Photo: Iowa National Guard
(Undated) -- Two-hundred-fifty Iowa National Guard soldiers are officially being deployed to Poland. The soldiers are from Mason City and Iowa City. Major General Ben Corell announced last month during his Condition of the Guard address that some Iowa soldiers would be sent to Europe for a mission this year. Send-off ceremonies will be announced at a later time.
The 1133rd Transportation Company, headquartered in Mason City, and the 209th Medical Company Area Support, headquartered in Iowa City, will support Operation Atlantic Resolve and NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence mission which enables the U.S. to provide deterrence to adversaries while supporting our NATO partners.
The 1133rd Transportation Company will transport equipment and supplies, while the 209th Medical Company will provide field hospital health service support.
In 2020, personnel from the 1133rd Transportation Company and the 209th Medical Company were involved in Iowa's response to the coronavirus pandemic, helping transport personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing site operations, and contact tracing.
The 1133rd Transportation Company was last activated into federal service in 2008 to support Operations Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and the global war on terrorism.
The 209th Medical Company deployed to Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Then in 2005, the 209th Medical Company was activated in response to Hurricane Katrina.