Public Meetings Cover Iowa 'Red Bull' JRTC & Follow-on Deployment

Col. Eric Soults, 2/34 Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander, speaks at the Boone Readiness Center, Boone, Iowa, Mar. 13, 2025. The brigade hosted a town hall to speak about their upcoming deployment and answer questions from community members. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Annalise Guckenberger 

Corrected Mar. 17, 2025 re: Oelwein & Iowa Falls times: 7:30 a.m. is correct, not p.m.

BOONE, IOWA—In a "town hall"-style event conducted Thurs., 9 a.m. Mar. 13 at the Boone National Guard armory, representatives of the Iowa Army National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division conducted the first of 18 statewide events regarding the upcoming June 2025 rotation of approximately 3,300 Iowa soldiers to three weeks of simulated combat training at Joint Readiness Training Center (J.R.T.C.), Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Louisiana, with a follow-on 12-month deployment of 1,800 of those soldiers to Operation Inherent Resolve (O.I.R.) to various locations and missions, including those in the Middle East.

"We're training to fight something like World War 2—that's the type training they do at JRTC," said brigade commander Col. Eric Soults. "I'm excited for the opportunity to show what we can do." Regarding the 12-month deployment, however, he cautioned the public from regarding the mission as an urgent response to global news headlines. "We'll be helping to maintain security in the region," he said. "It's not related to any contingency mission. [Operation Inherent Resolve] is an enduring mission that's been there since 2014."

While details are still forthcoming, send-off ceremonies are anticipated to be scheduled for afternoons between May 28 to May 30, 2025. Mobilizing soldiers will depart directly from Louisiana—a first for JRTC, according to brigade leaders.

The panel-style "town hall" events are intended to provide family members, employers, educators, and other community members with initial information regarding timelines, policies, and resources. Family readiness and employer-support experts were on-hand, as well as local business and community leaders. Subsequent events will be conducted in armories across the state. Family members are encouraged to attend any of these meetings, regardless of their soldier's unit affiliation. A digital brochure regarding the events is here at this link. The events may also be live-streamed via the brigade's Facebook page.

• March 25: Fort Dodge armory, 10:30 a.m.
• March 25: Davenport armory, 6 p.m.
• March 26: Mount Pleasant armory, 6. p.m.
• March 31: Dubuque armory, 7:30 a.m.
• April 1: Waterloo armory, 7:30 a.m.
• April 2: Iowa City armory, 7:30 a.m.
• April 3: Esterville armory, 10:30 a.m.
• April 4: Sioux City armory, 9 a.m.
• April 4: Le Mars armory, 12 noon
• April 8: Council Bluffs armory, 6 p.m.
• April 8: Carroll armory, 6 p.m.
• April 8: Red Oak armory, 6 p.m.
• April 8: West Des Moines armory, 6 p.m.
• April 9: Oelwein armory, 7:30 a.m.
• April 10: Iowa Falls armory, 7:30 a.m.
• April 14: Camp Dodge "Freedom Center" armory, building S70, 7:30 a.m.
• April 15: Cedar Rapids armory, 6 p.m.

Stoults said the upcoming rotation and deployment was a recurring part of the U.S. National Guard's role as an operational reserve within the nation's armed forces. Units train on a roughly 5-year cycle, and are made available for missions in the years in which they are most-ready and -capable. "This will be some of the hardest training we can do, and also the most rewarding," Soults said of the Joint Readiness Training Center rotation.

While the brigade will be "in the box" for three weeks of simulated combat, the JRTC rotation will also involve additional Iowa troops in training-support roles. For realism, soldiers "in the box" will not have access to outside communications, including personal cell phones, during the 3-week rotation.

According to Soults, the Iowa brigade will be joined by a company from the Kosovo Security Force (K.S.F.), reflecting the state's long relationship with Kosovo via the U.S. National Guard's State Partnership Program (S.P.P.). The Iowa brigade will also be joined by a brigade from Colorado, along with a company of that state's counterparts from the country of Jordan. Companies from Minnesota and Alabama are also anticipated. In all, Soults said, approximately 6,000 troops will be participating in the JRTC event.

