(Red Oak, IA) — There were plenty of tears and hugs from about 200 family members as the troops of the 334th Brigade Support Battalion of the Iowa National Guard were deployed on Wednesday from Red Oak Armory. United States Senator Joni Ernst was on hand in her hometown to send Hotel Company out on its mission. Ernst says it was almost 22 years ago when she was taking her own unit overseas to conduct Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Commander of Hotel Company is Captain Tanner Hull who says it was fate that he command this company — his grandfather was in the same company and his great grandfather did as well
After about a 20 minute ceremony and greeting soldiers and their families, Senator Ernst talked exclusively with KSOM and KS 95 about coming home
The first stop for Hotel Company is Fort Johnson in Louisiana to train for about a month and then is expected to go overseas.
