About 550 Iowa soldiers, including some from our area, are set to be deployed to the Middle East, according to KWWL. The Iowa National Guard announced that what is known as the Ironman Battalion will deploy later this year with the mission to provide security and protection to countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. The soldiers will come from National Guard armories in Charles City, Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa City, Iowa Falls, Oelwein, and Waterloo. Send off ceremonies are being planned now. They are expected to take place at the end of May. After the send offs, the Ironman Battalion will head to Ft Bliss in Texas to complete training and readiness checks before embarking on what is expected to be a years long deployment.
