An Iowa Army National Guard Unit is preparing for a mission to the Middle East. Ten soldiers with Detachment 34, Operational Support Airlift Command, will leave from the Ankeny Airport on July 3. A public sendoff ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. The soldiers, who fly C-12 aircraft and provide air transport to personnel, are first scheduled to travel to Fort Bliss, Texas for further training.
Their deployment, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, is expected to last one year. The unit has previously been mobilized for overseas operations three times since late 2002.