The Iowa national Guard’s alerted another Iowa unit that it’ll be called to active duty. About 80 members of the 36-55th Maintenance Company based in Eagle Grove rebuild weapons systems, transmissions and engines for both wheeled vehicles and tracked ones like tanks. The guard’s Lieutenant Colonel Greg Hapgood says every soldier gets specialized training in the skills and abilities they’ll need to be part of a well-planned fighting force.He says every soldier holds what’s called a Military Occupational Specialty, which is their area of expertise, what they do. Even if you’re an infantry soldier, the plain soldier many people think of, you’ve gotten special training to combat the enemy in certain offensive or defensive operations. Hapgood says the Iowa National Guard has a “huge array” of different skills and jobs a soldier can learn and do. The idea of a basic solder having a certain set of skills still holds true, but he says all soldiers have at least on other job they’re able to do with a great deal of competency. There’s no date yet for the 36-55th to be called up or sent to active duty.
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