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Modified send-off ceremonies scheduled for area National Guard units

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Several Charles City-area members of the Iowa National Guard are part of a year-long Middle East deployment that begins this weekend, but COVID-19 concerns are limiting the sendoff the group will get.

Local Guard members will gather in Waterloo on Saturday, part of about 150 soldiers from 1st Battalion “Ironman,” 133rd Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Company who will be honored at a formal ceremony starting at noon at the Waterloo Readiness Center, followed by a parade.

Because of coronavirus concerns the readiness center ceremony is not open to the public, but will be livestreamed on Facebook @IowaNationalGuard.

Soldiers will depart the Waterloo Readiness Center at about 1 p.m., and family and friends are encouraged to line the parade route while following social distancing and other guidelines related to the coronavirus.

The buses of soldiers will depart on Fourth Street in downtown Waterloo.

The Guard does not release the names of soldiers being deployed for security reasons.

Soldiers from the New Hampton area will gather Saturday in Iowa Falls, where about 100 soldiers from Company C will be honored at a formal ceremony starting at 3 p.m. at the Iowa Falls Readiness Center.

The ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook @CharlieCompany133. Soldiers will depart the readiness center at approximately 4 p.m. along the parade route that goes along Washington Avenue to U.S. Highway 65.

Other send-off ceremonies are taking place Saturday in Iowa City and Davenport. More than 600 soldiers from 1st Battalion “Ironman,” 133rd Infantry Regiment are being deployed.

The Ironman Battalion will support Operation Spartan Shield in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which encompasses 27 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

This is the fifth federal mobilization for the Ironman Battalion since 2000, including a nearly 22-month mobilization in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2005 through August 2007.

The battalion’s most recent deployment was to Afghanistan in 2010.

Send-off ceremonies for about 130 members of Troop C, 1st Squadron “Red Horse,” 113th Cavalry Regiment are  taking place Monday in LeMars and Johnston.

“Red Horse” will support Operation Enduring Freedom in the United States Africa Command area of responsibility.

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