Le Mars, Iowa (RI) — Iowa National Guard members in northwest Iowa are preparing for a major, year-long deployment next month that’ll take them to an undisclosed location in the Middle East.
Captain Ivan Naranjo, commander of the Le Mars-based 113th Cavalry Unit, says they’re ready to carry out their assigned mission.
The Le Mars unit is one of many from Iowa that will make up a force of 18 hundred taking part in the mission. Naranjo took over command of the 113th about a year ago, and he says he’s very fortunate.
Following his service in Afghanistan, this will be Naranjo’s second deployment overseas, a mission for which he and the rest of the unit have long been training.
There will be a sendoff ceremony for the Le Mars unit on May 28th at Le Mars Community High School. After the sendoff, the 113th will leave for the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, then the soldiers will be overseas for about ten months.
(John Slegers, KLEM, Le Mars)
