Statewide Iowa — Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Stephen Osborn — appointed to the post last March — says he’s leading the greatest transformation of the Guard in its 186-year history.
Olson delivered the annual “Condition of the Guard” address to Iowa lawmakers this (Thursday) morning.
Olson has hired a full-time staff director to oversee Army and Air Guard operations. Also, in response to a congressional mandate, he’s hired 14 new civilian employees to help service members with violence and sexual assault prevention, as well as victim advocacy.
There are nearly nine-thousand soldiers, airmen, and civilian staff in the Iowa National Guard today. Iowa Army National Guard units have deployed to Poland, Kosovo, the Middle East, and the US/Mexico border in the past year. Airmen from the Iowa Air Guard were on missions in Korea, Japan, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Greenland, and Germany.
