Iowa Guard soldiers arrive in Wisconsin

The “Ironmen” and the “Red Bulls” are on their way home.

About half the 2,900 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers sent to Afghanistan this past year have returned to Fort McCoy, Wis., with homecomings planned over the coming month.

About 1,000 soldiers arrived from Afghanistan Tuesday and Wednesday, Guard spokesperson Col. Greg Hapgood said.

“We've got approximately half the of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at McCoy right now and the rest will arrive over the next 10 days,” Hapgood said.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, part of the 34th “Red Bull” Infantry division, includes the Waterloo-headquartered 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, dubbed the “Ironman Battalion” because of its consecutive days in combat during World War II.

Homecomings for some division units will occur this week in Cedar Rapids, Johnston and Boone. “We're getting close on locking in others,” Hapgood said, and those homecomings will be announced soon.

The soldiers will spend some time at Fort McCoy for debriefing, turning in weapons and equipment, and reporting any medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress as well any physical maladies.

“If they've sustained any illness or injury during deployment, it's important they report that, document it, so if they need future medical treatment” they'll be eligible for benefits, Hapgood said. “It's real important they be real honest about what's going on with them physically.”

Hapgood indicated the Guard has to strike a balance between giving the soldiers enough time to “decompress” from their experience, but “de-processing” them from active duty as expeditiously as possible “and getting them home to their loved ones.”

“You'd like to give them more time before they go home, but they also want to go home,” he said.

Four 34th Division soldiers were killed in combat during the deployment. In addition, “more than 130 soldiers are receiving medical treatment somewhere in the world, mostly in the U.S., for wounds, injury or illness,” Hapgood said.

The soldiers have been gone about a year. They arrived in Afghanistan in November after training in Camp Shelby, Miss. Their duties have included combat operations, working with Afghan police and national forces as well as humanitarian assistance.

It is the largest single deployment of Iowa Guard troops since World War II. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team also served a deployment of nearly two years in Iraq, returning in July 2007.