Wisconsin National Guard snipers assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment conduct urban attack and ambush training lanes during an eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise in Fort McCoy last week. XCTC is the U.S. Army National Guard’s program of record that enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy. Commanders use this exercise to assess their units capabilities during live fire activities and controlled scenarios.

Wisconsin Air and Army National Guard performed a RARE capability demonstration together at EAA – The Spirit of Aviation. One of our new F-35 Lightning II’s, 8 UH-60 Black Hawks, and a KC-135 Stratotanker dominated the airspace while M119 howitzer operators were dropped onto the flightline, and infantry Soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team were also dropped onto the flightline where they demonstrated an assault. Meanwhile, two Black Hawks performed a hoist lift for a litter patient and a dynamic hoist for an ambulatory patient. During all of this, 2 howitzers were firing blanks from on the ground and pyrotechnics were going off in the distance! An absolutely outstanding display of just a small but crucial portion of what our citizen Soldiers and Airmen have the ability to provide to not only our state if needed, but to anywhere across the globe.

Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, and senior Wisconsin National Guard officials welcomed home approximately 260 Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Dane County Regional Airport Saturday, July 29. The 157th returned from a nine-month deployment to Djibouti, Africa in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, which conducts operations to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect

Making the OPFOR, or opposing forces, an effective part of eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training takes a lot of coordination, manpower and equipment. Vehicles are often camouflaged to look different than a normal Army vehicle, and Soldiers will sometimes wear different uniforms and camouflage face paint. This helps reinforce their status as OPFOR to the other XCTC participants. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment and the 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, coordinate on a live fire exercise featuring squad movements, reacting to simulated enemy contact and the utilization of a Bangalore torpedo explosive charge during eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training July 27 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team worked as a team to create a defensive position utilizing concertina wire and a variety of camouflaged fighting positions during eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training Aug. 4 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman