Iowa National Guard Troops Return From Historic Deployment in the Middle East

Hundreds of Iowa National Guard soldiers returned from the Middle East last week to welcome-home ceremonies across the state, reuniting with their families after nearly a year overseas.

About 575 members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division landed March 12 at welcome-home ceremonies in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, according to the Iowa National Guard. They joined roughly 250 troops who had arrived in February, completing the latest phase of a rolling redeployment from Iraq and Syria. 

The brigade had been in the region since May 2025 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State.

The homecoming brought an outpouring of relief to communities across the state, but it was also marked by grief. The returning soldiers belong to the same brigade that lost two of its own in combat just three months ago.

A Long-Awaited Reunion

At Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, more than 100 family members and friends crowded into a hangar as troops from Company D, 334th Brigade Support Battalion and C Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment marched in for a formal ceremony before being dismissed to their loved ones.

KTIV reported the soldiers had been gone 288 days. Several were meeting new nieces, nephews and other family members who were born while they were overseas.

Sgt. Madelynn Keunen of the 113th Cavalry told KTIV she had been waiting months to hold her newborn nephew. "This is Maliky. I knew he was coming when I left. He was born in January," Keunen said. "I was super, super excited. I had so many pictures as soon as he was born. I was telling everyone about him."

1st Sgt. Cole Cooley, who came home with an earlier group in February, described the sensation of being back on Iowa soil. "It's kind of surreal. Still, I think it takes a little bit to really set in that we're actually home," Cooley said.

Spc. Andrew White, who also returned in the February group, said the experience reshaped how he saw daily life. "Just made me appreciate the little things in life. It's a really humbling experience," White said. At the airport, White held his nephew Wyatt, born just weeks before the homecoming, for the first time.

In Cedar Rapids, Andres Garcia spoke with his wife at his side after completing his first overseas tour. "Honestly, it's pretty overwhelming," Garcia told CBS2 Iowa. "It was our first deployment for me and my wife."

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell addressed the crowd at the city's ceremony. "It speaks to us as Iowans, our commitment to our country," O'Donnell said. "It's in our DNA. I couldn't be more proud."

Le Mars Lines the Streets

Some of the most powerful scenes unfolded in Le Mars, a small city in northwest Iowa that is home to C Troop of the 113th Cavalry.

After the Sioux Gateway ceremony, the troopers rode a charter bus 30 miles north to Le Mars, where a police motorcade led them up Highway 75.

KTIV reported the scene resembled a parade. Schools released students early, and residents lined the curbs of downtown Le Mars with flags and hand-painted signs.

"It was incredible, the amount of people that showed up and the amount of support and all the schools were out there," 1st Lt. Jamie Koopman of the 113th Cavalry said. "Le Mars is probably the strongest community for military support, and the way they showed up today definitely proves that."

Beverly Limon, a Le Mars resident who watched from the sidewalk, described the moment. "I saw the bus, and I waved at them. You know, just brings a tear to your eye," Limon said.

At a ceremony at the Le Mars YMCA, each returning soldier received a yellow rose from the unit's family readiness group. "Our yellow roses stand for the love, and loyalty, and waiting for soldiers to return home safely," said Whitney Van Wyk, a member of the group.

The Fallen

The celebrations were shadowed by loss. The returning troops serve in the same brigade as Staff Sgt. William "Nate" Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, and Staff Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, both killed Dec. 13 in an ISIS attack in Palmyra, Syria.

The attack also killed Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. civilian who had been working as an interpreter, and wounded three other Iowa Guard soldiers, according to Iowa Public Radio.

Both Howard and Torres-Tovar served in the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, the same cavalry unit whose soldiers rode through Le Mars on March 12. The Iowa National Guard posthumously promoted both men to staff sergeant.

Cooley said the December attack weighed on the entire brigade. 

"Obviously, December was a pretty sad month for us, and I think when that happens, it kind of makes it real for everybody," Cooley said. "I’m definitely proud to take all of my soldiers home. They all did a really good job, so I'm very thankful for sure."

Howard's and Torres-Tovar's remains were flown to the 132nd Wing Airbase in Des Moines on Christmas Eve. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Zach Nunn joined family members for the dignified transfer.

Iowa's Largest Deployment in 15 Years

The brigade's mobilization was the Iowa National Guard's largest since 2010, when more than 3,000 soldiers from the same unit deployed to Afghanistan as Task Force Red Bulls under the 101st Airborne Division. 

Approximately 1,800 troops from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team departed Iowa in late May 2025 after 24 send-off ceremonies were held in communities across the state.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, the Iowa adjutant general, said at the time that the ceremonies represented "not only the courage and dedication of our soldiers but also the unwavering support of the communities that stand behind them."

The brigade, headquartered in Boone, Iowa, falls under the 34th Infantry Division, known as the "Red Bulls," a unit that traces its combat lineage to the North Africa and Italy campaigns of World War II. Col. Eric Stoltz, a traditional guardsman on his fourth overseas rotation, commanded the brigade throughout the deployment.

Hundreds Still Overseas

The homecoming is not yet complete. At the Des Moines ceremony, the brigade's commanding officer noted that close to 700 Iowa Guard troops are still forward-deployed and expressed hope they would follow soon, according to KTIV.

The Iowa National Guard said the troops still in the region are wrapping up advisory work with partner forces and maintaining security at coalition installations. When each group comes home depends on operational demands and available airlift.

Iowa's losses in the Middle East extend beyond the 2nd Brigade. Six Army Reserve soldiers assigned to the Des Moines-based 103rd Sustainment Command were killed March 1 when an Iranian drone struck a command center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, days after the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran. 

While the unit’s members were from across the Midwest and beyond, two of the fallen were Iowans. Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, was from West Des Moines, and Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, was from Waukee.

For the Guard families still waiting, recent months have tested their patience and nerves. Michael Sotter, whose daughter is a sergeant in the Guard, captured the mood at the Des Moines ceremony. 

"It's very emotional," Sotter told WeAreIowa. "... Obviously, it's sad to hear about the lives lost over there, but other than that we can't wait for her to get here."