Eleven Iowa Army National Guard soldiers are headed to the Houston, Texas area to support disaster response efforts.
Iowa's also sending two Chinook helicopters. Iowa National Guard Spokesman Colonel Greg Hapgood tells WHO Radio News, the helicopters can carry 20-thousand pounds and are useful for delivering supplies in areas, difficult for other vehicles to access. He also notes Iowa's soldiers have a lot of experience responding to disasters, having been deployed after Hurricane Katrina and Gustav, and have been deployed after multiple flooding events in Iowa in the past.
He says the team includes seven soldiers from Company B, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion (Davenport); one soldier from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (Boone); one soldier from Detachment 1, Company D, 2-211th General Aviation Support Battalion (Davenport); one soldier from Company C, 2-147th Aviation (Boone); and one soldier from the 671st Troop Command (Johnston).
The Iowa soldiers will be moving supplies, equipment, and people.