Wisconsin National Guard soldiers return to U.S. after yearlong deployment to Afghanistan

Almost 200 Wisconsin National Guard soldiers have returned to the U.S. after serving as guardian angels providing protection in Afghanistan.

Roughly 400 soldiers from Appleton-based 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry deployed to Afghanistan late last year and about 190 landed at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Sunday.

The rest of the unit remains in Afghanistan. 

The 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry is the first National Guard battalion to partner with one of the Army's security force assistance brigades. The soldiers were split into small squads to act as protectors for advisers in the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade as well as other coalition forces, contractors and Afghan troops. 

The soldiers are now going through demobilization at Fort Bliss and will return to Wisconsin soon. The infantry unit includes companies from Green Bay, Fond du Lac, Clintonville, Marinette, Waupun and Ripon.

The 127th was recently joined in Afghanistan by another 32nd Red Arrow Division battalion — 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry. That unit mobilized in July.

Though Red Arrow Division units have deployed numerous times to Iraq and Kuwait, the 127th was the first to serve in Afghanistan.

Nearly 250 airmen from Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing returned from Afghanistan earlier this month. The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquarters deployed to Ukraine this fall to oversee a group of multinational training teams plus around 150 soldiers from the 829th Engineer Company mobilized earlier this fall for deployment to the Middle East.