Red Bull Send-off Ceremonies Announced

The soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34 BCT) have received their mobilization orders, and will be moving out in phases and waves, from July 29 to Aug. 9. The units will first assemble on Camp Shelby, Miss. for "post-mobilization training." This is usually team-based training, or training on skills specific to Afghanistan.

After a month or so at Camp Shelby, the units will move to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., for a large-scale exercise. After that, Uncle Sam's crystal ball gets a little fuzzy on the details. Some units may launch directly to Afghanistan. Others may return to Camp Shelby temporarily before themselves launching to Afghanistan.

Iowa communities traditionally send-off their soldiers. Speeches are given, tears are shed, pictures are taken, promises are made. It's similar to the scene depicted in the National Guard heritage print (above), "Goodbye Dear, I'll Be Back in a Year."

Personally, I've asked my family not to go to my unit's send-off ceremony. I figure I'll have a hard enough time trying to keep it together emotionally, as well as remembering the difference between "left-face" and "right-face" marching movements. Also, I don't want my wife to have to pack away two crying kids while putting on a brave face for all of us.

Someone once observed, however, that send-off ceremonies are like graduations and funerals--they're really not so much for the people who are in them, and more for the people who are in the audience.

Two previous ceremonies celebrated Iowa soldiers who will be absorbed into the 2-34 BCT. These soldiers come from the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, headquarted in Johnston, and the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (H.H.B.) of the 1st Field Artillery, 194th Field Artillery, headquartered in Fort Dodge.

Approximately 300 Nebraska National Guard soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry will also be joining the 2-34th BCT deployment. While press releases regarding their send-off ceremonies are still pending, the Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman recently noted that this unit hails from Beatrice, Fremont, Hastings, and Lincoln.

While individual soldiers may choose to travel across the state to their monthly drills, whether for increased promotion opportunities or job specialty, a National Guard armory likely houses a unit representative of surrounding local community. When a National Guard unit "goes to war," a whole community goes with it: local police officers and physicians, business owners and community leaders, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, priests and pastors all put on the uniform, and march out smartly.

Official releases about the remaining Iowa send-off ceremonies can be found here and here. I've take the liberty of re-posting them below, and re-organizing them alphabetically by community name.

Even if you just scan the places and units, please take a moment to consider how many communities and families will be affected by the temporary absence of more than 3,000 citizen-soldiers:

Algona
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approx. 45 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 11 a.m.
Iowa National Guard armory, 1511 N. POW Camp Road, Algona

Boone
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (approx. 110 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 10 a.m.
Des Moines Area Community College (Boone campus), 1125 Hancock Dr., Boone

Carroll
Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approx. 100 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Carroll High School, 2809 N. Grant Road, Carroll

Cedar Falls
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
- Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
- Detachment 2, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Iowa Falls unit)

(approx. 230 soldiers total)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
UNI Dome, 2501 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls

Cedar Rapids
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
- Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
- Company C, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
(approx. 340 soldiers total)
Sat., Aug. 7, 10 a.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids
- Detachment 1, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
- Detachment 2, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Oelwein unit)
- Company B, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 160 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 8, 2 p.m.
US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Charles City
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 35 soldiers)
Mon., Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
Iowa National Guard armory, 2003 Clark Street, Charles City

Clinton
Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 35 soldiers)
Mon., Aug. 2, 2 p.m.
Iowa National Guard Armory, 1200 13th Avenue North, Clinton

Council Bluffs
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Spencer unit)
- Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 1, Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 215 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 1,10 a.m.
Mid-American Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs

Davenport
Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approx. 75 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Modern Woodmen Park (River Bandits), 209 S. Gaines Street, Davenport

Des Moines
- 334th Brigade Support Battalion
- Detachment 1, Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Corning unit)
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
Mon., Aug. 9 , 10 a.m.,
Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 703 3rd Street, Des Moines

Dubuque
- Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
- Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
- Detachment 1, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 130 soldiers total)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
Peosta Community Center, 7896 Burds Road, Peosta

Denison
Company D, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approx. 50 soldiers) Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Denison High School, Fine Arts Center, 819 N. 16th Street, Denison

Eagle Grove
Detachment 1, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approx. 40 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 11 a.m.

Estherville
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approx. 80 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 11 a.m.
Estherville Armory, 1704 3rd Avenue South, Estherville

Iowa City
Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 100 soldiers)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
City High School, 1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City

Iowa Falls
Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 75 soldiers)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
Iowa Falls High School, 1903 Taylor Avenue, Iowa Falls

Johnston
- Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Newton unit)
(approx. 100 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Camp Dodge Freedom Center, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston

Johnston
- Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
- Troop B, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
(approx. 130 soldiers total)
Thurs., Aug. 5, 10 a.m., Ankeny High School, 1302 North Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

Keokuk
Detachment 1, 832nd Engineer Company (approx. 55 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 10 a.m., Keokuk High School, 2285 Middle Road, Keokuk

LeMars
Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry (approx. 80 Soldiers)
Thurs., Aug. 5, 9 a.m., Le Mars High School, 921 3rd Avenue SW, Le Mars

Marshalltown
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approx. 50 soldiers)
Fri., Aug. 6, 10 a.m.
Marshalltown Community College, 3700 S. Center St, Marshalltown

Mount Pleasant
832nd Engineer Company (approx. 50 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 10 a.m.
Mount Pleasant High School, 2104 S. Grand Avenue, Mount Pleasant

Oelwein
Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 40 soldiers)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
Oelwein Middle School, 300 12th Avenue SE, Oelwein

Red Oak
Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approx. 110 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Red Oak High School, 2011 N. 8th Street, Red Oak

Sheldon
Saturday, July 24
Selected members of the 2168th Transportation Company
(approx. 70 soldiers)
Sat., July 24, 1 p.m.
Sheldon High School Football Field, Sheldon

Shenandoah
- Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 2, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Corning unit)
(approx. 100 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive, Shenandoah

Storm Lake
Company G, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approx. 80 soldiers)
Fri., July 30,11 a.m.
Storm Lake High School, 621 Tornado Drive, Storm Lake

Sioux City
- Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
- Company D, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 170 soldiers total)
Thurs., Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m.
Sioux City East High School, 5011 Mayhew Drive, Sioux City