Stories

Approximately 1,000 soldiers and airmen from the Iowa National Guard will assist federal, state and local agencies with support missions for the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.

U. S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, a Democrat representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, returned home Friday after sharing Thanksgiving Day dinner with service men and women in Afghanistan.
“I have visited the troops in Afghanistan twice before, and on this trip had the special opportunity to give thanks and celebrate our country’s values as embodied in the [...]

From the nonpartisan web site OpenSecrets:
According to an analysis of campaign contributions by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, and the fiercely anti-war Ron Paul, though he suspended his [...]

Perhaps it is my personal experience of growing up in a family of veterans that grieved for the loss of a son in Vietnam that pushes me to believe that every war-time generation has secrets it does not wish to pass on to the next generation. I know first hand how graphic descriptions can take up residence in your mind, nearly forgotten until they are triggered back to the forefront to blaze a new trail of horror and sorrow.

By that same token, I also believe that when veterans or the families of veterans choose to speak of their experiences, the nation should stop and listen with grave intent.

The Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would help prevent Iowa soldiers from losing custody of their children because of their active-duty service. Senate File 2214 would protect Iowa Guard members’ and Reservists’ custodial rights during periods of federal activation. The bill would allow a court to order a temporary change of custody only [...]

Due to heavy snowfall and hazardous driving conditions, all schools in the Iowa City area shut down Wednesday. This, however, did not deter Regina Catholic School from opening its doors to host the Iowa National Guard’s 109th Medical Battalion’s send-off ceremony.
109th Medical Battalion stands at attention to begin the ceremony
Hundreds of friends and family members [...]

Robert J. Miller, 24, who moved to Iowa City to pursue his love for gymnastics at the University of Iowa, died on a battlefield in Afghanistan four years later.

The Department of Defense announced Saturday that Army Staff Sgt. Miller died from wounds he received during enemy small-arms fire during combat operations for Operation Enduring Freedom [...]

One thing that Iowa’s Rep. Bruce Braley has proven during his freshman year in Congress is that he’s not afraid to take on the entrenched powers of Washington, D.C. While serving on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Braley, D-Iowa, earned the respect of the blogosphere in March, when he grilled Lurita Doan, [...]

Gov. Culver’s intentions may have been in the right place when he signed his first executive order as Iowa’s commander-in-chief, a directive that calls for flying flags half-staff to honor Iowa’s newly fallen soldiers. But the question still remains whether the governor intends to put his foot down and enforce its compliance. Although the flags [...]

While many Iowans spent Veterans Day weekend recognizing veterans and their sacrifices, members of the 186th Military Police Company, a Johnston-based Iowa Army National Guard unit, were bus-bound to Fort Dix, N.J. For the fourth time in the past 17 years, the Combat Military Police Company has been ordered to federal active duty. The 186th [...]