the state’s 72 counties, ranging from less than ten in several lightly populated counties in the northeastern part of the state to about 1,100 each in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Over 600 live in other states, with 70 percent of those residing in Illinois and Minnesota. The approximately 7,400 Army Guard soldiers train in armories located in 67 communities throughout the state. Most of the units are assigned to one of four major commands: the 32nd Infantry Brigade, headquartered at Camp Douglas; the 64th Troop Command, headquartered at Madison; the 57th Field Artillery Brigade, headquartered at Milwaukee; and the 264th Engineer Group, headquartered at Chippewa Falls.

32nd Infantry Brigade

The 32nd Infantry Brigade is the largest unit in the Wisconsin National Guard. Formed in 1967 from the deactivated 32nd Infantry Division, the Red Arrow Brigade is formed of three battalions of light infantry as well as support and engineer units.

57th Field Artillery Brigade

The 57th Field Artillery Brigade is based out of Oak Creek, Wisconsin. It's subordinate organizations include the 1-126th and 1-121st Field Artillery battalions. It is also known as the "Iron Brigade".

External links

;Army National Guard, official sites
* [http://dma.wi.gov/ Wisconsin Army National Guard]
* [http://www.wisconsinguard.com/ Wisconsin Army National Guard recruiting site]