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Iowa unit repairs anything

by Sgt. Greg Heath

 4

5

14 For love of the game

by Sgt. 1st Class Paul Rieks

The Iowa Militiaman Fall 2003

16

17

135th MPAD takes part in

Korea’s Ulchi Focus Lens

10

15 A long-time member of the 135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Betts

passed away Sept. 11 in Yarmouth, Iowa.

Betts served as pastor of Yarmouth’s

First Baptist Church and as chaplain for

the Des Moines County Hospice.

He also served with the 82nd Airborne Divison at Fort Bragg, NC. and in

Germany. He deployed as part of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

He is survived by this wife, Trudy,

and daughters Amber and Ashlee, as well

as his parents, LeRoy and Vivian, and

brothers Alan and Roger.

The Iowa Militiaman

Fall 2003

The Adjutant General

Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis

Public Affairs Officer

Col. Robert King

Commanding Officer

Maj. Michael Wunn

Print Officer

2nd Lt. Melanie Meyer

Editor

 Sgt. 1st Class Duff E. McFadden

Staff

2nd Lt. Jamie Davis

2nd Lt. Tim Mills

Master Sgt. Tim Saylor

Sgt. 1st Class Paul Rieks

Sgt. David Kyle

Spc. Karla Rockwell

Pfc. David Gomez

Pfc. Alicia Dill

Pfc. Catie Beck

Pvt. Heather Easton

Photographer: Chuck Poch

The Iowa Militiaman is an

unofficial publication authorized

under the provisions of AR 360-81. It

is published by the 135th Mobile

Public Affairs Detachment, Camp

Dodge, Johnston, Iowa 50131, and is

printed four times annually.

The news and opinions expressed

in this publication are not necessarily

those of the Adjutant General of

Iowa, or the Department of the Army.

Address all submissions to:

The Iowa Militiaman

135th Public Affairs Detachment

Camp Dodge

7700 NW Beaver Dr.

Johnston, IA 50131-1902

or E-mail:

paoia@ia.ngb.army.mil

Deadline for the Winter issue

will be Dec. 1, 2003

A letter from Iraq

by 1st Sgt. Chris Fox

1034th Quartermasters return

by 2nd Lt. Tim Mills

6

16

BCC-X established

by Lt. Col. Richard A. Breitbach

2

Iowan earns AMC award

By Col. Robert E. King

In Memorial

8 Diversity goals updated

by Senior Master Sgt.Russ Schuck

by Sgt. 1st Class Duff E. McFadden

Staff Sgt. Brian K. Betts

1959-2003
Maj. Gen.

Ron Dardis,

The Adjutant General

TAG

Sends

The Iowa Militiaman 3 Fall 2003

Exactly two years have passed since terrorists attacked our homeland and initiated the

Global War on Terror that has heavily involved

the men and women of the Iowa National Guard.

On Sept. 9, Lt. Gen. Roger Schultz, Director of

the Army National Guard, was our distinguished

guest at an AUSA meeting. Schultz gave a very

energetic talk on the mobilization of the Army

National Guard. His message was straightforward – expect more Iowa men and women to be

called to serve this great nation in the Global War

on Terror.

Currently, we are processing soldiers of the 1-

113th Cavalry Squadron for

their rotation to Bosnia and

Kosovo. I wish them good

luck and God speed on this

mission. Members of the 1-

194th Field Artillery have returned after a yearlong Operation Noble Eagle deployment. Congratulations to the

soldiers and the leadership

on a job well done.

On Sept. 13 and Oct. 2,

we welcomed home members of the 1034th Quartermaster company from Afghanistan. Also, since the

last issue of The Militiaman, pilots from Detachment 34th OSACOM returned home after a very successful deployment

to Kuwait and Company B, 1-147th Aviation, from

their assignment with the 101st Airborne Division.

Welcome home everyone! Outstanding performances by all.

Recently, the Vice Chief for the Army announced that all units mobilized in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom would remain in country

for one year unless the combatant commander

determines that unit is no longer needed.

This means our soldiers, husbands, wives,

sons and daughters will be deployed longer than

expected. I encourage the families of deployed

members to continue to work closely with our

Family Readiness team.

I ask everyone on the Iowa Team to help out

in any way you can to ensure our families have

the support they so richly deserve. Our soldiers

and airmen are performing their mission in an

outstanding manner, and are very proud of their

accomplishments. We are also very proud of

their accomplishments and give them our undivided support and pray for their safe return. I will

soon be visiting our men and women in Iraq and

I will convey to them how proud we are of them

and how much we appreciate the sacrifices they

are making.

We held our Joint Adjutant General

Commander’s Conference

in August. The Command

group provided considerable information on (1)

steps taken by the Iowa

Guard to position the team

for future success; (2) challenges and road ahead for

the Iowa team; and (3) senior leadership perspective

on key issues affecting the

Reserve Component

forces.

I encourage the organizational leadership to

share this information with

their soldiers and airmen.

The Iowa Team is doing an outstanding job with

the transformation process to include re-roles,

new missions, reorganization and the establishment of the Joint Forces Headquarters-Iowa. We

clearly face challenges with the road ahead,

ensuring our units remain ready, reliable and

relevant in the future – a challenge the Iowa Team

is ready for.

Lastly, on Aug. 21, Private 1st Class David

Kirchoff was laid to rest in Cedar Rapids. The

night before, I presented his family with the

Bronze Star he earned while serving in Iraq. My

deepest sympathy to the Kirchoff family – their

son is a hero to us all.

May we all pray that no more Iowans will

have to give the ultimate sacrifice as we fight this

war on terrorism.

 the Stay course
The Iowa Militiaman 4 Fall 2003

by Sgt. Greg Heath

4th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — For soldiers at

Bagram Air Field, if anything mechanical or electrical breaks down there is only one place to

take them.

The challenges of keeping everything up and

running falls into the laps of a small army of

mechanics, electricians and metal workers from

the 3654th Maintenance Company, Iowa Army

National Guard.

The 64 citizen-soldiers work on jobs ranging

from repairing night vision goggles and Mark19 Grenade Launchers, to overhauling humvee

engines and bringing broken air conditioners

back to life.

“We’re all inclusive; we have all the shops

you would have in a peacetime environment in

one company,” said 3654th Company commander Capt. Chad Stone.

The company encompasses a multitude of

different maintenance functions, to include light

and heavy wheel maintenance, an allied trade

shop (metal work), communication equipment

repair, generator repair and armament repair

shops.

The company was mobilized in Iowa in

March and after two months at Fort Reilly, Kan.,

being validated for active duty, they arrived at

Bagram Airbase in late June.

Along with 11 planeloads of equipment, the

Iowa National Guard soldiers also brought a lot

of experience with them to Afghanistan.

“As a National Guard unit, we’re unique in

that the jobs a lot of our people do here are the

jobs they do back home in everyday life,” said

3654th 1st Sgt. Larry Kientz.

