MADISON – Wisconsin Army National Guard troops are stationed in the Middle East providing key operations to the U.S. strikes on Iran, the Pentagon’s top general said Monday.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited the Badger State’s troops’ role in a news conference on March 2 detailing the strikes on Iran.
Caine said the operations began Saturday with a “massive, overwhelming” strike that involved thousands of American servicemembers, hundreds of planes and two aircraft carriers, and hit more than a thousand targets across the country.
“The integrated reserve and National Guard forces have continued to demonstrate the value of America’s reserve forces, including the Wisconsin Army National Guard operating in Kuwait and Iraq and Air National Guard units from Vermont and Virginia,” he told reporters.
The military received its “final go order” from President Donald Trump a day earlier on Friday, Feb. 27, Caine said.
Trump’s message to troops: “Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck,” Caine said, using the Pentagon’s operational name for the attack.
A spokeswoman for the Wisconsin National Guard confirmed the troops’ participation in the operation but did not provide other details, including the number of troops stationed overseas in support of the operation.
“The Wisconsin National Guard is currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of ongoing military operations, and Operation Epic Fury is no exception,” Bridget Esser, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, said.
Gov. Tony Evers, who is the Guard’s commander-in-chief, called for prayers for the troops’ safe return.
“As we continue monitoring the war in the Middle East, Kathy and I are praying for the health, safety, and safe return of our Wisconsin National Guard members currently supporting ongoing military operations overseas. We urge Wisconsinites to join us,” he said in a post on X.
Britt Cudaback, spokeswoman for Evers, said the administration does not share details about the Guard members, “given the potential to jeopardize the health, safety, and security of Wisconsin National Guard members and their mission.”
Cudaback said the U.S. Department of War has not reported to the administration or Guard officials any casualties or injuries of Wisconsin troops as of Monday afternoon.
More than 100 U.S. aircraft, including fighter jets, tankers used to refuel planes in the air and electronic attack aircraft lifted off in a “single synchronized wave,” Caine said at the Pentagon briefing.
U.S. Navy ships launched Tomahawk missiles that struck southern Iran. In a maneuver similar to the Trump administration’s first attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, B-2 bomber jets launched from the U.S. mainland flew for 37 hours round-trip to drop more “penetrating munitions” on underground facilities, also in Iran’s southern flank.
The United States hit “more than a thousand targets in the first 24 hours,” according to Caine.
“This marked the culmination of months, and in some cases, years, of deliberate planning,” he told reporters.
Iran’s counterattacks have killed six Americans, according to the latest reports, and the military of U.S. ally Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American fighter jets.
Iran launched a massive, retaliatory barrage of missiles and drones at U.S. allies throughout the Middle East, targeting many U.S. bases and tens of thousands of troops scattered across the region.
Some have crashed into civilian airports and hotels.
Caine said air defense systems had intercepted “hundreds of ballistic missiles.”
Nick Penzenstadler and Cybele Mayes-Osterman of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin National Guard stationed in Middle East for Iran operations
Reporting by Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
