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

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE 

IOWA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD UNIT ALERTED FOR POSSIBLE FEDERAL ACTIVE DUTY IN IRAQ
 

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C., have announced that an Iowa Army National Guard unit has been alerted for possible federal active duty. This alert is part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
 

Approximately 160 Soldiers have been alerted from Company B, 248th Aviation Support Battalion (formerly known as Company D, 109th Aviation), Iowa Army National Guard. It is anticipated that the unit will report to active duty in June 2008. Based in Boone, with detachments in Waterloo (Detachment 3) and Davenport (Detachment 4), the unit’s mission is to provide aviation maintenance support to a combat aviation brigade, which includes aircraft diagnostics, repair, maintenance, and testing. The unit was previously mobilized in support of the global war on terror from November 2001 to November 2002, and again from February to December 2003.
 

The 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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