Soults noted that the Iowa brigade of 3,300 citizen-soldiers comprises approximately 165 full-time active-duty personnel, which will be supplemented by another 116 traditional citizen-soldiers starting  temporary activity-duty by the end of May 2025. Armories will continue to be open during the 12-month deployment.

Soults encouraged families of deploying soldiers to start working on household details such as automatic bill-payments, lawn care, and snow removal. "Now is the time to get things ready."

He encouraged soldiers and families to establish good and clear communications. "Don't assume that your soldier is deploying unless they specifically tell you," he said. "On the other hand, don't assume that your soldier is not deploying until they tell you, either."

'Journey to Normal' Film Features Iowa Red Bulls

In its Iowa premiere, the 2017 documentary "Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home" will be shown in an exclusive, one-time engagement on the Boone, Iowa campus of Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) at 7 p.m., Thurs., March 22, 2018.

A Q&A session with producer and director JulieHera DeStefano will follow the 93-minute film.

Hundreds of women service members were interviewed for the film project, and plans call for their stories to be archived and made available to researchers via the non-profit Journey to Normal website, producers say.

"Since 2001, over 280,000 women have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan," the documentary says. "Journey to Normal shares 8 of their stories so that we might reflect on the individual experiences of all who serve."

Two of the eight women featured in the film are originally from Iowa. Featured in the documentary are:

• Jessica Astorga Dayton, a U.S. Air Force nurse from Dayton, Ohio
• Abby Brookbank Allen, a U.S. Army National Guard combat medic from Ida Grove, Iowa
• Ivonne Daly, a U.S. Army Reserve surgeon from Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Jill Finken, a U.S. Army National Guard attorney from Souix City, Iowa
• Christine Mau, a U.S. Air Force F-15 pilot from Mountain Home, Idaho
• Judi Reeves, a U.S. Army Reserve surgical technician from Middletown, N.Y.
• Devon Reyes, a U.S. Army Military Intelligence officer from Fort Knox, Ky.
• Amy Sinkler, a U.S. Army truck driver from Chadbourn, N.C.

The event is the last installment in the inaugural "In Their Boots Film Festival," a three-month series of film presentations intended to foster conversations about military service, veterans issues, and social reintegration. The event is co-sponsored by the DMACC-Boone student group In My Boots 5k, and the Central Iowa non-profit Paws & Effect. The festival is made possible by a generous grant from Humanities Iowa.

"Because we train service dogs for veterans, we recognize that 'coming home' from a wartime deployment can be a journey, not a destination," says Nicole Shumate, executive director of Paws & Effect. "Reintegrating into our society and with our families doesn't just happen overnight, and it doesn't happen without hard work and continued support. We are extremely proud to celebrate the lives and stories of the veterans depicted in 'Journey to Normal'—and all who have walked these paths."

In 2010-2011, in what was described as the largest deployment of Iowa troops since World War II, the Iowa Army National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) sent more than 3,000 citizen-soldiers overseas as part of the "Afghan Surge." The 2-34th BCT is headquartered in Boone.

Randy Brown, a Central Iowa-based freelance writer and editor of "Reporting for Duty," a collection of U.S. Army public affairs reports from the Iowa brigade's deployment, says that "Journey to Normal" uniquely captures some of what it was like to deploy to Afghanistan—and what it is like to return to family, friends, school, and work following a wartime deployment. "All of these stories are important—individually and collectively," says Brown. "To most of us, this is a depiction of war far more 'real' and relevant than popular movies about snipers and drones."

