AN ARMY OF FAMILY, FRIENDS AND WELL WISHERS GATHERED NEAR THE RUNWAY OF SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT IN SIOUX CITY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON TO WELCOME HOME 59 MEMBERS OF THE IOWA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD FROM THE MIDDLE EAST.
THE SOLDIERS WERE PART OF “OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE.” WHO SERVED WITH THE 2ND BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 34TH INFANTRY DIVISION IN SYRIA AND IRAQ.
FIRST SERGEANT COLE COOLEY FROM SPENCER WAS AMONG THE GUARD MEMBERS RECEIVING A ROUSING WELCOME HOME:
COOLEY1 OC……….WE’RE ACTUALLY HOME. :18
COOLEY SERVES WITH THE 194TH FIELD ARTILLERY IN IOWA AND WAS STATIONED IN IRAQ FOR THIS MISSION SINCE LAST JULY:
COOLEY2 OC…….IRAQI ARMY. :12
SGT. COOLEY SAYS IT’S EMOTIONAL FOR THE UNIT TO BE BACK HOME AFTER LOSING TWO SOLDIERS WHO WERE KILLED IN A TERROR ATTACK IN SYRIA LATE LAST YEAR:
COOLEY3 OC…TAKE ALL MY SOLDIERS HOME. :15
COOLEY SAYS HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO RECONNECTING WITH TWO MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY THAT HE COULDN’T TALK TO WHILE OVERSEAS:
COOLEY4 OC……..HARD TO EXPLAIN. :08
TWO OTHER WELCOME HOME CEREMONIES TOOK PLACE IN DES MOINES.
