Engineers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard are on duty today in Monroe County assisting local communities with flood debris cleanup after heavy rains caused severe flooding across Western Wisconsin last week.

Twenty Soldiers from the Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin-based 229th Engineer Company and the Wausau, Wisconsin-based 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion are operating in the town of Portland, Wisconsin.

The engineers brought heavy military equipment including skid steers, 10-ton dump trucks, excavators and additional equipment to assist with debris removal efforts.

Gov. Scott Walker declared a state of emergency in Monroe County and 16 other counties across the state July 21, which authorizes Wisconsin’s Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar to employ the National Guard to assist local authorities as needed.

Airmen from the Wisconsin Air National Guard delivered 10,000 sandbags to Trempealeau County July 21 in advance of heavy rains forecasted for the area, and now Soldiers are on duty in Monroe County where they are available to assist local communities as needed.

“The Wisconsin National Guard is well-trained and well-equipped to assist with this mission,” Dunbar said. “Serving the people of Wisconsin in times of emergency as the state’s first military responder strikes at the core of the National Guard’s mission.”

The National Guard simultaneously serves as the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force.