Gov. Jim Doyle, along with state and national politicians and military officials, paid homage Tuesday to Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers preparing for active duty and deployment to Iraq.
A sea of camouflage, speckled with the faces of 3,200 anxious soldiers, covered the floor of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center Tuesday afternoon. The event marked the largest deployment of troops in the state of Wisconsin since World War II.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., acknowledged how some troops were entering their second or third tours in Iraq. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told the troops they should contact their representatives if they do not have the equipment they need, receiving an ovation.
Doyle addressed the troops last with words of encouragement.
We have the finest citizen militia anywhere in the world here in Wisconsin, in the Wisconsin National Guard,"" he said.
The UW Marching Band closed out an otherwise sobering event with renditions of ""On Wisconsin"" and ""If You Want To Be A Badger.""
Throughout the afternoon, family and friends of the troops also received praise for their sacrifices and their support of the military.
Gale and Walt Jackson, whose son Daniel is a sergeant in the 829th Engineering Company headed for Texas, expressed gratitude for the support that their son and his comrades continue to receive. Daniel also served in Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War.
""I think it's great that the state and the people are supporting the soldiers the way they are,"" Walt Jackson said. ""It wasn't like this 45 years ago.""
Daniel's mother Gale said this deployment was harder for the family than when her son went to the Persian Gulf.
""Maybe we're more aware. And it's Iraq, and not Kuwait,"" she said.
In the remaining weeks of February, the 3,200 troops will join the rest of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the ""Red Arrow"" brigade, at the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. The 32nd will then head to Iraq for a 12-month tour of duty.
