Hundreds of Iowa soldiers in Iraq, and their families at home, will be featured on the CBS-TV program "60 Minutes" this Sunday night. Lieutenant Colonel Greg Hapgood with the Iowa National Guard says cameras started following the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry based in Waterloo two years ago.
"They first approached our organization in 2005," Hapgood says, "and the more that we discussed it and events in Iraq made it more favorable for an Iowa unit, we were able to engage in the opportunity and we’re honored to do so."
Hapgood believes the focus of the piece will be interesting. "The title of the piece, "Fathers, Sons, and Brothers", has to do with the number of family relationships within the unit," Hapgood says, "there are 16 different families that have multiple members just within that unit."
The 1st Battalion, 133rd’s mission in Iraq involves close combat with the enemy and providing security. The unit has 560 soldiers, with an additional 130 providing support. The 60 minutes program airs this Sunday, May 27th, at 6 P.M. Iowa Time.