Many of the soldiers in the unit are full-time

technicians who work for the Iowa National

Guard maintaining military equipment back at

their home stations.

“It’s pretty easy for us to keep on top of

things,” said full-time technician Staff Sgt. Scott

McKenzie, radio repair and electrical supervisor.

Often the only thing holding them back is

lack of parts to do the job.

“It’s hard for us to get all the parts we need

here because Iraq has higher priority right now,”

Stone said.

“Some days we’re busy, but some days we’re

just waiting for parts and we can’t do anything,”

said Spc. Rowland Valderrama.

Even with the lack of parts, the unit has completed over 300 job orders in a little more than a

month in-country.

“Back home you had the luxury of having

every tool and every part and everything you

needed to get the job done,” said heavy wheel

mechanic Staff Sgt. Noel Isaac. “Here you have

to improvise just to keep things up and running.

“A lot of people will just put stuff on hold

while they wait for a certain part to get in, but

our guys will take the initiative and come up

with a plan to make a needed part, fabricate it

from scratch or plan another way to make it work.

It just shows how dedicated these guys are to

their job.”

As National Guard soldiers, they know sometimes people will have preconceived notions

about what they are capable of accomplishing.

“I don’t think we’ve had to prove anything,”

Stone said. “I think that there were some people

initially that had some misconceptions about

what a National Guard unit could do compared

to an active duty unit, but once our soldiers got

in the shops all those stereotypes were thrown

to the wayside.”

“If we weren’t a good unit we wouldn’t be

over here,” added Sgt. Richard Ford, heavywheeled mechanic. “I know every morning at our

formations they tell us that other units are talking

about us already and saying we’re doing a good

job, and that makes us feel pretty good.

(Editor’s note: This story is reprinted from

the Defend America website, http://

www.defendamerica.mil

Iowa unit repairs anything

mechanical, electrical

Heavy-wheeled

mechanics Sgt.

Gary Fuller and

Spc. Marc Thurman

remove the engine

from a forklift while

completing repairs

(US Army photo by

Sgt. Greg Heath)
The Iowa Militiaman 5 Fall 2003

(Editor’s note: The following letter is from

1st Sgt. Chris Fox, 186th MP Co. It has been

edited for brevity.)

Hello everyone,

This is my mid-tour update. Some of you get

emails, and some of you I only have snail-mail

addresses for. I have been a little slack in my

correspondence for about a month. The fact is

it’s almost too hot to write. Plus, not a lot of

changes, so I hate to bore everyone with the same

old stuff.

The days run together and time is flying by.

I haven’t missed a state fair or Canada fishing trip

in many years. This year will be different. With

the way things are going, it could be even longer.

No complaints though. It’s what we signed

up for. Okay, one complaint – I miss everyone and

wish you could all meet me in Munich for

Octoberfest. That probably won’t happen either.

So, after 110 days of living in the hottest

conditions I have ever seen, we are getting a/c

installed. We still live in a big warehouse and we

framed up the inside and it will be cool in there

very soon. By cool, I mean 90 degrees. Any

cooler, we’ll need to put on a sweater.

The dust is crazy. The amount of dust that

accumulates inside each day is the equivalent of

not dusting your house for at least a year. It’s not

like sand, there is no sand here. It’s like moon

dust. Actually, it’s the same as powdered sugar.

We have a little PX right in our base camp, so

we can buy all the hygiene products, pop and

chips we want. Things we can’t get are magazines, newspapers from home, Mac and Cheese,

Ramen noodles, plain M&Ms, olives, peppers,

spinach and other things I am craving. Army food

for six months makes a man go skinny, Margo,

however, has been mailing me most of these items

and I usually consume them on the spot. We have

all lost so much weight. Some needed to. I call it

the desert diet.

I have been downtown many times to buy

fans, freezers, wire and other hardware items. The

Iraqi people are really very friendly, Of course,

there are some exceptions, like the towns of Tikrit

and Fujilah and some sections of Baghdad and

Saddam City. Some towns still have extremist

groups and we only go there when we must.

My unit is so heavily armed that nobody

really wants to mess with the bull, if you know

what I mean. Other units suffered some casualties and in most cases, it is because they let their

guard down. If you look like you can defend

yourself, they leave you alone. So that is how we

look and are all the time.

The media tends to focus on the negative. I

see a lot of positive things everyday. Positive

things don’t sell newspapers though. We bought

a satellite dish and a big TV and set up a big tent

and put a/c in it for everyone to watch TV and

movies. We watch a lot of Fox News and CNN.

We built a ping pong table with a sheet of

plywood and 2x4’s and made a net out of mosquito netting. Margo sent some paddles and

balls so we had to build the table. That was a

month ago and the paddles are beyond repair.

Worn out. We should be getting replacement

paddles soon.

We don’t get much time off which can be a

good thing because there isn’t much else to do.

Some people will be coming home on leave starting in September. About half the company said

they want to take leave so we are going to try to

make it happen on a rotational basis.

I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet.

It would be very hard to leave here with so much

going on. Not that this place can’t run without

me. I spent the last four years building a team that

can function on it’s own. These soldiers are my

kids though, and being gone for two weeks under

these circumstances doesn’t seem like the right

thing to do.

I wish all of you could be here for just one day.

I know there are things that have happened I will

never be able to describe to you accurately or

A letter

from

Iraq

A letter

continued on page 19
The Iowa Militiaman 6 Fall 2003

by 2nd Lt. Tim Mills

A young boy stands outside Camp Dodge’s

Miller Armory holding a welcome home sign.

He’s waiting for his dad.

With his younger sister by his side, the two

wait, rocking back and forth impatiently. He readjusts the sign, hoists it back into the air and

rests it against his body, giving his tired arms a

rest.

Thirteen-year-old Nick and seven-year-old

Kashley Sneller have been waiting months to see

their dad, Sgt. Roy Sneller.

It’s not just Nick and Kashley that are waiting. Signs, American flags and balloons move

slightly up and down and side to side as a group

of family and friends anxiously wait the arrival of

the 1034th Quartermaster Company from their

deployment in Afghanistan.

A truck pulls up and a man in dessert camouflage quickly gets out of the vehicle. The tight,

anxious air is broken by a scream of joy from his

wife. She runs toward the street, and the two

embrace at the front of the truck.

With tears of joy, Sgt. Chad Workman buries

his face in his wife Kristal’s shoulder as if the

good memories of home flashed back in a moment. His son Adam and daughter Kayla join thehug, as well.

Smiles appear as the crowd enjoys the display of joy and affection not even Hollywood

could reproduce.

Minutes later, a large brown bus pulls up.

The crowd gets loud with cheers and applause as

the 20 other soldiers file off the bus to join

Workman.

This was the scene on Thursday, Oct. 2,

when the remaining 21 soldiers of the 1034th

returned home after more than seven months in

Afghanistan.

