GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – COVID-19 testing sites, polling stations, and now – the streets of major Wisconsin cities. The National Guard has been busy over the past few months.
“This is what we signed up for…This is why we wear the uniform – to serve our state and our fellow citizens during times of need,” says Captain Joe Trovato, “It’s truly a heavy lift right now, but our troops are just doing a fantastic job in answering the call…To be able to respond with so many troops in so many different ways – this is who we are and what we do.”
Wisconsin National Guard troops are providing aid to local law enforcement to address civil unrest in a number of communities around the state – including Green Bay.
“Our role right now is to support local law enforcement and ensuring the preservation of public safety. And then also so people still have the ability to peacefully demonstrate that’s extremely important,” Trovato tells WTAQ News, “We don’t take over anything. We always are in support of civil authorities in any mission that we take on in a domestic scenario like this.”
There are still over 1,200 citizen soldiers supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response across the state. Hundreds more have been mobilized to support civil authorities.
The chain of events requiring their assistance and response over the past few months is unlike anything Trovato says he’s ever seen.
“Usually it’s mobilized for a few days or a week or a couple weeks for a flood response – or last year we were clearing debris and northwestern Wisconsin after a major windstorm,” Trovato says.
Some people have expressed concern over having a military presence aid in the response to civil unrest. But Trovato reminds everyone that the citizen soldiers could be your neighbor or coworker – and they are there to help.
“They live and work in the same communities all across Wisconsin. Again, they’re citizen soldiers and citizen airmen who are leaving their civilian profession behind for the time being and answering the call when their state needs them the most,” Trovato says.
When the deployment ends for citizen soldiers, they go back to their civilian jobs until another response is required.
