Mission

As a part of both the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the U. S. Army, Bravo Troop has a dual role in America’s Armed Forces. This means that we have a Federal Mission and a State Mission. This is something that is unique to the National Guard; all other components of our armed forces have only the Federal Mission.

Our Federal Mission

Bravo Troop’s Federal Mission is to maintain a combat-ready unit available to mobilize and deploy in support of the National Military Strategy. We may be called, under order of the President, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and to defend our Country’s interests, against all foes, foreign and domestic. Bravo Troop’s primary combat mission, as a mounted reconnaissance troop of our Cavalry Squadron, is to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance supporting the development of the brigade’s situational awareness and knowledge in the area of operations.

Our State Mission

Bravo Troop’s State Mission is to provide an organized, trained and equipped unit to protect life and property, and to preserve peace, order and public safety under the order of the Governor. We may be called as a result of a natural or man-made disaster or other emergencies.

One example of our State Mission occurred when the Wisconsin National Guard was called upon to assist during the train derailment in Weyauwega in March of 1996. A freight train, including 1.4 million pounds of propane and liquefied petroleum gas, derailed and started burning, forcing the evacuation of the city due to the possibility of a catastrophic explosion. Several Bravo Troop Soldiers participated in the operation commonly known as “Operation Pet Rescue.” Wisconsin National Guard soldiers drove M-113A3 armored personnel carriers into the deserted city to allow residents to retrieve their pets that had been stranded for four days without food, water and heat (when the residents evacuated the city that first day, most people thought it would just be for the day, or a couple of days at the most). About 300 pets were rescued that day. The city remained evacuated for a total of 19 days. A couple of photos from this operation can be found at Bravo Troop’s photo archive.