According to Maj. Ed Graybill, Iowa National

Guard Deputy Public Affairs Officer, 63 soldiers

from the 1034th Quartermaster Company arrived

home Sept. 13th. These remaining 21 soldiers

comprised the Supply Support Activity platoon,

completing final demobilization operations at

Fort McCoy, Wis.

According to 1st Lt. Karla Pfeiffer, 1034th commander, they’re a quartermaster unit and therefore responsible for providing supplies. While in

Afghanistan the unit provided fuel, maintenance

supplies and ran a multi-class SSA (Supply,

Support, Activity).

“Things provided through the SSA are anyThe 1034th Quartermaster Co.

returns home

Debra Bricker gives

husband Staff Sgt.

Trent Bricker a kiss

after the 1034th

Quartermaster Company was released to

their families (right).

Nick and Kashley

Sneller wait for their

father, Sgt. Roy

Sneller, outside

Camp Dodge’s Miller

Armory (top right).

(Iowa Army National

Guard photos by 2nd

Lt. Tim Mills).
The Iowa Militiaman 7 Fall 2003

thing from repair parts to toilet paper,” says

Pfeiffer. She said while the 1034th did an excellent

job, “I think we set new standards. The active

duty was really impressed with this unit.

“We’re over-achievers.”

Family is just as important, whether on the

home front, or overseas. Staff Sgt. Trent Bricker’s

wife, Debra, understood this and along with

Linda Morshead, the two ran the Family Readiness Program.

“We put together a monthly newsletter for all

the families, we had a picnic in July and we kept

in contact with everyone. We became the point

of contact for the other families and any questions they might have.

While Debra said no cell phones were allowed

While cavalry deployment begins

overseas, “They were able to call once a week.

That made a huge difference — just to hear his

voice once a week.”

Sgt. Bricker, who’s aware that more Iowa

units may be called to help America stay safe and

free, has some advice.

“Be confident in your abilities,” he said.

“Don’t let your fears play on you. Make it an

adventure and make it fun. That’s all you can

do.”

Like the rest of the 1034th, he was reunited

with his family. With tears of joy, he continued

to hug his wife Debra and nine-year-old son,

Alex.

The 1034th Quartermaster Company has returned home.

by 2nd Lt. Tim Mills

Approximately 296 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the 113th Cavalry Squadron, Headquarters

and Headquarters Troop, located at Sioux City,

the Cavalry’s Troop A and Troop B, at Camp

Dodge and the Headquarters and Headquarters

Company, 2nd Brigade, 34th Infantry Division,

Boone, have been ordered to federal active duty.

Mobilized as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the war on terrorism, they will serve as

part of Joint Task Force Guardian, a peace-keeping force serving in Kosovo.

The respective communities showed their

support during separate send-off ceremonies

throughout the state.

Standing outside Boone High School, Spc.

Josh Rockwell gives his mother a hug before

boarding the bus.

 “My husband is in Iraq and now they’re

taking my son to Kosovo,” said his mother Patty

Rockwell. “I have mixed feelings. I’m sad and I’m

proud. People take our freedom for granted here.

They can’t do that over there. So we send these

guys over there and hopefully, it will make it

better.”

“We’ll do the command and control for the

Multi-National Brigade East Sector, which is

made up of U.S. and Greek troops, and a PolishUkraine unit,” said Maj. Steve Osborn, of

Johnston. “The mission is part of a peacekeeping operation. KFOR is to maintain peace in

Serbia. It’s a UN and NATO operation to the ‘T.’”

The unit is being ordered to active duty under a partial mobilization call-up that authorizes

the president of the United States to order members of the national guard and reserves to active duty for one year that can be extended for

an additional year by the Secretary of the Army.

Portions of these units have not previously

been activated for federal service since World

War II.

Patty Rockwell gives

her son, Spc. Josh

Rockwell, a hug following the Boone

send-off ceremony.

(far left). Meanwhile,

children are given

bears during the

send-off ceremony at

Sioux City (left).

(Iowa Army National

Guard photos by 2nd

Lt. Tim Mills and Sgt.

1st Class Duff E.

McFadden).
The Iowa Militiaman 8 Fall 2003

by Senior Master Sgt. Russ Shuck

Iowa National Guard Diversity Manager

Recently, the Iowa National Guard Strategic

Plan for Improving Diversity was reviewed and

updated by Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis.

The vision remains the same as in the previous edition: “The Iowa Team: Diversity is Readiness.” The Mission Statement also remains the

same: “The Iowa Team is committed to readiness/mission accomplishment, reflects the communities it serves, values differences and ensures each individual has the opportunity and

means to reach maximum potential.”

Though the vision and the mission remain the

same, the new version of the plan is more condensed to make it easier to read and understand.

Commanders who attended the 2003 commanders conference last August received a copy

of the new diversity plan that includes a letter

from TAG talking about the commander’s role in

the Iowa National Guard diversity initiative.

It does not end there. Each of us, at every

rank, have a role in making today’s National

Guard a diverse organization.

Today’s workplace is very different than it

was 20 years ago. The future holds even more

change. To illustrate, look at some of these facts,

taken from various census projections:

• We’re getting older. By 2006, the number

of workers ages 45-54 will increase more than 50

percent.

• Companies will be managing several generations of workers. From the veteran workforce

to baby boomers, generation Xers to the Net

generation.

• New workers entering the workforce in the

next five years will be 20 percent non-white men

and 65 percent women.

• By 2050, minorities will make up nearly half

of the nation’s population.

• More women will enter the workforce, as

fewer men do, and more of those women will have

college degrees.

• Workplaces will reach into a pool of people

with disabilities in greater numbers.

The list goes on.

As the workplace continues to undergo shifts

that are necessary to harness the talents of a

diverse working population, the National Guard

will need to be proactive in recruiting from a

diverse workforce to maintain and grow a visible

National Guard organization of the future.

Diversity within the organization can’t be

achieved by simply recruiting new members.

Diversity will not be fully realized until it’s visible

in all ranks throughout the organization. That

means we also need to be proactive in retaining

and mentoring new members so they can grow

and become the effective leaders of tomorrow’s

National Guard.

Mentoring needs to start immediately following the enlistment in the Guard, so the talent we

recruit today can grow into the leadership of the

future.

What is a mentor? The dictionary defines a

mentor as a trusted counselor or guide; a tutor or

coach. This is a very short and simple definition

that is very easy to understand, but it can be very

difficult to do. It takes a lot of time and patience.

It requires you to give something of yourself that

you will see little or no recognition for. Yet it is one

thing we can all do, that can have a positive

impact on the Guard and its future.

Read the mission statement again. “The Iowa

Team is committed to readiness/mission accomplishment, reflects the communities it serves,

values differences (here’s the Diversity) and

ensures each individual has the opportunity and

means to reach maximum potential (here’s the

Mentoring).”

