(Radio Iowa/KCRG) – Family, friends, community leaders welcomed back some 60 Iowa National Guard soldiers today (Thursday) from their deployment to the Middle East. K-C-R-G T-V covered the event at the Eastern Iowa Airport that included Governor Kim Reynolds. “Welcome home, Red Bulls!,” she said using the group’s nickname. Reynolds also recognized the soldiers who didn’t return.
“Today, we honor your service, celebrate the successful completion of your mission, and give thanks to God for your safe return. We also honor the memories of your two brothers in arms. Staff Sergeants Nate Howard and Edgar Torres Tovar, whose legacies now live on in each of you,” she said. Howard and Tovar were killed in December by an ISIS gunman. Iowa National Guard leader, Major General Stephen Osborne, also spoke.
“To our families. Thank you. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your commitment and thank you for your sacrifice to our communities and our employers. That support this group every day, whether they’re here or where they’re deployed. Thank you. Thank you for your commitment. To our nation, to our state,” Osborne said. General Osborne had this message for the soldiers.
“While this deployment is coming to an end for this group. I need you all to finish strong here. Right, I need you to take care of each other. I need you to stay in communication with each other, and I need you to look after your teammates here,” he said. Osborne also asked for continued support of the soldiers. I just ask everyone to keep all of our service members that are still deployed in the Middle East fighting the fight. Keep them in your thoughts and keep them in your prayers,” Osborne said.
The soldiers were part of more than 18-hundred that had been deployed since May 2025 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a counter-terrorism effort in Iraq and Syria. About 200 soldiers have already returned from the mission. Another ceremony for about 140 troops set to return will be announced in the coming days.