Interviews with at least three "Red Bull" soldiers are featured in the documentary. Each appears multiple times on-camera, in settings both downrange and "back home." Abby Brookbank was a combat medic assigned to 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1-168th Inf.), and was based at Forward Operating Base ("FOB") Gardez. Jill Finken was an attorney assigned to the brigade headquarters, which was based at Bagram Airfield ("BAF") during the 2010-2011 deployment. Martha Kester, a chaplain with 334th Brigade Support Battalion, also makes a number of appearances throughout the film.

For more information about "Journey to Normal," visit here. A Facebook page is here.

To view an early (2011) trailer about the film, visit here.

There will be a freewill donation pasta dinner fund-raiser preceding the movie, starting 6 p.m. in the DMACC-Boone food court area. Proceeds will go to support the "In Our Boots 5k" run, walk, and ruck fund-raiser event April 14, 2018. The 93-minute movie "Journey to Normal" will be shown in the adjacent auditorium starting 7 p.m.

A Facebook page for the "In My Boots 5k" student group is here. A website is here.

A registration page for the April 14, 2018 5k run, walk, and ruck event is here.

Book Captures 'Red Bull' Stories from Afghan Surge

At the height of the Afghan Surge, more than 100,000 U.S. and coalition troops were committed to a counterinsurgency (COIN) mission of "clear, hold, and build" on behalf of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Clear the countryside of insurgent fighters. Hold the terrain, alongside Afghan security forces. Build infrastructure, commerce, and rule-of-law.

As part of this wave, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) deployed more than 3,000 citizen-soldiers to Eastern Afghanistan. It was the largest call-up of Iowa troops since World War II—and one of the only times a U.S. National Guard brigade was designated as a "battlespace owner" during Operation Enduring Freedom. They called themselves "Task Force Red Bulls."

Johnston, Iowa-based Middle West Press LLC announces the November 2016 publication of "Reporting for Duty," an historical collection of U.S. Army public affairs articles and images released during the 2-34th's 2010-2011 deployment as Task Force Red Bulls. The fully indexed, 668-page trade paperback features more than 285 easy-to-read articles, and more than 360 black & white newspaper-quality photos. Retail price is $27.99 U.S. The book is available via national on-line book vendors, such as Amazon here.

A 60-second promotional book trailer is here, and below this blog post.

"Task Force Red Bulls Public Affairs produced an amazing amount of content while in Afghanistan—easily more than 1 million words, and hundreds of images," says book's editor Randy Brown. Brown is a retired member of the Iowa unit and a former Iowa community newspaper editor. In May-June 2011, Brown also embedded with the 2-34th BCT for a few weeks in Afghanistan. "During the deployment, readers of individual news articles probably couldn't appreciate the scope and the scale of the missions at hand. Each story related to the larger "clear, hold, and build" mission of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan."

"It's been amazing to pull all of those narratives together, and to re-order them chronologically," Brown says. "With everything collected as a book, the Red Bull's deployment year becomes this epic story—with a beginning, middle, and end."

While digital archives such as the Defense Video and Image Distribution System (DVIDS, pronounced "DIH-vids") continue to operate, Brown notes that many deployment-specific websites and social media channels have proven less permanent. "Websites such as 'IowaRedBulls.com' and 'CJTF-101.com' simply no longer exist," he says. "This on-line history needed to be preserved in print."

With assistance and new insights from former members of the Task Force Red Bulls Public Affairs, Brown compiled, edited, and indexed 2010-2011 Army news coverage from "Area of Operations Red Bulls," which includes Parwan, Panjshir and Laghman provinces, along with a portion of Nuristan.

Also included is similar coverage from Paktya Province—"Area of Operations Lethal"—where Iowa's 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1-168th Inf.) was deployed "Task Force Lethal" under a different brigade's control. Coverage includes a full-spectrum of activities and actions by Red Bull units and their partners, including Provincial Reconstruction Teams (P.R.T.), Agribusiness Development Teams (A.D.T.), Embedded Training Teams (E.T.T.), and more.

