(Radio Iowa) – Iowa National Guard Major General Stephen Osborn used this year’s “Condition of the Guard” speech to explain why Iowa Guardsmen are deployed to Syria and honor the two Iowa soldiers killed there a month ago. “Even in this time of sorrow, we have witnessed something powerful,” Osborn said, “the strength, unity, and compassion of the State of Iowa. On behalf of the entire Iowa National Guard, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of care and respect shown to our fallen heroes and to their families.”

Osborn says the loss of Staff Sergeants Nate Howard, of Marshalltown, and Edgar Torres-Tovar, of Des Moines, is felt deeply within the Iowa Guard. “From our largest cities to our smallest towns-you stood together. You lined the streets. You waved the American flag. You stood in silent, patriotic tribute as we brought our Soldiers home to their final resting place,” Osborn said. “Your actions spoke volumes,
Over 18-hundred Iowa Guard soldiers and airmen are currently deployed to the Middle East. The two Iowans who were killed — and three others who were wounded — were among about 250 soldiers from a Boone-based unit assigned to a counter-terrorism mission in Syria.

“In the days following these most recent events, one of the most common questions we heard was simple, but important. Why is the Guard in Syria? And that’s a fair question,” Osborn said. “…Thee National Guard is a core component of our nation’s ‘Total Force,’ providing 40% of the Army and 30% of the Air Force operational force.” The Sioux City-based 185th Air Refueling Wing has nearly 200 Airmen deployed in the Middle East and has supported the “Operation Hawkeye” strike missions President Trump ordered against ISIS in Syria, as retaliation for the ambush that killed the two Iowans. Osborn says the National Guard is no longer a strategic reserve deployed only during state or national emergencies, but it’s now the primary combat reserve for the U.S. Army and Air Force.

“Our men and women understand this. They embrace this,” Osborn said. “They joined the Iowa National Guard to serve their state, to serve their nation and to be a part of something honorable and enduring.” Over 80 soldiers from the 734th Regional Support Group, which is based on Johnston, will deploy to Poland this summer. “This nine-month deployment will support base operations across NATO sites in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region,” Osborn said, “reinforcing allied readiness and providing a credible deterrent to Russian aggression.”

Osborn told lawmakers the Iowa Guard has currently filled over 100 percent of its authorized slots and retained 82 percent of soldiers who had the choice of leaving the Guard or re-enlisting last year.