Think about it. The changes that are coming

are inevitable, but it’s up to us, the members of the

“Iowa Team,” to embrace it and make it a positive

change toward the future.

Iowa Guard

diversity goals

updated
A returning Reservist or Guardsman can

be put in touch with the person who can help

by calling 1-877-722-2270 or emailing

acap4rc@hoffman.army.mil. Additional details

are at www.acap.army.mil.

New Iraq zip codes announced

The U.S. Military Postal Service has

assigned new geographic zip codes for units

and personnel serving in Iraq. The new zip

codes will decrease the time it takes for service

to receive their mail, officials said, as well as to

improve postal service throughout Iraq.

Family members and friends of service

members and civilians assigned to V Corps

and 3rd COSCOM units that currently use zip

code 09302 and 09372 for their letters and

packages are now required to use a new zip

code that reflects the unit and individual’s

actual geographic location within Iraq.

The new geographic zip codes are as

follows: Al Asad 09333; Babylon (MND CS)

09332; Balad (LSA Anaconda) 09391; BIAP

09335; Mosul (LSA Diamondback) 09334;

Tallil (LSA Adder) 09331; Tikrit (FLB Sycamore) 09393; Umm Qasr (Camp Bucca)

09375; Rasheed 09390; Victory Base 09342;

Camp Dogwood 09344.

For service members assigned to the below

listed units, the zip code numbers will not

change, and they remain as follows: 101st

Airborne Division (Air Assault) 09325; 1st

Armor Division 09324; 4th Infantry Division

09323; 3rd ACR 09320; 2nd LCR 09322; 82nd

Airborne Division 09394, 09384, 09368; 173rd

Airborne Brigade 09347.

Aid to deployed small businesses

The United States Small business Association now has available a Military Reservist

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) for

small businesses that employ military reservists who are called to active duty.

This program will provide loans to eligible

small businesses to help cover operating

expenses that would have been met if the

essential Guard/Reserve employee had not

been called to active duty service during a

period of conflict.

Working capital loans may be used to pay

fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and

other bills, which the business cannot

otherwise pay. The interest rate is calculated

at four percent with a maximum term of 30

years.

To download this application, go to

www.sba.gov/disaster.

The Iowa Militiaman 9 Fall 2003

Briefs

Why soldiers fight

Dr. Leonard Wong, associate research

professor at the U.S. Army War College’s

Strategic Studies Institute has released a

study, “Why They Fight: Combat Motivation

in Iraq,” which validates the popular belief that

unit cohesion is a key issue in motivating

sldiers to fight.

Originally, the question rose from Samuel

Stouffer’s “The American Soldier” study

released in 1949. For the current study,

soldiers were asked the same question:

“Generally, in your combat experience, what

was most important to you in making you want

to keep going and do as well as you did.”

The report is on the institute’s web site at

www.carlisle.army.mil/ssi.

Shoomaker sworn in

Gen. Pete Schoomaker was sworn in as the

Army’s 35th Chief of Staff by The Honorable

Les Brownlee, Acting Secretary of the Army.

President George W. Bush nominated

Schoomaker in June to replace retired Gen. Eric

K. Shinseki, the former Army Chief.

As the Army Chief of Staff, Schoomaker

will be responsible for the training, equipping,

readiness, and welfare of the Army. He will

also serve in a dual role as a member of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Schoomaker, who retired from the active

Army in December 2000, came back on active

duty to assume the position after being

confirmed by the Senate Thursday. He most

recently served as Commander-in-Chief,

United States Special Operations Command,

based at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., from

November 1997 to November 2000. Prior to

that he commanded the U.S. Army Special

Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., from

August 1996 to October 1997.

Reserve, Guard job center opens

The 125,000 Army Reserve and National

Guard Soldiers currently mobilized for the war

on terror will have help finding jobs when they

go home. The Army Career and Alumni

Program Demobilization Center, which opened

Sept. 29 in Alexandria, Va., can help them find

new jobs, said James Hoffman, program

director.

The center responds to questions about

eligibility for transition services and benefits

as well as offer referral to other service

providers such as the Department of Labor

and Department of State Employment Office

and Veterans Affairs.
The Iowa Militiaman 10 Fall 2003

by Sgt. 1st Class Duff E. McFadden

What happens when you toss together

Cornhuskers, Hawkeyes, a two-week exercise,

and a trip half way around the world?

You produce one dynamic training opportunity for National Guard units from neighboring states.

The units – the 111th Press Camp, Nebraska

National Guard, Det 1, 111th Press Camp, Wyoming National Guard, Det 2, 111th Press Camp,

Montana National Guard and the 135th Mobile

Public Affairs Detachment, — recently participated in South Korea’s Exercise Ulchi Lens, in

support of the 19th Theater Support Command.

“As a press camp headquarters, we’re a

corps level asset,” said Lt. Col. Dan Lonowski,

111th Press Camp commander. “According to

doctrine, a press camp will be augmented by

several mobile public affairs detachments. In

our case, we’ll have as many as 11 MPADs

operating under us during wartime.”

While the 135th MPAD had scheduled this

year’s annual training for soldiers’ schooling,

Korea was too unique of a training opportunity

to pass up

“We learned late last summer we had an

opportunity for a Korean deployment,” said

Capt. Michael Wunn, 135th MPAD commander.

“They needed an MPAD to participate in Exercise UFL, and asked if we’d be interested. Even

though it’s not what we had planned for annual

training, it was feasible.

“It’s important for us to work with the 111th

as they’ll be our higher headquarters if we were

to mobilize in defense of Korea,” Wunn continued. “So it’s important for us to train with them,

to coordinate with them and to get to know their

folks. All the training and coordination accomplished here lays a firm

foundation to take

back to our home station.”

During a normal

drill weekend, these

units keep busy with

common task training,

MOS skills, and providing stories for their

respective state publications.

However, the

training provided by an

exercise such as UFL

can be immeasurable.

“I expected it to be

a good training opportunity for two reasons,” Wunn said.

“First, it gave us an

opportunity to work

with our war-trace,

Korea provides

dynamic training

for 135th MPAD
The Iowa Militiaman 11 Fall 2003

which we’ve not been able to do. Secondly, it

gave us the opportunity to train on tasks we’re

not able to train on during IDT weekends.”

While the Iowans are used to ODTs, having

been to Germany the last two years, for the 111th,

Korea forged new challenges.

“There’s always challenges and unexpected

rewards when you work with a new unit,”

Lonowski said. “Just being able to work sideby-side with your war-trace units is in itself, a

great benefit.

“Plus, it’s always valuable to train with other

units that have the same MOS as you. You learn

from their leaders and hopefully, their leaders

will take away something from your unit, as

well,” he said.

According to Spec. Karla Rockwell, the best

part of the trip was the overall experience. “I

really enjoyed the people, the culture and trying

different foods.

“I didn’t think the people would be as friendly

as they were. They really made you feel welcome in visiting their country,” she said.

