Wisconsin National Guard
Encyclopedia
The Wisconsin Army 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.
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.
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 three major commands: the 32nd Infantry Brigade, headquartered at Camp Douglas
; the 64th Troop Command, headquartered at Madison
; and the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, headquartered at Oak Creek
.
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.
. Formed from the deactivated 57th Field Artillery Brigade and 264th Engineer Groop.
History
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
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
Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs
The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs is the military arm of the State of Wisconsin. It oversees the Wisconsin Army National Guard, the Wisconsin Air National Guard, the Wisconsin Emergency Management, and, when organised, the Wisconsin State Defense Force. Its commander-in-chief is Governor...
, 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 LegislatureWisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Wisconsin Senate and the lower Wisconsin Assembly...
provided for the distribution of federal arms and military equipment. Wisconsin Guard troops fought in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, both the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Guard members have been activated on numerous other occasions, including for the Berlin Crisis
Berlin Crisis
Berlin Crisis may refer to*the Berlin Blockade of 1948-1949*the Berlin Crisis of 1961*the Australian alternative band, see Berlin Crisis...
the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, peacekeeping operations in the Balkans
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, and current operations in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
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 DaneDane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
and Milwaukee counties. Over 600 live in other states, with 70 percent of those residing in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. 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 three major commands: the 32nd Infantry Brigade, headquartered at Camp Douglas
Camp Douglas
Camp Douglas can refer to a location in the United States:* Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, a small city* Camp Douglas , a Union prison camp during the American Civil War* Camp Douglas , a U.S. Army post along the Oregon Trail in Utah...
; the 64th Troop Command, headquartered at Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
; and the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, headquartered at Oak Creek
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
.
32nd Infantry Brigade
The 32nd Infantry Brigade is the largest unit in the WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
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.
157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
The 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigadeis based out of Oak Creek, WisconsinOak Creek, Wisconsin
Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.-History:...
. Formed from the deactivated 57th Field Artillery Brigade and 264th Engineer Groop.
64th Troop Command
The 64th Troop Command provides administrative, training and logistical support to unique, specialized or smaller Wisconsin Army National Guard units that are not part of other major deployable units. The command includes aviation, sustainment and support, personnel, military police, band, transportation, maintenance, public affairs, rear area operations command, and medical units.Historic units
-
127th Infantry Regiment (United States)127th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment traces its origins to the 4th Infantry Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard.-Organization:The 4th Infantry Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard, was organized on 25 April 1884 from Milwaukee companies, expanded and redesignated in 1890 as the 4th Infantry... - 128th Infantry Regiment (United States)128th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 128th Infantry Regiment is a United States military unit of the Wisconsin National Guard. The 128th has served as part of the American Civil War, Spanish-American War, Mexican Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Iraq War....
- 120th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
- 121st Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
- 126th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)126th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 126th Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army National Guard.-Lineage:Constituted in the National Guard of Wisconsin as the 1st Cavalry and partially organized by redesignation of Light Horse Squadron of Milwaukee as Troop A...
See also
- Coats of arms of U.S. Armor and Cavalry RegimentsCoats of arms of U.S. Armor and Cavalry RegimentsThis page has been split as follows:* Coats of arms of U.S. Armor Regiments* Coats of arms of U.S. Cavalry Regiments-See also:* commons:Field Army insignia of the United States Army* Corps insignia of the United States Army...
- Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery RegimentsCoats of arms of U.S. Artillery RegimentsCoats of arms of US Artillery Regiments are heraldic emblems associated with field artillery, air defense artillery, and coast artillery regiments in the US Army...
- Coats of arms of U.S. Infantry RegimentsCoats of arms of U.S. Infantry RegimentsCoats of arms of US Infantry Regiments are heraldic emblems associated with infantry regiments in the US Army. By Army regulation, all regiments of the US Army organized under a Table of Organization and Equipment are authorized a coat of arms to be displayed on the organization's standard, called...
- Coats of arms of U.S. Air Defense Artillery RegimentsCoats of arms of U.S. Air Defense Artillery RegimentsCoats of arms of US Air Defense Artillery Regiments are heraldic emblems associated with Field artillery, Air Defense Artillery, and coast artillery regiments in the US Army...
External links
Army National Guard, official sitesHistory
- Bibliography at the United States Army Center of Military History