MAJOR GENERAL STEPHEN OSBORN, THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD, DELIVERED THE ANNUAL CONDITION OF THE GUARD ADDRESS TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE THURSDAY.
OSBORN THANKED LAWMAKERS FOR PROVIDING OVER $16.6-MILLION DOLLARS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AND ANOTHER$6.4-MILLION FOR SERVICE SCHOLARSHIPS TO SUPPORT 988 AIRMEN AND SOLDIERS.
NEARLY 9,000 FULL AND PART-TIME SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN SERVE IN THE GUARD, INCLUDING AT SIOUX CITY’S 185TH AIR NATIONAL GUARD AIR REFUELING WING.
HE TALKED ABOUT THE MISSIONS EACH GUARD UNIT SERVED, INCLUDING THE 185TH:
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GENERAL OSBORN SINGLED OUT SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL GUARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR WORK, INCLUDING MASTER SERGEANT SARAH ORWIG, THE FIRST FEMALE IOWA AIR NATIONAL GUARD COMMAND CHIEF:
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OSBORN ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE 185TH’S 13-MILLION-DOLLAR FEDERAL RENOVATION OF THEIR AIR CREW OPERATIONS BUILDING, WHICH ADDED NEW GLOBAL COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES AND AIR-CREW FACILITIES.
HE STATED THAT MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE RUNWAY AND RAMP THERE AT THE SIOUX CITY GATEWAY AIRPORT:
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THE GOVERNORS OF IOWA, NEBRASKA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA COLLECTIVELY SIGNED A LETTER OF SUPPORT DURING THE 2023 TRI-STATE GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE IN SIOUX CITY SUPPORTING THE RUNWAY REPLACEMENT.
GENERAL OSBORN SAYS OVERALL, THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD MANPOWER LEVEL IS ABOUT WHERE IT SHOULD BE, BUT RECRUITING CAN BE A CHALLENGE:
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HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE 185TH’S INNOVATIVE READINESS TRAINING PROJECT COMPLETED IN WOODBINE THIS PAST YEAR THAT DELIVERS JOINT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE DEPLOYMENT READINESS THAT PROVIDED HANDS ON TRAINING FOR 30 AIRMEN.
THE CIVIL ENGINEERING SQUADRON OF THE 185TH ALSO COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW STEM CLASSROOM FOR THE WOODBINE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Photo & audio courtesy Iowa Public Broadcasting