"I'm particularly pleased that we were able to successfully index the coverage," says Brown. "Readers can look up soldiers by name, to find family and friends in every story or photo in which they're mentioned. This is a great research tool. I particularly hope this book finds its way into community, school, family, and museum libraries."

In 2017, the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division celebrates its 100th anniversary. "Middle West Press will be looking at additional projects involving Midwestern voices and history. And continuing to tell the Iowa National Guard and 34th Inf. Div. stories will, no doubt, be a large part of that effort," says Brown.

Middle West Press LLC is a Central Iowa-based independent press, with a mission of preserving and promoting new voices and visions of the American Middle West. For information:

Middle West Press
P.O. Box 31099
Johnston, Iowa 50131-9423

Or visit: www.middlewestpress.com.

Iowa 'Red Bull' Units Awarded Organizational Honors

By Staff Sgt. Chad Nelson
Iowa National Guard

During a March 2014 ceremony, Maj. Gen. Tim Orr, The Adjutant General of Iowa, presented the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) and subordinate battalions with Meritorious Unit Commendation battle streamers for their performance of duty in Eastern Afghanistan, 2010-2011.

United States Army Permanent Order #176-07 DATED 25 JUNE 2013 reads:

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is presented to for exceptionally meritorious service during the period 15 November 2010 to 20 July 2011. The Headquarters 2d Brigade Combat Team 34th Infantry Division and the cited units demonstrated the ability to execute counterinsurgency operations and accomplished the mission beyond the call of duty. Their expertise in bringing decisive combat power to bear on the enemy wherever and whenever needed set the conditions for overwhelming victory and represents a phenomenal effort. 

The units’ support of the Afghan government and Afghan National Security Force partners facilitated the creation of a safe and stable environment for Afghanistan’s citizens and set the conditions necessary for sustainable progress in governance, development and agriculture. The dedication and performance of Headquarters 2d Brigade Combat Team 34th Infantry Division and the cited units are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon the units, the 34th Infantry Division and the United States Army. BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY.

The photo above includes the organizational colors with the current command teams, comprising commanders and command sergeants major. These colors represent the more than 3,500 soldiers of the 2-34th BCT:

• 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division – Col. Damian Donahoe and Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Adams

• 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment – Lt. Col. David Nixon and Command Sgt. Maj. Joedy Dennis

• 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment – Lt. Col. Scott Keeley and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Strasser

• 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery Regiment – Lt. Col. Derek Adams and Command Sgt. Maj. James Cline

• 334th Brigade Support Battalion – Lt. Col. Chad Stone and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Collins

• 2/34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion – Lt. Col. Wade McKnight and Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Dreher

• 185th Combat Service Support Battalion – Lt. Col. Joni Ernst and Command Sgt. Maj. David Enright, standing in for Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Newton

The 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Reg. (1-168th Inf.) also deployed with the 2-34th BCT. The unit is commanded by Lt. Col. Tim Sulzner, who is assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Miller, and was was recognized with a Meritorious Unit Commendation as part of the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagle" Division earlier this year.”

Iowa Brigade Welcomes New Command Team

Commanders of Iowa's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, past and present. From left to right, Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Orr, the adjutant general of the state of Iowa; Col. Ronald Albrecht; Col. Benjamin J. Corell, the outgoing 2-34th BCT commander; Col. Michael G. Amundson, incoming 2-34th BCT commander.

*****
Editor's note: Earlier this month, elements of the Iowa Army National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) conducted annual training at Camp Ripley, Minn. and Camp Dodge, Iowa. This was the first "normal" annual training since 2009.

At annual training in 2010, some 3,000 citizen-soldiers of the 2-34th BCT prepared for deployment to Eastern Afghanistan. The unit returned in July and August 2011, too late for those soldiers who had deployed to conduct annual training.

