Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs
By Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde
32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Twenty-eight years ago, Pvt. Conde was attending basic training in Fort Benning, Ga. The biggest threat that we spoke about during basic training in 1983 was the Cold War against the Soviet Union and communism. As we all know, the threat was real but both countries understood the consequences of an all-out war. At that time in the history of the United States, the National Guard was strictly a strategic reserve force, and the chances of us going to war were slim at best. The only Soldiers wearing unit patches on their right shoulders, signifying service in a combat area, were leftovers from the Vietnam War.
As the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team went to annual training in June of 2011 — 28 years after Pvt. Conde attended basic training — more than 80 percent of the Soldiers that make up the Brigade joined after Sept. 11, 2001. What does this mean? It means that the majority of the Soldiers of the 32nd knew the likelihood of going into combat was extremely high. Today a patch on the right shoulder is the norm and not the exception.
While many Americans are very supportive of the military and the young men and women that server our great country, only a fraction of the population actually serves in our military forces. To think that 80 percent of our Soldiers joined after 9/11, knowing that the National Guard had moved from a reserve status to a deployable status, tells me a great deal about the patriotism of the Soldiers in our ranks. These are real American Heroes.
As I look across the Brigade, I see Soldiers that stand ready to defend the nation. I see young people that joined the National Guard when units were being activated to go into harm’s way. I see that the future of this great nation is in capable hands.
I, for one, am confident in the dedication and determination of our young people.
(blogging from Fort McCoy, Wis., at annual training)
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