Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Iowa National Guard Deployment

The largest deployment of the Iowa National Guard since World War II has escalated in the last week.

Following is the schedule of past and future send - offs , there are seven more ceremonies before the largest departure is concluded on August 9th.

Friday, July 30

Algona
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 45 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 1511 N. POW Camp Road, Algona

Boone
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (approximately 110 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Des Moines Area Community College (Boone campus), 1125 Hancock Dr., Boone

Eagle Grove
Detachment 1, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 40 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 216 S. Park Ave, Eagle Grove

Mt. Pleasant
832nd Engineer Company (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Mount Pleasant High School, 2104 S. Grand Avenue, Mount Pleasant

Keokuk
Detachment 1, 832nd Engineer Company (approximately 55 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Keokuk High School, 2285 Middle Road, Keokuk

Storm Lake
Company G, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approximately 80 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Storm Lake High School, 621 Tornado Drive, Storm Lake

Sunday, August 1

Carroll
Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approximately 100 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Carroll High School, 2809 N. Grant Road, Carroll

Council Bluffs
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Spencer unit)
-Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 215 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Mid-American Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs

Davenport
Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approximately 75 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Modern Woodmen Park (River Bandits), 209 S. Gaines Street, Davenport

Denison
Company D, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Denison High School, Fine Arts Center, 819 N. 16th Street, Denison

Estherville
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 80 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Estherville Armory, 1704 3rd Avenue South, Estherville

Johnston
-Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Newton unit)
(approximately 100 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Camp Dodge Freedom Center, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston

Red Oak
Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approximately 110 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Red Oak High School, 2011 N. 8th Street, Red Oak

Shenandoah
-Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 2, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Corning unit)
(approximately 100 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive, Shenandoah

Monday, August 2

Charles City
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 35 Soldiers)
8 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 2003 Clark Street, Charles City

Clinton
Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 35 Soldiers)
2 p.m., Iowa National Guard Armory, 1200 13th Avenue North, Clinton

Tuesday, August 3

Cedar Falls
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 2, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Iowa Falls unit)
(approximately 230 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., UNI Dome, 2501 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls

Dubuque
-Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 130 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Peosta Community Center, 7896 Burds Road, Peosta

Iowa City
Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 100 soldiers)
10 a.m., City High School, 1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City

Iowa Falls
Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 75 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Iowa Falls High School, 1903 Taylor Avenue, Iowa Falls

Oelwein
Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 40 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Oelwein Middle School, 300 12th Avenue SE, Oelwein

Thursday, August 5

Johnston
-Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
-Troop B, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
(approximately 130 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Ankeny High School, 1302 North Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

LeMars
Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry (approximately 80 Soldiers)
9 a.m., Le Mars High School, 921 3rd Avenue SW, Le Mars

Sioux City
-Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
-Company D, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 170 Soldiers total)
10:30 a.m., Sioux City East High School, 5011 Mayhew Drive, Sioux City

Friday, August 6

Marshalltown
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Marshalltown Community College, 3700 S. Center St, Marshalltown
Saturday, August 7

Cedar Rapids
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
-Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
-Company C, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Sunday, August 8

Cedar Rapids
-Detachment 1, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 2, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Oelwein unit)
-Company B, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 160 Soldiers total)
2 p.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Monday, August 9

Des Moines
-334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 1, Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Corning unit)
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 703 3rd Street, Des Moines


Tuesday, August 3rd, brought our family to Iowa City to share in the deployment ceremony for our soldier and  others who would be leaving for a year or more in Afghanistan.

There was a small window of opportunity before and after the ceremony for the families to connect  before the troops boarded the buses for Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
During the ceremony we were educated in  many outstanding  periods in the history of Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry,34th Division. As citizen volunteers, supporting the" Regulars", they have provided
impressive defence capabilities. A particular era in their history,World War II in Italy, gave them a distinction they still carry today.


Caught a picture of the travel coaches before the ceremony...While all the supporters and soldiers were inside, the cities  of Coralville and Iowa City provided  fire fighting trucks eqipped with 100' aerial platforms to suspend a huge American flag over the exit  the buses would be using to start the next leg of the journey.

After the men and women boarded the buses, Iowa City Police officers started the procession with the motorcycle Patriot Guard falling into line.

Time to wave good-bye, put our hands together in a clap or send a message of support by raising our American flag.

I want to extend my best wishes for their continued safety through  each day...God speed until they are finally able to retrace their steps back to the beginning, where they started ,back into the arms of waiting family and friends...