The 2-34th BCT often informally calls itself as the "Ryder" brigade, a reference both to its peacetime radio call sign and to World War II division commander Maj. Gen. Charles Wolcott Ryder. Ryder commanded the U.S. 34th Division from May 1942 to July 1944, through operations in the North African and Italian campaigns.

In U.S. Army radio-telephone tradition, the commander of a unit is usually designated by the numeral "six." Hence, the 2-34th BCT commander referring to himself in this article as "Ryder-6."

*****
'Ryder Brigade Welcomes New Command Team'
By Staff Sgt. Chad D. Nelson
2-34th BCT Public Affairs
Iowa Army National Guard

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT), held consecutive "change of command" and "change of responsibility" ceremonies June 18, 2012, during annual training at Camp Ripley, Minn.

Col. Michael G. Amundson took command from Col. Benjamin J. Corell. Command Sgt. Maj. William L. Adams assumed responsibility for the soldiers from Command Sgt. Maj. Joel M. Arnold.

Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Orr takes the brigade colors
from a smiling Col. Benjamin J. Corell,
outgoing 2-34th BCT commander.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Chad D. Nelson

Assisted by Arnold, Corell commanded 2-34th BCT when the unit deployed to Eastern Afghanistan. It was the Iowa National Guard’s largest deployment since World War II.

During a 2005 to 2007 deployment with Minnesota's 1-34th BCT to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Corell and Arnold had also previously served as command team of Iowa's 1st "IRONMAN" Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133rd Inf.), headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa. Arnold was also first-sergeant of Bravo Company , 1-133rd Inf., when Corell commanded the unit on a 2003-2004 peacekeeping rotation to Sinai, Egypt with the Multinational Force and Observers (M.F.O.).

Arnold was recently assigned as the 34th Division's command sergeant major. The unit is headquartered in Rosemount, Minn.

The Camp Ripley event was unique, in that it consisted of both a change of command and a change of responsibility. However, Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Orr, the adjutant general of the state Iowa and previous 2-34th BCT commander, was quick to note how it was a fitting marriage: “It isn’t about individuals, it’s about teams.”

During his speech, Orr commended the outgoing command team of Corell and Arnold. “Your duty performance was just absolutely outstanding,” he said. Orr noted the challenges of moving more than 3,000 troops to Afghanistan, and leading them in the execution of "full-spectrum operations"—everything from training Afghan police to closing with and destroying the enemy.

“You brought that brigade,” he said. “You prepared it, you organized it, you trained it and you led it into combat. You took care of the soldiers, you brought them home and you reset them,” Orr said.

Orr also addressed the capabilities of the incoming command team.

This is a team that has been around awhile; they grew up in the brigade,” Orr said. Amundson, Corell’s “right-hand man,” deployed to Afghanistan as the deputy commanding officer of the brigade. Adams most recently served as the command sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (1-168th Inf.), Council Bluffs, Iowa. During the Afghan deployment, Adams served as command sergeant major for 334th Brigade Support Battalion (334th BSB). Both the 1-168th Inf. and 334th BSB are 2-34th BCT units.

“This brigade is in great hands,” Orr said.

The incoming command team plans to build upon the foundation created by the outgoing team.

Col. Benjamin J. Corell presents a saber to incoming Command
Sgt. Maj. William L. Adams in a "change of responsibility"
ceremony conducted June 18 at Camp Ripley, Minn.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Chad D. Nelson

“[Arnold and I] sat at Bagram Air Base and talked a lot about the things he did to improve the brigade. I will stand before you and tell you those things are going to continue. The standards we lived up to, we’re going to carry on and improve upon,” Adams said.

“[Corell’s] mentorship and guidance over the last two years has been instrumental in my development as an officer and a future commander,” Amundson said.

Arnold also took note of Corell’s guidance and sense of teamwork.

“From the very first time we worked together, Corell said, ‘We are a team; we make it happen together.’”

Arnold also took this opportunity to impart some final words of wisdom.

“The road is now yours ... You’re going to take your own road, but remember: Excellence is contagious and success breeds success.”

