Sendoff planned Sunday for Iowa Guard troops

Two sendoffs are planned Sunday for Iowa National Guard soldiers from the 113th Calvary. Guard spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Greg Hapgood says the soldiers from Troop C, 1st Squadron will leave from their home bases. He says approximately 65 will be sent off Sunday at eight A.M. from the maintenance armory at Camp Dodge in Johnson, and another 70 will also be sent off from Le Mars and the Plymouth County Fairgrounds at one p.m. All the soldiers will be sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for training. Once their training is over in Washington, then they’ll head overseas. He says they’ll be in the training period for around four weeks, and then sent to the Persian Gulf and remain there for 12 months. Hapgood says these soldiers will join other Iowans on federal active duty.He says these soldiers will join another 25 from their unit, bringing the total number of Iowans on active duty to around 14-hundred. Four of the soldiers who’re leaving from Le Mars will first be awarded the “Soldiers Medal” for heroism for saving civilian lives in Kosovo in 2004.