M-60A1/A3 Patton main battle tanks are lined up in the staging area at the Dundalk Marine Terminal, Port of Baltimore, after being offloaded from the vehicle cargo/rapid response ship USNS Antares (T-AKR-294). The tanks were used by the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) (Separate), Wisconsin Army National Guard, during Exercise REFORGER '86.
Formed in 1967 from the inactivated 32nd Infantry Division, the Red Arrow Brigade consisted of three battalions of light infantry as well as support and engineer units. The 32nd's shoulder patch, a line shot through with a red arrow, originated in the division's tenacity in piercing German lines during World War I that no other army could breach. It then became known as the Red Arrow Division.[3] After 1967 the brigade was a separate brigade of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, not part of any larger infantry division.
In April 1971, the brigade was converted to a mechanized brigade and became the 32nd "Red Arrow" Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Mechanized). In 1984–85 the brigade included 2–127 Infantry (Mech); 1–128 Infantry (Mech); 1st Battalion, 632nd Armor Regiment; 1–120 Field Artillery; Troop E, 105th Cavalry; and the 32nd Engineer Company.[4] In January 1986 the 32nd Brigade participated in REFORGER '86. The entire brigade deployed from Wisconsin, with all of its equipment, to Germany.
In October 1996, the brigade lost its separate status and became a divisional brigade, assigned to the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division. The 34th Division had its headquarters in Minnesota.
On 1 October 2001, the brigade was reorganized as the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light).[5] This resulted in the 32nd Brigade becoming a separate formation once again, no longer attached to the 34th ID. On 23 January 2003 about 100 soldiers from various 32nd "Red Arrow" Infantry Brigade units reported for active duty for service as Task Force Red Arrow in support of Operation Noble Eagle. Task Force Red Arrow supplemented security for two years at three of Wisconsin's airbases, the 440th Airlift WinginMilwaukee, the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee, and the 115th Fighter WinginMadison.
The brigade was reorganized again in September 2007 as the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. With this change the 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment was reorganized as a cavalry reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition unit, known as the 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry Regiment.
In September 2008, the entire 32nd Brigade and six other related units received mobilization orders directing their return to Iraq. This would be the largest operational deployment of Wisconsin National Guard forces since World War II.[12] They began training and preparing for deployment in January 2009. The brigade completed three weeks of training at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Florida on 30 January 2009, prior to activation.[13]
The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team prepares for deployment in February 2009.
In February 2009 the entire BCT, consisting of 3,200 Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers, was activated along with six supporting units outside the brigade. They were given a send-off on 17 February 2009 at the Alliant Energy Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin. The soldiers reported to Fort Bliss in elements of 400–600 soldiers by 1 March to complete preparations for a one-year deployment. Sgt. Pete Smoczyk and Col. Tommy Makal, two World War II veterans who served in the 32nd Infantry Division during World War II when it was last called up for overseas combat duty, also marched out with the brigade. Spc. Marissa Hendriks, Smoczyk's granddaughter, deployed to Iraq with the unit.[14]
The units activated were:
Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based out of Camp Williams, at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. As of September 2009, the HHC served as the Joint Area Support Group-Central in the International Zone in Baghdad, Iraq and was responsible for administering, securing, and transitioning the International Zone.
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB), 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery
Wisconsin Rapids
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery – Marshfield
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery – Stevens Point
Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Brigade Combat Team
Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Brigade Combat Team – Wausau
Detachment 1, Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Brigade Combat Team – Merrill
Company A (Engineer), Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Brigade Combat Team – Onalaska
Company B (MI), STB, 32nd Brigade Combat Team – Madison
Company C (Signal), Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Brigade Combat Team – 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 (FSC), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Baraboo
Detachment 1, Company D, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Madison
Company E (FSC), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Waupaca
Detachment 1, Company E, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Appleton
Company F (FSC), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Neillsville
Detachment 1, Company F, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Eau Claire
Company G (FSC), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion – Mosinee
Detachment 1, Company G, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion (1-G-132nd BSB) – Wisconsin Rapids
Company I (FSC), 132nd Brigade Support Battalion - Wyoming, Michigan
The six additional units mobilized which augmented the 32nd Brigade Combat Team had a combined authorized strength of about 1,050 soldiers in 10 Wisconsin communities. Units mobilized with the 32nd BCT were:
Company B (Support Maintenance), 257th Brigade Support Battalion (B-257th BSB) – Kenosha
108th Forward Support Company (108th FSC) – Sussex
32nd Military Police Company (32nd MPC) – 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
Headquarters deployed to Ukraine in 2019-2020[edit]
In October 2019 the brigade headquarters and other augmentation personnel were activated and deployed to Ukraine to take over operations as the head of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine headquartered at Yavoriv Combat Training Center.[15] The unit was located just outside the village of Starychi in Lviv Oblast. Adopting the name Task Force Juvigny (pronounced "Juv-in-yay") the soldiers sustained base operations and served as advisors to the rotational units coming to the CTC for training before they were deployed to the war in Donbas. They also took part in a number of local outreach programs and charity activities as well. After a quarantine period due to the COVID-19 pandemic they returned home and were demobilized in September 2020.[16]
The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and Fort Johnson[17] were the venue for a month-long National Guard exercise involving 5000 soldiers in June 2024. Live-fire training, and simulated force-on-force engagements in a large-scale combat operation (LSCO) involved the entire 32nd IBCT, as well as soldiers from other states and countries, as a readiness exercise for the National Guard.[17]
United States
United States Army
3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment (Michigan National Guard)[7][8][9]
2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment
1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment
1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery Regiment (1-120th FAR)
173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion (173rd BEB) (formerly Special Troops Battalion, 32nd BCT)[10][11]
132nd Brigade Support Battalion (132nd BSB)
