Spc. Jonathan Raatz (third from right), assigned to the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Headquarters, with fellow Red Arrow Soldiers at Jalalabad Airfield in Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019, where the unit is acting as a “Guardian Angel” security element for the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Submitted photo

The Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry remain hard at work in Afghanistan, despite talks of peace and ending America’s longest war.

The nearly 400 “Red Arrow” Soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019 and embarked on a mission serving as a security element for the Army’s 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade, or SFAB. The 128th integrated into the 3rd SFAB as its seventh battalion.

Red Arrow Soldiers assigned to the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry in Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019, where the unit is acting as a “Guardian Angel” security element for the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Submitted photo

Known as “guardian angels,” the Red Arrow Soldiers providing force protection for key leader engagements and training between advisors, other coalition forces, contractors, and Afghan troops, have etched their place in the long and storied history of the Wisconsin National Guard. The deployed Soldiers know they are working to make the world a better place.

“We’re doing the job our nation asked us to do, and we’re doing it well,” said 1st Lt. Brian Sikma, a platoon leader in C Company, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry. “There are a lot of ways to serve and give back to your community. For those of us in the military, this is our way to pay it forward to the next generation.”

Sgt. Emily Shilts, an intelligence analyst with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry in Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019, where the unit is acting as a “Guardian Angel” security element for the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Submitted photo

The impact Sikma, a Watertown, Wisconsin resident, and his troops are having in Afghanistan cannot be understated.

“My Soldiers have provided security for American advisors, managed multi-million dollar sensors and systems to protect American bases and personnel, saved the lives of injured Afghan personnel, facilitated targeting of Taliban fighters, and even helped train American and Afghan personnel on weapons and tactics,” he said.

The 128th replaced their Wisconsin Army National Guard and Red Arrow brethren from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry who performed the same mission for the Army’s 2nd SFAB last year. The 127th returned to Wisconsin in late 2019 after becoming the first National Guard battalion to partner with the Army’s new SFABs. And despite both the 127th and 128th’s illustrious histories and lineages and that of its parent unit, the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Brigade Combat Team, their respective deployments to Afghanistan represented the first two deployments in history to Afghanistan for Red Arrow units.

Spc. Austin Whaley, a human resources specialist, Sgt. Emily Shilts, an intelligence analyst, and Spc. Dylan Zdroik, a signal information sergeant with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry enjoy a meal together in Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019, where the unit is acting as a “Guardian Angel” security element for the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Submitted photo

According to the Soldiers, having a close connection and familiarity with the unit it replaced played a big role in ensuring a smooth transition of the mission.

“Overall the mission has been going well,” Spc. Jacob Nutt, a B Company Soldier from Ashland, Wisconsin, said. “We received an outstanding (relief-in-place) from the 127th, and they set us up for success. Out link up with our advisor team went smooth, and it seems we share a similar set of priorities.”

The Red Arrow’s previous and numerous deployments since Sept. 11, 2001 had all previously been to Iraq or Kuwait in addition to a combat history that dates back to the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. In fact, the 128th traces its lineage to Wisconsin’s famed Iron Brigade and the 1st and 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry that earned fame for its ferocity at places like Antietam and Gettysburg. The units later morphed into the 127th and 128th Infantry at the outset of World War I.

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sieg, a quick reaction force squad leader in A Company, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry in Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019, where the unit is acting as a “Guardian Angel” security element for the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Submitted photo

Yet despite such a noble and lofty legacy to live up to, this iteration of the Red Arrow serving in Afghanistan today continues to carve out its own place in history.

“I feel that our unit’s commitment to excellence, mission preparedness, and willingness to work with others has greatly increased the success of the advisors we have been tasked with providing security for,” said Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sieg, a quick reaction force squad leader in Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, from Fall Creek, Wisconsin. “The security force advisors we work with every day are ardent professionals and have made significant progress with their assigned local security force partners. Much of this success has been due to their freedom of operation due to our commitment to their security.”

First Lt. Brian Sikma (second from left), a platoon leader in C Company, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, with fellow Soldiers during rifle range training in Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in July 2019, where the unit is acting as a “Guardian Angel” security element for the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Submitted photo

Some of the Soldiers also noted that their status as National Guard Soldiers brings a unique perspective to the mission that other branches of the military don’t always have, which helps make a hybrid organization like the SFAB, even stronger. Some of the National Guard troops, for example, are civilian law enforcement officers or first responders – important skillsets when acting as Guardian Angels providing security and ones an active duty Army unit might not have in its ranks.

“Being a part of the National Guard allows us to use our experience we have gained from our civilian careers and utilize them to our advantage,” Spc. Jonathan Raatz, also a Watertown resident, said. “These skills and experiences we possess help us overcome obstacles that can positively impact our mission. Having these additional skills makes the National Guard both so versatile and unique.”