Staff Sgt. David Conklin, Det. 2, 11th

Press Camp Headquarters, Montana

National Guard interviews a soldier during

Exercise Ulchi Focus Lens (bottom left). A

scene from one of Daegu’s side streets

(above). A Buddhist temple (below).

Members of the 135th MPAD enjoy a little

down-time (upper right), as well as an

opportunity to do a little shopping (bottom

right). (Iowa Army National Guard photos)
The Iowa Militiaman 12 Fall 2003

Through the ranks

by State Command Sgt. Maj. Doyle Norris

It was recently my

honor to host a Noncommissioned Officer

Professional Development Staff Ride to the

Gettysburg Civil War

battlefield in Gettysburg, Penn. Forty-nine

middle-grade NCO’s

departed early on a

Thursday morning. We invited a former Senior

Army Advisor, Col. (Ret.) Tom Walsh, to accompany our group to act as our guide.

During Walsh’s 30-year career, he had been

assigned as an instructor at both West Point and

the Army War College. His knowledge of the

Civil War and the Battle at Gettysburg may have

started as a class he was tasked to present, but

it was obvious that his desire to understand what

happened during the four-day battle at

Gettysburg was very personal.

We arrived on the battlefield early Friday

afternoon and immediately started to tour the

grounds as Walsh walked us through the prelude

and the start of the battle. A feeling of eeriness

soon came over the entire group. We were

standing on a place where American blood was

shed, a place where ideals had been fought for.

It was a humbling experience.

We stayed at the battlefield until dusk and

then retired for the evening. On Saturday morning, we returned to the battlefield and stood on

Little Round Top as Walsh described what happened on the final day. As the fog lifted, it

provided a dramatic backdrop to a significant

event in American history. After a short time in

the town of Gettysburg, we headed back home.

There were a lot of things that went on during

that extended weekend. Some of today’s leaders

got to set foot on a piece of historic ground.

These same soldiers were able to meet fellow

NCO’s from all over the State of Iowa. Different

units, different missions, different parts of the

great Hawkeye State were all represented that

weekend.

We conducted an information-sharing session as well as a time of questions and answers

about current topics and changes that are happening within the Army as well as the Iowa

National Guard.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank some

soldiers. To those who were selected by their

commands to attend this trip, thank you for

giving of your time to go on this initial outing.

To Command Sgt. Maj. Tiedt and Sgt. Maj.

Waller, thanks for being the senior mentors.

Master Sgt. Matt Schmell did a great job as the

NCOIC.

Sgt. Maj. Dale Blodgett and Staff Sgt. Michelle

Clevenger did yeoman’s service in putting this

trip together. I can never repay Col. Walsh, but

to say thanks.

And, oh yeah, a big ‘atta boy to Phil, our bus

driver, who drove while we slept.

An aerial view of

Camp Dodge (Iowa

Army National

Guard photo by

Chuck Poch).
The Iowa Militiaman 13 Fall 2003

Chaplain’s

Corner

by Chaplain (Col.) Timon Davison

When you hear the word “power,” what

kinds of images come to mind?

Some might think of guns, bombs, and bulldozers. There are a lot of man-made objects that

are very powerful.

Yet, what about the wind, the rain and things

in nature? Many of these things are very powerful, too.

But what about forces you don’t really see,

which come from God, such as faith, hope and

love? Aren’t those things powerful as well?

So, which is greater: The power it takes to

change things on the outside, or the power it

takes to change people on the inside? I think the

powers that deal with people and life are the

most important powers of all.

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus points to the

power that people have, especially those who

are in touch with God. “Salt of the earth” and

“light of the world” are powerful expressions.

With God’s help the things we can accomplish and overcome are endless.

As we continue to deal with the dangers and

uncertainties of these trying times, may we stay

in touch with God and then harness the power of

faith, hope and love.

These are the most important powers of all.

God Bless you,

Amen

What powerful images come to mind?

by Sgt. 1st Class Carolyn Tenney

Lt. Col. Bill Metcalf, an M-Day Joint Headquarters officer with Facilities at Camp Dodge,

has been around this year......around Southwest

Asia and around depleted uranium.

As a full-time member of Headquarters, Joint

Munitions Command, Rock Island Arsenal,

Metcalf has participated in Operations Noble

Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and

Blue Dragon (a classified mission in Afghanistan). He commanded the U.S. Army Contaminated Equipment Retrograde Team (ACERT) in

Southwest Asia, operating out of a military van.

During Operations Blue Dragon, Metcalf and

his seven-person team, mostly private contractors, discovered radioactive material (“dirty

bombs”) that could potentially be used by terrorist organizations. The 20-hour “D-Day portion of

the operation was supported by 250 security

personnel from participating countries.

As part of Operation Enduring Freedom and

Iraqi Freedom, Metcalf and his team reconned

Udari Range #8, in preparation of removing

120mm depleted uranium (DU) rounds and 30mm

“penetrators.” Because of training requirements,

clean-up was postponed until Oct. 2003. The

ACERT submitted clean-up requirements, provided support cost estimates and prepared work

plans.

Deploying with the 3rd Infantry Division, the

Iowan helps dispose radioactive waste

ACERT conducted battle damage assessment,

surveying vehicles, including tanks, twice for

radioactive contamination. A vehicle collection

point was established so contaminated equipment could be shipped to the U.S. to be disposed

of. Metcalf said unexploded rounds could just be

picked up; it was the exploded rounds that

“crapped stuff up,” as he put it.

Traveling with the 3rd Infantry Div. proved to

be an adventure. Convoys were backed up for 20

miles. It took 15 days, traveling across the desert,

to get near Baghdad. Metcalf and his crew were

bogged down for six of those days because of a

“100-year” sandstorm.

The team collected, packaged and shipped

for disposal unwanted low-level radioactive

material in the Kuwait Area of Operations. Team

members also supported the 75th Brigade, collecting and disposing of radioactive material found

in Iraq that could be used in building weapons of

mass destruction.

Metcalf brought back albums of photos and

several souvenirs to share, including candy wrappers and an Iraqui beret. Although not a “souvenir,” per se, one item was seen in a lot of Metcalf’s

photos – a “Simpson’s” comic book, entitled,

“Radioactive Man – Man of Radioactivity.”

And one reflective of how Metcalf felt at the

end of his first mission as ACERT commander.
The Iowa Militiaman 14 Fall 2003

By Sgt. 1st Class Paul Rieks

Whether in the left field bleachers or behind

the third base dugout, whatever the country,

baseball constitutes excitement, drama and an

old-fashioned love for the game.

The Republic of Korea is no exception. They

cheer for their team, have a snack in the stands

and bring their entire family to the ballpark.

It’s a community in love with “America’s

Pastime” and the Samsung Lions have captured

the hearts of the people of Taegu. As I watched

the pre-game warm-up, I couldn’t hold back the

excitement and anticipation of the opening pitch.

