The Legacy of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division
The 32nd Infantry Division, known as the “Red Arrow,” was formed on July 18, 1917, from National Guard units in Wisconsin and Michigan as part of the newly created American Expeditionary Force for World War I. Wisconsin contributed 15,000 Guardsmen from 72 communities. The division deployed to France in the spring of 1918, earning distinction in key campaigns including Alsace, Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne, and Meuse-Argonne. Known for "piercing every enemy line" it faced, the division adopted a red arrow insignia piercing a horizontal line—symbolizing its battlefield success.
Following the war, the 32nd remained a National Guard division shared between Wisconsin and Michigan. In October 1940, it was mobilized for training as the U.S. anticipated entering another global conflict. The original plan for a one-year training mission changed with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Initially slated for Europe, the division was redirected to the Pacific and joined General Douglas MacArthur’s forces in Australia. In November 1942, it became the first U.S. Army division to launch an offensive in World War II, engaging in the grueling Buna campaign in Papua New Guinea. The 32nd later helped liberate the Philippines and served a total of 654 days in combat—more than any other division in U.S. Army history. After the war, the division was reorganized exclusively within the Wisconsin National Guard.
The nation again called on the 32nd during the Berlin Crisis in 1961. President John F. Kennedy mobilized the division to train at Fort Lewis, Washington, enabling other active-duty forces to deploy to Europe. When asked why he activated the 10,000 Wisconsin Guardsmen, Kennedy stated, “We called them to prevent a war, not to fight a war.”
In 1967, the Army restructured, and the division was downsized into the 32nd Infantry Brigade—comprising approximately 3,500 Wisconsin Guardsmen. Through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the brigade remained a critical component of the nation’s combat reserve and responded to state emergencies across Wisconsin as the military’s first responder at home.
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, over 100 soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Brigade were activated as Task Force Red Arrow, providing security for two years at three Wisconsin airbases. The brigade was later restructured into the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), with its battalions deploying individually to Iraq beginning in 2004. In 2009–2010, the entire 32nd IBCT deployed to Iraq—the largest mobilization of the Wisconsin National Guard since World War II.
Since returning home, the 32nd IBCT has remained a vital part of national defense and state response missions. In January 2018, Michigan’s 3-126 Infantry Battalion—one of the division’s original units—was re-integrated into the brigade. On July 18, 2017, the Red Arrow proudly celebrated its 100th anniversary, marking a century of steadfast service to Wisconsin, the nation, and the world.