Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers rest prior to a state active duty mission in support of local civil authorities in Milwaukee June 1, 2020. Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery, conducted equipment checks and received information briefings as they prepared to assist local communities and preserve public safety. Wisconsin National Guard Photo by Maj. Brian Faltinson

Nearly 1,200 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard are on duty across the state assisting communities and civil authorities in an effort to preserve public safety and the ability of individuals to exercise their rights to peacefully demonstrate.

Wisconsin National Guard troops have ongoing missions to assist civil authorities with public safety efforts in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, and Racine, and some of those troops continue to stand ready to assist in other communities across Wisconsin, if local authorities request Guard assistance.

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, prepare to assist local communities and preserve public safety while on state active duty in support of local civil authorities in Green Bay, Wis., June 1, 2020. Wis. Their preparation included equipment checks and set up of sleeping tents, along with informational briefings and other personal readiness tasks. Wisconsin National Guard Photo by 1st Lt. Meghan Skrepenski

Approximately 125 troops originally mobilized to state active duty the evening of May 30 when civil authorities in Milwaukee requested National Guard assistance amidst civil unrest there. Civil unrest unfolded in Madison the following evening, prompting a request for National Guard assistance there as well.

Since then, hundreds of additional Wisconsin National Guard troops mobilized to state active duty to assist in Milwaukee and Madison but also in Green Bay, Kenosha, and Racine, at the request of civil authorities in those communities.

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, prepare to assist local communities and preserve public safety while on state active duty in support of local civil authorities in Green Bay, Wis., June 1, 2020. Wis. Their preparation included equipment checks and set up of sleeping tents, along with informational briefings and other personal readiness tasks. Wisconsin National Guard Photo by 1st Lt. Meghan Skrepenski

Serving the state, local communities, and Wisconsin’s citizens during times of need is one of the National Guard’s core missions. The Wisconsin National Guard responds at the request of, and in support of, civil authorities, and its troops serve in a support role as a resource that is available during times of emergency.  

Approximately 10,000 Soldiers and Airmen make up the Wisconsin National Guard. More than 1,200 remain mobilized across Wisconsin supporting the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than 500 are mobilized in places like Afghanistan, Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa in support of the Guard’s federal missions overseas as the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force.