Iowa National Guard: A source of pride

Major General Orr, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, brought good news when he gave his Condition of the Guard address to the Legislature on January 18. General Orr reported that almost all Iowa Guard personnel are home, and no units are currently deployed overseas.

Over the last 10 years, many in the Iowa Guard have been deployed. Last year, Iowa’s 2nd Brigade, Task Force Red Bulls, was sent to Afghanistan. With 3,000 members, this was the largest deployment of Iowa soldiers since WW II.

Among their many duties, the Red Bulls helped with transition plans for parts of Afghanistan; developed demonstration farms; assisted Afghan veterinarians in treating nearly 40,000 head of livestock; planted more than 70,000 trees for orchards and reforestation; and trained hundreds of Afghan men and women on tree nurseries, orchard planting, greenhouse growing and row crop production.

At the same time, the Guard remains focused on its mission: homeland defense and support. The Iowa Guard has responded to disasters here in Iowa and around the country. When the Missouri River flooded last summer, the Guard helped local communities with sandbagging, evacuations and protecting citizens.

The Iowa National Guard has helped make the world a better place, both at home and abroad. For the full text of General Orr’s speech, go to www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/guard_2012.