RELEASED BY: LT. COL. GREG HAPGOOD
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
OFFICE: (515) 252-4582
CELL: (515) 971-6385
HOME: (515) 986-5725

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE 

COMMUNITY SENDOFF CEREMONY SCHEDULED FOR IOWA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD UNIT
 

A community sendoff ceremony for a Waterloo-based Iowa Army National Guard unit mobilized as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 15, at the Waterloo Army Aviation Support Facility, 2245 West Big Rock Road, Waterloo. Local officials and Iowa National Guard leadership will participate and the public and media are welcome and encouraged to attend the sendoff ceremony.
 

Six Soldiers have been mobilized from 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation (Security and Support). They will eventually report to their mobilization station at Fort Benning, Ga. for additional training and preparation before assignment to a specific location in the Iraq theater of operations.
 

This unit was created in October 2005 as part of the Iowa National Guard’s transformation process. The unit’s mission is to perform air movement, search and rescue, command and control, and reconnaissance in support of homeland defense, federal and state emergency response, and military operations.
 

During the deployment, Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation (Security and Support) will serve as a mobile training team, providing expertise in helicopter aviation techniques, tactics, and training to Iraqi Army Soldiers.
 

The new DoD mobilization policy goal is to mobilize National Guard and Reserve servicemembers for no longer than 12 consecutive months, but if necessary, those servicemembers can serve up to 24 months consecutively on active duty.
 

For questions concerning this 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 email at gregory.hapgood@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4582 (office), (515) 971-6385 (cell), or (515) 986-5725 (home) or 1st Sgt. Duff E. McFadden at duff.mcfadden@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4666 (office), (515) 480-7647 (cell).

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