RELEASED BY Capt. Ramah Husidic PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER OFFICE: 515-252-4582 CELL: 515-971-6385

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

CAMP DODGE JOHNSTON, Aug. 21, 2020 15:00 P.M.

IOWA UNITS RECEIVE MOBILIZATION ORDERS FOR CENTCOM

The Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 734th Regional Support Group, and the 3654th Support Maintenance Company recently received deployment orders for Operation Spartan Shield in U.S. Central Command, a region which encompasses 27 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

The Headquarters Company will deploy from Camp Dodge with approximately 80 Soldiers mobilizing in early 2021. Their primary mission will be to conduct mission command of sustainment operations in support of U.S. and Coalition forces, including maintaining contracting officer representatives to manage logistics contracts and contractor activities. This will be the first deployment for the headquarters element.

The 3654th SMC is based in Knoxville, Iowa, with a detachment in Oskaloosa. The unit will deploy with approximately 150 Soldiers in early 2021 and will conduct a wide range of maintenance operations as well as contracting oversight throughout CENTCOM.

Most recently, the 3654th SMC mobilized to Cedar Rapids in 2016 to assist county and state emergency management departments in flood mitigation efforts. The unit was last activated into in March 2003 in support of the global war on terrorism.

IOWA NATIONAL GUARD Always Ready

IOWA NATIONAL GUARD Page 2 of 2 Always Ready

The 734 RSG has been mobilized since April 2020, in support of state COVID-19 response throughout Iowa, to assist county and state emergency management departments in PPE distribution and TestIowa support operations.

The units are currently working to schedule send-off ceremonies, which will be announced at a later date.

* * * * * * * * *

For questions concerning this release as well as additional information about the operations, training, and activities of the Iowa Army and , please contact Capt. Ramah Husidic, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer by email at [email protected] or 515-252-4582 (office) or 515-971-6385 (cell).

-- END --

IOWA NATIONAL GUARD Always Ready