More than 3,000 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers return from Iraq in January Published Jan. 5, 2010 By Department of Military Affairs Volk Field, Camp Douglas Wisconsin -- The 3,200 Soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and six other Wisconsin Army National Guard units will return to Wisconsin beginning Tuesday. Leading the way will be approximately 115 Soldiers, mostly from the Fort Atkinson-based Troop A, 105th Calvary, followed by the remaining 3,000 Soldiers throughout the month. All are scheduled to return to Volk Field where they will be met by senior National Guard officials, a military band and family members -- homecomings are not open to the general public. Following an initial reunion with their families and a brief official "welcome home," the Soldiers will travel to nearby Fort McCoy to begin about five days of demobilization processing before being released from active duty. The 32nd Brigade, augmented by six other Wisconsin Army National Guard units, was ordered to active duty Feb. 1, 2009 and deployed to Iraq in April and May following two months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas. During training and while in Iraq, the brigade was organized into 27 company-sized units. Rather than operating as a brigade, the 32nd was tasked with a variety of missions throughout Iraq. These missions included forward operating base administration, base defense, area security, quick reaction forces, freedom of movement security support, detainee guard force operations at theater internment facilities, closing the largest internment facility in Iraq, transferring detainees, operating an academy to train Iraqi corrections officers, inspecting detention facilities, securing and administering the International Zone in Baghdad, and turning over U.S.-controlled properties back the government of Iraq. The brigade's Soldiers operated around the clock, most of them working at least 12 hours a day - day after day, week after week, for eight full months in Iraq. Having accomplished their mission, each company began transferring responsibilities to units from the Texas National Guard's 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at the end of December and will continue to do so as they prepare to return to Wisconsin in January. (For a detailed account of the 32nd Brigade's deployment see: http://dma.wi.gov/deployment ) The deployed Soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team come from units in 36 Wisconsin communities: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team -- Camp Douglas 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Target Acquisition) Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry -- Madison Troop A, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry -- Fort Atkinson Troop B, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry -- Watertown Troop C, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry -- Reedsburg 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company (-), 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Appleton Detachment 1, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Clintonville Company A (-), 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Waupun Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Ripon Company B, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Green Bay Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Fond du Lac Company D, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry -- Marinette 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company (-), 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- Eau Claire Detachment 1, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- Abbotsford Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- Menomonie Company B, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry (-) -- New Richmond Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- Rice Lake Company C (-), 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- Arcadia Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- Onalaska Company D, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry -- River Falls 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery -- Wisconsin Rapids Battery A, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery -- Marshfield Battery B, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery -- Stevens Point 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company (-), 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion -- Wausau Detachment 1, Headquarters Company, 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion -- Merrill Company A (Engineer), 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion -- Onalaska Company B (Military Intelligence), 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion -- Madison Company C (Signal), 32nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion -- Antigo 132nd Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Portage Company A (-) (Distribution), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Janesville Detachment 1, Company A, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Elkhorn Company B (Maintenance), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Mauston Company C (Medical), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Milwaukee Company D (-) (Forward Support), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Baraboo Detachment 1, Company D, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Madison Company E (-) (Forward Support), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Waupaca Detachment 1, Company E, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Appleton Company F (-) (Forward Support), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Neillsville Detachment 1, Company F, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Eau Claire Company G (-) (Forward Support), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Mosinee Detachment 1, Company G, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion -- Wisconsin Rapids Additional units to augment the 32nd are based in 12 Wisconsin communities. 257th Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 257th Brigade Support Battalion -- Oak Creek Company A, 257th Brigade Support Battalion -- Whitewater Company B (Support Maintenance), 257th Brigade Support Battalion -- Kenosha 108th Forward Support Company -- Sussex 32nd Military Police Company (-) -- Milwaukee Detachment 1, 32nd Military Police Company -- Oconomowoc 829th Engineer Company (-) (Vertical) -- Chippewa Falls Detachment 1, 829th Engineer Company -- Richland Center Detachment 2, 829th Engineer Company -- Ashland 1158th Transportation Company (-) -- Beloit Detachment 1, 1158th Transportation Company -- Black River Falls Battery A, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery -- Racine