Another portion of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment has returned to the United States from Afghanistan.

Nearly 40 Soldiers are currently at Fort Hood, Texas, completing post-mobilization requirements before they return to Wisconsin later this month. More than 200 Soldiers from the 128th Infantry continue to support the Army’s 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) mission in Afghanistan.

The 128th Infantry deployed on a “guardian angel” mission, providing force protection for numerous engagements between SFAB advisors and other coalition forces, contractors and Afghan troops. They replaced the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, which was the first National Guard battalion to partner with an active Army security force assistance brigade. The battalion mobilized for deployment in July of 2019.

This marks the second group of 128th Infantry Soldiers to return early from their deployment due to a planned drawdown of forces from Afghanistan announced earlier this year. Approximately 150 Soldiers from the battalion returned to Wisconsin April 28.

The Wisconsin National Guard simultaneously has hundreds of Citizen Soldiers and Airmen mobilized to state active duty supporting civil authorities and assisting in preserving public safety amidst civil unrest in communities around Wisconsin, and more than 1,200 are actively supporting the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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