Once the game started, however, I realized

some of the differences between baseball in

Korea and in America.

Koreans play the game with a purpose — to

get to the end of the game. Pitchers are only

allowed three warm-up tosses between innings,

and the batters are already standing by home

plate waiting to begin.

Korean pitchers take very little time between

pitches and the coaches do not tolerate walking

batters. Pitchers are removed from the game

when they start losing control of their pitches.

In America, a pitcher can use between five

and seven warm-up tosses between innings, take

additional time between pitches, and coaches

will give a pitcher a second chance, even if they

have walked a batter or two.

These may seem like petty differences, but

the game I witnessed was practically over at the

two-hour mark and nine runs had scored. Make

no mistake, these Korean players know how to

play the game.

One part of the ball game that pleased me was

the unconditional respect each player had for

each other, the opposing team, the game itself

and most importantly, the umpires. If a pitch was

thrown too high and inside, the batter didn’t

answer back with a stare; he knew this was part

of the game.

If a batter is hit by a pitch, there is no confrontation, just a slight bow of the head by both

players and play continues.

It’s a game, America’s game, being played by

Korean’s who’ve made it their pastime. And they

look and act like professionals.

As I was sitting in the stands, I noticed how

the crowd reacted. Korean’s cheer for their team,

yell at the umpire and have a good time. The

cheering came in the form of chants, flag waving

and on occasion, a loud cry of disbelief after a

strikeout or bad play by the home team.

In every baseball game, there’s always someone heckling the home plate umpire and this game

was no exception. The heckling fan wasn’t

disrespectful, just very opinionated. Not once

did the home plate umpire respond to the heckler’s

actions with a glance or gesture.

When a player from the opposing team made

an outstanding play, or hit a home, not one

Korean from the home side of the field acknowledged the excellence in any way. Korean’s

respect their team and support them during good

times and bad. But in Taegu, their loyalty is with

the Samsung Lions and no one else.

There are many lessons to be learned from

our friends from Korea. The Korean ball players

play the game of baseball the way I remember it

from the 1960’s back in the United States.

They play baseball because they love it, not

because it’s a way of life. There are very little

advertisements or endorsements for these players, yet they enjoy a comfortable lifestyle that

reminds them daily they are professional baseball players, South Korea’s finest.

For love

of the

game
The Iowa Militiaman 15 Fall 2003

From the

Education

 Office

Do you want/need a college degree, but don’t

know how to fit it into your already full life? Are

you looking for employment in the civilian sector

and want to be competitive and marketable? Are

you a lieutenant that needs a degree? Are you

wanting to further your military career?

The Army National Guard Education Support

Center (ESC) serves as a centralized education

support activity for all 54 states and territories by

providing Army National Guard soldiers,

spouses, and ARNG federal employees direct

assistance in accomplishing their academic goals.

The ARNG ESC is located at the Professional

Education Center, Camp Joseph T. Robinson,

North Little Rock, Ark. They are open from 6 am

to 6 pm central time. Call 1-866-628-5999 Monday

– Friday, or via e-mail at esc@ngpec.org

The ARNG ESC will provide personnel with a

degree completion roadmap that will apply personal and professional achievements towards

college-level credit. Complete the on-line application and their staff will assess your military experience and civilian education.

Military Assessment Did you know that

your military training and experience are worth

college credit? By completing basic training and

AIT you can earn anywhere from 6-18 college

credits or more! Students receive credits from

life experiences, college level examinations, traditional courses, and professional certification.

Life experience includes military training and

experiences, government agency training, and

corporate training programs. Nearly 2,000 colleges and universities accept varying amounts of

college credit earned through life experience. As

your civilian and military careers progress, you

can earn more and more college credit.

Your documented Army training experience,

contained on the Army ACE Registry Transcript

Service (AARTS), is an automatic data feed for

much of your military credit assessment. You can

verify your AARTS today at https://

aartstranscript.leavenworth.army.mil.

College Level Examinations (CLEP) are a popular way for ARNG soldiers and spouses to earn

college credit. Instead of taking a college course,

you can take a test and earn as much as

threecollege credits. In fact, credit by examinations can be earned in nearly 150 subjects, free of

charge at the STARC Education Office. To set up

a day and time, call 800-294-6607, ext. 4579.

Examination credit recommendations are automatically streamed into your military credit

assessment. The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) provides

up-to-date listings of college level examinations

at http://www.dantes.doded.mil/.

College courses are the most traditional way

of earning college credit. The ESC only needs a

transcript copy to complete your academic assessment. However, they need a legible copy

from each of your colleges or universities.

Professional certification is another way to

earn college credit and an excellent opportunity

to use military experience to gain certification/

licensure. There are over 200 examinations given

from 40 different certifying agencies - 30 national

exams including food services, fitness, electronics, medical, automotive, and more!

The exams must be related to your military

occupational specialty (MOS) and only the exam

costs are reimbursed. Contact the professional

agency for an application and study materials.

For more details on becoming professionally

certified contact the DANTES website at http://

www.dantes.doded.mil/.

Degree Planning Once your assessment is

completed, your academic assessment is merged

into three-degree plans that meet your prescribed

educational goals. Your ESC counselor balances

a soldier’s or spouse’s needs and earned credits

against the requirements of each school.

The ESC is partnered with Servicemembers

Opportunity Colleges (SOC) providing a robust

network of institutions that meet the unique

needs of the ARNG. SOCGuard provides our soldiers with educational advice and coordinates

with SOC members and network colleges to help

ARNG soldiers realize their full potential.

This network ensures that each degree plan

protects students from degree program changes;

maximizes the use of non-traditional credit; minimizes the academic residency requirements and;

maximizes the transferability of college credit already earned.

For more information on SOCGuard go to

www.soc.aascu.org.

ESC helps meet

education needs
The Iowa Militiaman Fall 2003

by Lt. Col Richard A. Breitbach

It is often said that necessity is the mother of

invention, and when dealing with battle management platforms, this has never been more accurate. As terrorism and numerous conflicts

threatean global peace, there has been a dramatic

demand for more Command and Control (C2)

assets.

For the past 15-20 years, the emphasis has

been on building air-centric C2 platforms such as

the Airborne Warning and Control System and

the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System. These platforms, along with Rivet Joint,

have provided the US Air Force the capability to

rapidly respond to any conflict around the world.

While the airborne C2 domain will continue to

play a prominent Air Force role, the terrorist

threat has brought about the need for improved

ground-based C2 assets.Therefore, the need to

modernize the Control and Reporting Center

(CRC) has become more urgent.

This modernization effort began during Joint

Expeditionary Forces Experiments (JEFX) in 1999

and 2000 at Nellis AFB, Nev. The progress made

during JEFX 2000 had profound implications for

many organizations across the USAF and the Air

National Guard, including the 133rd. Because of

their efforts, the unit was chosen to re-role to a

new mission of test and evaluation.

