Tornado damage in Menasha seen from, July 28, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Wisconsin National Guard wrapped up its 16-day storm deployment in the Fox Valley.
The soldiers were activated July 30, following a state of emergency declaration by Gov. Tony Evers in response to tornado damage in and around Menasha and Appleton. High winds, hail and a confirmed EF-3 tornado resulted in widespread damage to infrastructure, significant power outages and public water system disruptions.
Soldiers with the 1157th Transportation Company in Oshkosh were the first assigned to assist Winnebago County civil authorities as part of Task Force Sturgeon.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joshua Baranczyk, the task force officer-in-charge during week two of the activation, considered the domestic operations mission an embodiment of the citizen soldier concept.
“Some of the soldiers on mission lived in the very community we were serving,” Baranczyk said. “That brings a special aspect of appreciation for the mission.”
By the completion of the 16-day activation, 85 soldiers from multiple Wisconsin National Guard units facilitated street closures for utility repair work, managed vehicle access to severely damaged residential neighborhoods and oversaw natural debris collection sites.
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