Just a few of the 3,300 Iowa National Guard, Air Guard and reserve members who’ve been called to active duty are in the theater of conflict. Colonel Robert King, a spokesman for the Iowa National Guard, says most of those Iowa troops are still statewide in “mobilization stations” preparing to ship out. King says most of the units’ equipment was packed onto railcars and sent to ports to be shipped overseas. King says that means as the Iowa soldiers wait at the various Forts around the country, they’re conducting training that doesn’t require the use of their equipment. King has never been mobilized, but he’s seen what happens when his fellow Guardsmen and women leave for active duty. King says the level of activity at National Guard headquarters in Johnston is as high as he’s ever seen, as regular weekend training continues for units that remain here. In addition, King says they’re spending time doing what they can to help the families of Guard members who’ve been called to active duty.
Iowa's Radio News Network
