Sioux City, Iowa -- Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team have joined Airmen from Sioux City’s 185th Air Refueling Wing and the Johnston-based Joint Forces Headquarters to establish Joint Task Force West at the Iowa Air National Guard facility in Sioux City.
This joint operations center will provide planning, logistics and coordination support to COVID-19 response efforts in western Iowa and will facilitate a faster response capability as needed. Similar Iowa National Guard operations centers are currently active in Johnston and Iowa City.
The Iowa National Guard has continued to work alongside the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to distribute vital medical personal protective equipment across the state. Soldiers have delivered over 280 pallets of supplies to more than 90 of Iowa’s 99 counties. These deliveries have been supported by transportation elements in the 1034th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 734th Regional Support Group, based at Camp Dodge.
Additionally, the Iowa National Guard has provided medical screening tents to hospitals and clinics in Polk, Mahaska and Clarke counties.
Video from JTF-West is available on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS):
To stay up to date on all of the Iowa National Guard’s COVID-19 response efforts, be sure to find us on Facebook and Instagram @IowaNationalGuard and follow us on Twitter @IowaNatGuard.
For questions concerning this release as well as additional information about the operations, training and activities of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, please contact Col. Michael Wunn, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer by email at michael.a.wunn.mil@mail.mil or 515-252-4582 (office) or 515-971-6385 (cell).