Wisconsin National Guard Unit Headed To US Border

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Soldiers from a National Guard unit based on southwestern Wisconsin will head to the southwestern U.S. border to assist federal officials, Guard officials announced Wednesday.

About 125 soldiers from the Prairie du Chien-based 229th Engineer Company will assist U.S. border patrol agents with what Guard officials called "non-law enforcement activities" for a year.

The announcement said they will leave this fall but didn't provide a specific date or destination state. Wisconsin National Guard spokesman Maj. Joe Trovato said exact deployment timelines and locations have yet to be determined.

The deployment is part of a federal border security mission that includes 23 states. The Wisconsin troops will operate under federal control with federal funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.

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