Realigning the squadron, now known as the

133rd Test Squadron, provided the USAF with an

organization that could focus on the continued

modernization of the CRC.

This paved the way for the eventual fielding

of the NORAD Contingency Suite (NCS) after

the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Lessons

were learned to further develop the BCC and

prepare for the first attempt at deployment. Developed at Langley AFB in April 2002, it capitalized on a new Remote Voice and Radio Capability

(RVRC) being tested at the 133rd.

It also called for developing a prototype

system that could be used by the test squadron

and industry representatives to baseline a facility to meet the C2 mission at the tactical level. This

system, called the Battle Control Center – Experimental (BCC-X), would represent a major accomplishment in moderinizing the CRC and ensure

joint interoperability with other C2 platforms

across the services.

The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC)

Paxtuxent River, Md. was the lead for building the

BCC-X. The team at NAWC and the 133rd brought

up the concept of housing the BCC-X in two

(three-in-one) shelters. One shelter was dedicated for operations and the other for data and

voice communications.

During the last week of June, the BCC-X was

introduced to Air Force leadership at Webster

Field, Md. It was then shipped to the 133rd at Fort

Dodge, for the official demonstration.

Once the BCC-X was in place at the 133rd, the

unit connected with the 728th Air Control Squadron at Baghdad International Airport to interface

with the AN/TPS-75 radar in Iraq, and with the

Joint Interface Tactical Information Data Module

to present the data link picture.

Connections were made with the Combined

Air Operations Center (CAOC) located in Qatar,

to display the theater-wide picture using Joint

Range Extension (JRE) equipment. A satellite

shot with the 141st Air Control Squadron (Puerto

Rico) allowed for a data link picture over the

Caribbean, and the unit brought in the air picture

from Iowa and the Midwest region using both

local and FAA radars in Iowa and Minnesota.

133rd operators conducted live control missions over Iowa and in the Crypt Military Operating Areas, and talked with KC-135s on refueling missions over Iraq. The ability of the BCC-X

to fuse this amount of data onto a single display

demonstrated a significant step forward in the

evolution of Command and Control at the tactical

level. This, along with the capability of the BCCX to conduct Distributed Mission Operations

(DMO) in a simulation environment, marks a

giant leap for ground-based C2 operations.

Part of the overall Battle Control System

(BCS) modernization plan, the BCC-X will eventually become the BCS-Mobile and will be

interoperable with the BCS-Fixed effort to reengineer the Air Defense Sectors. This will allow

both BCS entities to provide a seamless homeland defense capability, and also a system that

can be easily integrated into any campaign plan.

The Battle Control Center–Experimental

16
The Iowa Militiaman 17 Fall 2003

by Col. Robert E. King

Sgt. Shane E. Smith, of Clive, Iowa, was

recently selected as the U.S. Army Material

Command’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments

Command Non-Commissioned Officer of the

Year. He is assigned to Battery B, 1st Battalion,

194th Field Artillery, Iowa Army National Guard.

The announcement and presentation of

awards were made during a recent banquet in

Washington, D.C.

The award selections were made after three

days of competition that included a written exam

and essay, a physical training test, and common

task tests that evaluated numerous different soldier skills, such as first aid, nuclear, biological

and chemical decontamination, and land navigation.

The soldiers also appeared before a formal

military board for uniform review and to respond to questions on basic soldiering, training,

current events, and leadership.

Smith received the Department of Defense

Meritorious Service Medal for his achievement,

as well as a plaque of excellence, several gift

certificates and other awards, and a three-day

trip for his family to Hawaii.

Gen. Paul J. Kern, AMC commanding general, presented the awards, and AMC Command

Sgt. Maj. Tyler Walker II. Before announcing

the winners, Kern congratulated all of the award

candidates for their accomplishments and hard

work.

Each received a commanding general coin, a

sergeant major of the army coin, a command

sergeant major coin, a certificate of accomplishment, and a gold watch from the Government

Employee Insurance Company.

“What you’ve done this week is just a small

example of the leadership and skills you bring to

your units – an example of the great things you

do every day and will do in the future,” said

Kern.

 Smith was ordered to federal active duty

with the Iowa Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery August 2002. Their

mission was to provide protection of vital military installations in the midwest in support of

Operation Noble Eagle and the war on terrorism.

His battery was assigned to the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM)

with duty at Selfridge Air National Guard Base,

Mich. The battalion arrived home in late July.

“This was an incredible competition – very

challenging”, said Smith. “I’m honored to receive this award and represent the Army Material Command and the Iowa Army National

Guard.

The Army Material Command is located in

149 locations, including more than 40 states and

38 countries, and is supported by 50,000 military and civilian employees.

 The Army Material Command Noncommissioned Officer of the Year award is a very

prestigious award involving over 20,000 noncommissioned officers.

Iowan earns

AMC NCO

of year award

Sgt. Shane Smith eats an MRE during the U.S.

Army Material Command’s NCO of the year

award competition.
The Iowa Militiaman Fall 2003

The military buildup in the Middle East, organized primarily by the United States, had two

goals – the defense of Saudi Arabia and the liberation of Kuwait. Military operations in support of the first goal came to be called Operation

Desert Shield. The actual military offensive

against Iraqi military forces in Kuwait would be

termed Operation Desert Storm.

The first U. S. forces to reach the region were

the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions and three

Marine brigades. The combined Allied force

would eventually number about 700,000, with

540,000 being Americans. Other nations making

significant contributions included Syria (20,000),

Egypt (35,000), Saudi Arabia (40,000), Britain

(35,000), France (10,000), and Kuwait (7,000).

By November, it was clear that economic pressure alone would not force an Iraqi withdrawal

from Kuwait. On Nov. 29, the United Nations

voted to set a Jan. 15 deadline for the removal of

Iraqi troops. On Jan. 12, Congress gave President George Bush the authority to use the American military to carry out U. N. Resolution 678 for

the restoration of Kuwaiti independence. With

the failure of a last-minute diplomatic mission to

Baghdad, led by U. N. Secretary General Javier

Perez de Cuellar, all possibilities of a peaceful

end to the crisis appeared to have been exhausted.

 With the passage of the U. N. deadline, the

war began. The Persian Gulf War was essentially fought in two phases – a six-week air assault and a follow-up, 100-hour, ground campaign.

 Allied air attacks devastated Iraqi defenses.

The Iraqi air forces were either destroyed or

driven into hiding, leaving ground forces with

little or no protection. Using sophisticated new

weapons systems, such as Tomahawk cruise

missiles and GBU-15 “smart” bombs, the Allies

inflicted enormous damage, not only on military

targets but on supply bases and communication centers as well.

On February 22, President Bush announced that Iraq would have until noon (EST)

the next day to begin withdrawing from Kuwait.

If not, the Allied offensive would continue, a

clear signal that the land war was about to begin. Iraq gave no reply but signaled continued

defiance by dynamiting Kuwaiti oil fields.

