As war rages in Iraq and conflicts arise around the world, National Guard troops from Madison have played a pivotal role both overseas and in the United States.
Wisconsin's National Guard currently has more than 7,400 guards available for deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the National Guard, approximately 2,000 Wisconsin soldiers are already serving on active duty at various stations overseas.
More than 20 percent of Wisconsin forces reside in Madison. Lieutenant Colonel Tim Donovan of the Wisconsin National Guard attributed Madison's troop contributions to the fact that the National Guard's State headquarters is in the capital city.
In addition, numerous battalions are located throughout the city and the Dane County Regional Airport shares space with the National Guard's planes and helicopters.
George Twigg, spokesman for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the city's status as the state capital and the presence of UW-Madison are likely reasons for greater representation of troops in Madison compared to other cities such as Milwaukee and Green Bay.
The National Guard also makes a concerted effort to enlist college students. In fact, according to Donovan, a majority of the guards are college students despite the fact that they know of the dangers they face against a ""nasty enemy."" Donovan added that ultimately money is a major incentive for enrolling.
""They go from making zero money to making a lot of money,"" he said, noting that guards can quickly build personal wealth. ""Quite frankly, there aren't many places to spend money in places like Kirkuk [Iraq] or Kabul [Afghanistan].""
UW-Madison political science professor Jon Pevehouse said he has seen a rise in the number of college students entering the guard and that those guardsmen have played a relatively large role in war on terror.
Although Madison has the largest troop presence in the state, it is also home to many anti-war protesters. Twigg downplayed the situation, acknowledging that there are protests every now and then but maintaining that most remain civil.
""Generally speaking, there has been a peaceful coexistence between troops and protest groups,"" Twigg said.
A time frame for the return of Wisconsin's soldiers does not yet exist, even though there have been major shifts in the U.S. House and Senate. As a result, hundreds of Madison natives are likely to remain overseas for the foreseeable future.
""The guard will be some of the first units to be given release, but when and if this happens is an open question, even with the Democrats in control,"" Pevehouse said.
