Iowa
Iowa National Guard holds send-off ceremony in Cedar Rapids
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa National Guard continued deployment ceremonies for units headed to the Middle East for tours of duty on Thursday in Cedar Rapids.
Friends and family members of soldiers from Charlie Company, 224th Brigade Engineer Battalion in Cedar Rapids attended the ceremony. Those soldiers are headed to the Middle East to support Operation Inherent Resolve. It’s the military’s name for the international effort to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Officials say these send-offs are a vital tradition.
Commander Justus Knudsen says the ceremony is a way for those people to better understand why these soldiers are being sent off. He also says emotions among soldiers are mixed.
“They’re excited…everyone’s kind of excited, nervousness. There’s a lot going on to take in all at once. I think that kind of bring everyone together and gets you over that hump of uncertainty,” said Commander Knudsen.
A total of 1,800 soldiers from all around Iowa are heading to the Middle East this week.
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