Iowa Soldiers Returning From 10-Month Middle East Deployment

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Nearly 630 Iowa soldiers who have been deployed to the Middle East for the past 10 months are returning home.

The Iowa Army National Guard is hosting modified community welcome ceremonies for soldiers from the 1st Battalion "Ironman" 133rd Infantry Regiment. The ceremonies will be held in several cities this weekend, but they will not be open to the public. They will be live-streamed for the public to view.

The soldiers returning to Iowa include a group of about 110 men and women from Davenport, 130 from both Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, and 250 from Waterloo.

The welcome home events will be held at various times throughout week, beginning Wednesday. Start times have yet to be determined, but will be announced HERE as events get closer.

Specific dates and locations for the ceremonies are as follows:

CEDAR RAPIDS

Approximately 130 Soldiers from Company B, 1-133d Infantry BN, will be honored at a homecoming ceremony on Friday (April 9) at the Eastern Iowa Airport, 2121 Arthur Collins Parkway SW. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook @bravocompany1BN133INF. Click HERE for start time as event gets closer.

DAVENPORT

Approximately 110 Soldiers from Company D, 1-133d Infantry BN, will be honored at a homecoming ceremony on Friday (April 9) at Quad City International Airport, 2200 69th Ave., Moline, Ill. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook @DCo133INF. Click HERE for start time as event gets closer.

DUBUQUE:

Approximately 130 Soldiers from Company A, 1-133d Infantry BN, will be honored at a homecoming ceremony on April 13 at the Dubuque Regional Airport, 10965 Aviation Drive. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook  @ASSASSINS133INF. Click HERE for start time as event gets closer.

WATERLOO:

Approximately 100 Soldiers from Company C, 1-133d Infantry BN, will be honored at a Homecoming ceremony on Wednesday (April 7) at the Waterloo Regional Airport, 2790 Livingston Lane. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook @CharlieCompanyFriends, starting around noon.

Approximately 150 Soldiers from Headquarters Company, 1-133d Infantry BN, will be honored at a homecoming ceremony on April 13 at the Waterloo Regional Airport, 2790 Livingston Lane. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook @133Hellraiser. Click HERE for start time as event gets closer.

The Iowa soldiers have been proudly serving overseas since June 1, 2020. The Ironman Battalion supported Operation Spartan Shield in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

According to the Iowa National Guard, this was the fifth federal mobilization for the Ironman Battalion since 2000, including a nearly 22-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Sept. 2005 through Aug. 2007.