116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Last Iowa Guard soldiers returning
CEDAR RAPIDS - Several Iowa National Guard soldiers were welcomed home Friday at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena following a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Two more celebrations are set for Saturday in Cedar Rapids and Boone. After that, all 2,900 members of the Iowa National Guard, deployed in the largest call-up since World War II, will be home.
“Now that I'm here, I'm ready to spend some time with them and get back to the way things used to be,” said Jessica Cervantes, clutching her daughter Haley.
Jessica's mother, Christie McKay, spent most of the last year taking care of Haley. McKay said she was up at 4 a.m. Friday because of the excitement of welcoming her daughter back.
“I've been praying hard, it's been a long year,” McKay said.
After today, the Iowa National Guard will have organized 32 events statewide to salute returning soldiers. Saturday's welcome home for the final Cedar Rapids unit and a Marshalltown unit is set for 2 p.m. at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, 1100 Rockford Rd. S.W. A total of 130 soldiers will be returning.
The final ceremony statewide takes place Saturday at 3 p.m. in Boone for a group of 35 from a headquarters unit.
Sgt. Cosandra Agan of Davenport hugs her mother Mary Rickertsen of Davenport following a welcome home ceremony for the Iowa Army National Guard's 334th Brigade Support Battalion at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena on Friday in Cedar Rapids. The unit was deployed in August of 2010 and served in Afghanistan since November of 2010. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)
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