At 4 a.m. on Feb. 24, coalition ground forces

began their attack. The strategic plan, developed

by General Norman Schwarzkopf and his staff,

contained three basic elements – a decoy maneuver to draw Iraqi forces to the coast and two

The Iowa Guard in Desert Shield/Storm

coordinated ground attacks, one from the south

and the other from the west.

The first element of the attack was a wellplanned feint. A 17,000-man Marine force

seemed poised to make an amphibious landing

at Kuwait City. The attack never came, but thousands of Iraqi troops were drawn to the coast

and wound up, in effect, facing the wrong direction.

The second element of the offensive was a

coordinated attack by Kuwaiti, Syrian, Saudi and

other Arab units, with the aid of the U. S. Marines, through Iraqi mine fields and other defenses into southern Kuwait. The attack was a

complete success, and Iraq forces were soon in

total disarray, either retreating or surrendering.

The final element of the plan was a massive

attack from the west by American, British,

French, and Arab forces. Perhaps the most daring maneuver was the launching of the largest

helicopter assault in military history, as 4,000 men

of the 101st Airborne Division were airlifted 60

miles inside Iraqi territory to establish a forward

supply base. This maneuver allowed rapidly

advancing Allied forces to occupy much of

southern Iraq and block all escape routes for

retreating Iraqi forces. In the most intense engagements of the war, the U. S. VII Corps and

XVIII Corps met and overwhelmed units of Iraq’s

elite Republican Guards in northern Kuwait and

southern Iraq.

By the fourth day of the land war, February

27, it was clear that fighting was coming to an

end. The 1st Marine Division seized Kuwait International Airport. Meanwhile, the 2nd Marine

Division secured all entrances into Kuwait City,

allowing Kuwaiti forces the honor of being the

first to enter the capital. By evening, the 100-

hour war was over.

The Persian Gulf War was the first test for

the Army’s Total Force Policy. Seventy-five thousand National Guardsmen were mobilized, 43,000

of whom actually deployed to the Middle East.

Due to a combination of inadequate supply and

Regular Army prejudice, only a limited number

of combat arms (infantry, armor, artillery) National Guard units were mobilized. The great

majority of National Guard soldiers sent to the

Middle East served in combat service support

units. All of the Iowa units that served in the

war were combat service support units.

The first callup of Iowa Army National Guard

soldiers began in September of 1990. This marked

the first federal mobilization of the Iowa National

Guard since 1968. On Sept. 30, the 1133rd Trans18
The Iowa Militiaman Fall 2003

portation Company (Mason City) deployed to

the mobilization station at Fort McCoy, Wisc.

On Veterans Day, 1991, they flew from Volk Field,

Wisc., aboard U. S. Air Force C141s, to Dhahran,

Saudi Arabia. It would be 267 days before they

would return home.

Other Iowa Guard units followed. In November, the 134th Medical Company (Washington),

the 209th Medical Company (Iowa City), the

1034th Quartermaster Company (Camp Dodge)

and the 1187th Medical Company (Boone) were

mobilized.

In December, the 1168th Transportation Company (Red Oak and Perry) was mobilized, followed by the 186th Military Police Company

(Camp Dodge). In January, 1991, the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 34th Military

Police Battalion, and the 3654th Maintenance

Company (Knoxville, Chariton, Oskaloosa and

Camp Dodge) were mobilized.

The last units of the Iowa National Guard to

be mobilized were those of the 224th Engineer

Battalion from Fairfield, Mount Pleasant,

Burlington, Ottumwa, Centerville, Muscatine

and Keokuk. Individual membersof the 132nd

Tactical Fighter Wing (Sioux City) and the 185th

Tactical Fighter Group (Des Moines) were also

mobilized. All told, 2,016 Iowa Guardsmen (1886

ARNG and 130 ANG) were called to active duty

during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

The record of accomplishment of the Iowa

units is a tribute to their hard work and professionalism. The 1133rd Transportation Company

drove over 2.1 million miles while sustaining the

highest operability rate (98%) of any unit in their

battalion. The 1168th Transportation Company

logged over 525,000 miles and received the Meritorious Unit Citation for its outstanding contributions during then war. Medics of the 209th

Medical Company treated thousands of patients, including prisoners of war. The 209th Clearing Company (Iowa City) was the only medical

unit in the U. S. Army to serve in three nations

during the conflict – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and

Iraq. Iowa military police units escorted and processed over 38,000 enemy soldiers and handled

security at prisoner of war compounds. The

1034th Quartermaster Company provided millions

of gallons of fresh water, while serving in their

new role as a water distribution company at Log

Base Echo near the Tri-Border region of Saudi

Arabia.

The 3654th Maintenance Company was called

upon to serve stateside at Fort Irwin, California,

and the 224th Engineer Battalion was stationed

in Germany to serve as the combat engineer battalion for the 8th Infantry Division.

Iowa Guardsmen returned home with a sense

of accomplishment. Nearly one-fourth (23.9%)

of the total personnel of the Iowa National Guard

had been mobilized. This was the highest percentage of any state in the Fourth Army region

and one of the highest in the nation. In addition

to the awards and decorations earned, Iowa soldiers returned with many personal reminiscences,

such as Michelle Rhodes’ unique assignment

as “caretaker” of the 1133rd Transportation

Company’s mascot, a goat named “Alice.”

Memories connected with service in the Gulf

War and the feelings of pride they engendered

would remain with these Iowans for the rest of

their lives.

openly. It’s strange to think about it being a year

of my life. When I was younger and on active

duty, that time didn’t seem to be as valuable.

Now, though. A year seems like a fortune.

There are no guarantees though, and life isn’t

about years or months or weeks. It’s’ about what

you do today. So today, even though I am writing

the generic Merry Christmas, this was our year

letter,” I am thinking about home and doing all the

things that seem normal.”

At the same time, I look at the hundreds of

Iraqi children that come up to me and kiss me on

the cheek, give us the thumbs up, or a high-five.

I see their parents stand back from the crowd of

children who are clinging to my hands, legs, and

bullet-proof vest, and know that they (the parents) may know only two words of English. I

know this when I read their lips saying, “Thank

you.” I hope these kids have a better life than their

parents. I know that the parents want the same

thing.

Don’t believe everything you see on the

news. There are a lot of goals and objectives

being accomplished here that just haven’t been

reported yet. We take freedom for granted sometimes. Even I do. It’s good to be here and see

freedom being made possible.

If they choose to embrace it and rise to the

challenge, remains to be seen. I hope they do so

I can come back and see this place without having

to carry 56 pounds of gear and two weapons in

125-degree heat. I still like going downtown even

with all that crap on. It’s like a parade and I am

king. I think every soldier feels like that.

Take care and I hope to see you sooner than

later.

Chris.

A letter

continued from page 5

19
PRSRT STD

US Postage

PAID

St. Paul, MN 55101

Permit No. 1223