RELEASED BY:Lt Col. Greg Hapgood

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
OFFICE:   (515) 252-4582
CELL:       (515) 971-6385
HOME:     (515) 986-5725

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

JOHNSTON, IOWA…
 

IOWA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS RETURN HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN

Approximately 20 Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard’s Joint Forces Headquarters returned home, Monday, July 17, following outprocessing from federal active duty in Afghanistan.

What made this Iowa homecoming unique was the fact that their arrival coincided with the historic visit of Vice President Dick Cheney at the National Maintenance Training Center, Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa.

Following Cheney’s remarks, Cheney and Governor Tom Vilsack shook hands with the returning Soldiers and their families.

The JFHQ Soldiers were ordered to active duty under a partial mobilization call-up that authorizes the president to order members of the National Guard and Reserves to active duty for one year. After their mobilization in late April 2005, they reported to their mobilization station at Camp Shelby, Miss. for additional training and preparation before departing for the Afghanistan theater of operations.

During their yearlong combat deployment in Afghanistan, these Soldiers operated as an Embedded Training Team (“ETT”), providing advanced combat training to Soldiers of the Afghan National Army. The Iowa Soldiers returned to Fort Stewart, Ga. on Thursday for outprocessing from active duty and arrived in Iowa late this morning in time for the Vice President’s visit.

For questions concerning this news release as well as additional information about the operations, training, and activities of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, please contact Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer by e-mail at gregory.hapgood@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4582 (office), (515) 971-6385 (cell), (515) 986-5725 (home), or Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden at duff.mcfadden@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4666.

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IOWA NATIONAL GUARD
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