A squad of Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, stand guard outside of the Milwaukee Police Department District 5 building June 7, 2020, in response to the governor’s request for troops to assist local authorities in communities across Wisconsin. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. John T. Clark

Citizen Soldiers and Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard concluded missions to support public safety efforts in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha over the past several days.

Nearly 1,500 troops mobilized over the last week in response to requests for Wisconsin National Guard assistance from local civil authorities to help preserve public safety and ensure individuals maintained the ability to exercise their rights to peacefully demonstrate.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, augment the Milwaukee Police Department at District 7, June 7, 2020, in response to the governor’s request for troops to assist local authorities in communities across Wisconsin. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ard

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

In the ensuing days hundreds of additional troops mobilized as the Wisconsin National Guard received requests for assistance from civil authorities in Green Bay, Kenosha, and Racine.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, augment the Milwaukee Police Department at District 7, June 7, 2020, in response to the governor’s request for troops to assist local authorities in communities across Wisconsin. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ard

The Guard concluded its support mission in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Racine June 8, while additional troops remained on duty to support Madison into the evening of June 8. The Guard’s mission to support civil authorities in Kenosha concluded last week.

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.