Wisconsin Guard Soldiers almost home from Iraq

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

About 300 Soldiers from the 724th Engineer Battalion are expected to return to Wisconsin tonight (Feb. 18), officially marking the end of their duty in Iraq in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.

The Soldiers are scheduled to return to Volk Field late Friday and 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" ceremony, the Soldiers will travel to nearby Fort McCoy to begin about five days of demobilization processing before being released from active duty.

The 724th Engineer Battalion includes the following northern Wisconsin units:

Headquarters Company, Chippewa Falls; Company A (Forward Support), Hayward; the 273rd Engineer Company (Sapper), Medford; and the 950th Engineer Company (Clearance), Spooner and Superior.

Homecoming photos and videos will be posted on our flickr as they become available.