Sieg said that Citizen Soldier mindset is part of what makes the Guard such a vital part of the Army’s total force.

“We have construction workers, engineers, college students, police officers, car salesmen, and every job in-between,” he said. “The Soldiers also serve their country and do so at a very high professional level. This ability to be highly successful in both fields speaks wonders to their ambition, intelligence, and patriotism.”

“The Soldiers I serve with all want to make a difference and work hard to accomplish the mission,” he added. “Some came over as brand new parents. Some put their college degree on hold. Some had to pause their own businesses. All had to sacrifice, and all of them have done so willingly.”

But that diversity of thought and experience is what makes the unit so successful.

“I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to serve with,” said Sgt. Emily Shilts, an intelligence analyst assigned to 128th’s Headquarters and a New Richmond, Wisconsin, resident. “Not only from our unit, but the other units we work with are great as well. Everyone brings something different to the table – personalities, wisdom, knowledge, skills, jokes, you name it. It’s everybody’s differences that make the mission a success.”

Likewise for Pfc. Tyler Nystrom, a Superior, Wisconsin native assigned to A Company, who said he and his team have grown incredibly close throughout the mobilization.

“I wouldn’t want to be deployed with anyone else,” he said. “This is my second family, and I’m proud to be here with this group.

Many of the Soldiers said the deployment has had a major impact on their personal and professional development. Spc. Josiah Wahl, a B Company Soldier from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, said he has lost nearly 30 pounds, works out every day and has completed five books already. He also said the unit stays sharp with rigorous training and constant defensive improvements.

“It’s been fulfilling and meaningful work improving our base defenses and training to provide security for advising missions at Afghan military bases,” he said. “The weekly range time has sharpened our marksmanship, and hosting meetings between advisors and Afghan military leaders has been fascinating.”

Wahl credited the professionalism of the Soldiers in the 128th for their mission success thus far – and perhaps some humor as well.

“These are highly professional, tactically, and technically proficient Soldiers who maintain a high level of physical fitness and personal discipline,” he said. “All of them take pride in doing an excellent job in whatever tasks they are given. Not only that, but I feel sure we have the funniest Soldiers in the battalion in my platoon.”

Humor and bonding is critical to building cohesiveness, which helps overcome the challenges inherent with a deployment and separation from loved ones.

“This is my first deployment having to say goodbye to a child,” Sieg said. “Even leaving her well-cared for and with every provision taken care of, it has been very tough. I love my daughter, and not a day or moment goes by where I don’t worry about her. Missing the special days like her first time riding a bus, her birthday, holidays, and even her sad days – when she’s having a rough day, illnesses and when you can tell she misses you. Coming back home to see my daughter will easily be one of the best days of my life.”

Sgt. 1st Class John Bensend, a platoon sergeant in D Company from Roberts, Wisconsin said the separation from home and family has been the most difficult part of the deployment.

“Toughest part of the deployment I think is being away from home,” he said. “Between my wife and I getting married in March of last year and purchasing our first home last summer, it has been a busy first year of marriage. However, my wife is an incredibly strong woman and is taking the whole experience in stride.”

The tight-knit family atmosphere within the unit helps ease some of that feeling of separation and only strengthens the bonds between the Soldiers.

“With our larger company being spread out across the country, the squads have become tight-knit and depend on each other for support day-to-day,” he said. “It’s a team effort, and I know I can rely on all of them to accomplish any task set before us.”

Support from home and the State of Wisconsin has been a critical component in easing the burdens on the unit and its families. Care packages, letters, and support have flowed in from around the Badger State, and many of the troops have been overwhelmed with support. According to Bensend, some of the sites at which the Wisconsin National Guard troops are operating do not have on-site access to exchanges or shops, so the Soldiers are reliant on what they packed, military supply channels, and care packages.

Sikma said neighbors have helped his wife by clearing his sidewalks of snow and family offers to babysit his children to give his wife a break.

“The support from home has been amazing,” Spc. Taylor Koenig, an A Company Soldier from Barron, Wisconsin said. “It seems like every week I get a care package or someone is asking me what I would like to be sent. From family, to my friends, to the VFW and schools in my small hometown, the support has been more than I could ever imagine.”

“Easily the toughest part of this deployment has been being away from family and friends,” he added. “Having something that is hard to be away from makes it a constant reminder of why you are here in the first place and who you do it for.”

Thanks to the unwavering support from Wisconsin, and communities and families back home, the 128th’s morale remains high, and they can continue to perform their no-fail mission.

“It gives my Soldiers a deep comfort in knowing that their families and communities are thinking of them and want to support them in any way possible,” said 2nd Lt. Luke Bensend, a Prescott, Wisconsin native assigned to D Company.