Photo By Lt. Col. Joseph Trovato | Sgt. 1st Class Charles Wischmann, the senior enlisted leader, and Capt. Nicholas...... read more read more
Two storied Wisconsin Army National Guard units cased their colors during a Sept. 6 inactivation ceremony in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
The 824th Engineer Detachment and the 106th Engineer Quarry Detachment both inactivated after a more than 140-year legacy of service.
Col. Paul Gapinski, the commander of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, noted that the inactivation is the result of Army transformation.
“It should come as no surprise that the Army is transforming,” he said. “The environment we face today is more complex and demanding than at any point in recent memory. The Army is modernizing to prepare for large-scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary.”
“That means our formations must be more agile, more lethal, and more capable of integrating advanced technologies,” he continued. “Modernization is not just about equipment. It’s a whole organization approach, encompassing doctrine, training, leadership, sustainment, and force structure.”
The two units’ lineage began March 30, 1882 with the establishment of the Monroe City Guard in Monroe, Wisconsin. The detachments took on different iterations and designations since that time – where it served honorably in both world wars. Following World War II, the 724th Engineer Battalion formed out of what were previously field artillery units. In 2008, they officially transitioned into the 106th and the 824th out of Tomah, Wisconsin, where their service continued in Southwest Asia and the Global War on Terrorism.
Serving as a quarry detachment, the 106th’s primary mission in its final decades was to crush rock and gravel for road construction. The detachments relocated to Baraboo in 2021.
The unit, which holds numerous honors – including the Presidential Unit Citation, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and numerous combat campaign streamers, formally cased its colors at the Baraboo National Guard Armory where current Soldiers and unit alumni gathered to say farewell.
Inactivating a unit with a proud lineage and tight-knit bonds was a tough choice, Gapinski said. But it will ultimately benefit the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a whole.
“Inactivation is not about doing less. It’s about doing different,” he said. “It’s about looking ahead five, 10, 20 years and shaping the force today to be ready for tomorrow.”
Gapinski noted that during the Global War on Terrorism, the Army significantly expanded its engineer capabilities as it modularized brigades and built specialized route clearance teams.
“Today, as we pivot back towards large-scale combat operations, the Army is re-balancing,” he said. “That means consolidating some engineer force structure at lower echelons and reinvesting in new formations at the division and corps. It’s not about losing capability. It’s about focusing it where it matters most in the next fight.”
Lt. Col. Paul Cusick, the commander of the 724th Engineer Battalion, shared a similar sentiment and noted that the unit’s inactivation was not a reflection on the unit or the contributions of its Soldiers, but rather a necessary step on the way to transforming and modernizing the Wisconsin Army National Guard into a more lethal, capable force prepared for the 21st century battlefield.
“You have consistently performed with excellence,” Cusick said. “This decision is about increasing strength readiness as part of the Wisconsin Army National Guard so that we can stand ready to modernize into formations that meet these goals.”
“By streamlining our force structure, we can invest that into capabilities that will be critical to future success. The history and accomplishments of the 106th will not be forgotten. We will ensure the unit’s legacy is preserved and honored.”
Cusick, who began his officer career in 2007 in the same detachment, acknowledged that inactivating the unit and casing its colors was difficult, but he urged the Soldiers to replicate the tight-knit culture of the 106th and the 824th in their new units.
The inactivation affected 34 Soldiers who will be reassigned to other units across the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
The two detachments' legacies will live on in the form of the countless projects it completed in Wisconsin and in far-flung parts of the globe including two quarry sites at Fort McCoy, miles of roads around the post's Badger Drop Zone, sidewalks, concrete beds, flag poles, and more.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2025 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 547663 |
| Location: | BARABOO, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 236 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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