During Corell’s remarks, he reflected on the tremendous responsibilities involved in deploying a U.S. National Guard infantry brigade combat team.

“Major muscle movements ... seminars, Leadership Training Programs, individual medical and training requirements, collective training requirements, logistical validations, issuing equipment, Rapid Fielding Initiatives, the list seemed to go on and on,” he said.

After moving 3,000 citizen-soldiers to annual training at Camp Ripley, Minn. in June 2010, to mobilization station at Camp Shelby, Miss. in July 2010, to Fort Irwin, Calif. and the National Training Center in September 2010, and to combat in Afghanistan and back, Corell looks back fondly on his command.

“It has been a great ride. It’s time for me to move on. For the last time, ‘Ryder-6, out!’”

Remember the Names; Tell Their Stories

This new Red Bull Rising post originally appeared as a guest opinion in the Iowa City (Iowa) Press-Citizen May 28, 2012:

I joined the Iowa Army National Guard because I wanted to serve God, country and community. What I didn’t realize was that, in addition to paying for my education and giving me a part-time (and sometimes full-time) job, I’d receive a lifetime of “war stories” in return.

In 1993, I slung sandbags in Cedar Rapids. My wedding in 1997 was nearly postponed by a deployment to Bosnia. [The wedding happened, the deployment did not.] In 2000, I monitored levees on the Mississippi River, protecting some of my old high school haunts. In 2003, I ran a movie theater, and radio and TV stations on a beach in Egypt. During the blizzards of 2007, I worked the night shift in the state operations center. In 2009, I helped prepare 1,000 troops for a short-notice mission to support a U.S. presidential inauguration.

When I first raised my right hand to enlist, I couldn’t have predicted any of that. Lots of stories.

In 2010, I prepared to deploy with 3,000 Iowans of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry “Red Bull” Division (2-34th BCT). It was the largest deployment of Iowa National Guard troops since World War II. Paperwork got in the way of my deployment, but I went later as a civilian reporter. That, too, makes for a good story: "Middle-aged Midwestern Boy meets Afghan deployment, boy loses deployment, boy goes to Afghanistan anyway."

Some war stories I tell to entertain others. Some of them I don’t. Sometimes, I change the names, especially on the goofy ones. Sometimes, however, the names are the essential part of the story: 

• Sgt. Brent M. Maher, 31, of Honey Creek. Killed April 11, 2011, in Paktia Province, when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated under the armored vehicle in which he was positioned as gunner. 

• Spc. Donald L. Nichols, 21, of Shell Rock. Killed April 13, 2011, in Laghman Province, when an IED detonated under the vehicle in which he was traveling.

• Staff Sgt. James A. Justice, 32, of Grimes. Killed April 23, 2011, by small-arms fire in Kapisa Province, during an helicopter-borne mission to secure the position of a downed U.S. attack helicopter. 

• Sgt. First Class Terryl L. Pasker, 39, of Cedar Rapids. Killed by small-arms fire July 10, 2011, when a rogue Afghan security officer attacked at a makeshift traffic stop in Panjshir Province. 

Maher was a husband, a father of three and worked an Omaha auto dealership.

Nichols was engaged to be married; his brother, a U.S. Army Reserve soldier then also deployed to Afghanistan, escorted the body home.

Justice—his nickname was “Juice”—was a hardworking NCO who fought to go on the deployment even after the Red Bull had left Iowa in August 2010. He arrived in country in February 2011. He had a wife Amanda, and a daughter named Caydence.

Pasker? After a year in the “safest province in Afghanistan”—U.S. soldiers in Panjshir didn’t drive armored military trucks, out of respect to their local hosts — he was planning to retire, go back to building homes, and start a family with his wife, Erica. His unit was just days away from returning to Iowa when he was killed.

People don’t have to visit a cemetery to celebrate the lives and sacrifices of our citizen-soldiers, nor should they forget the friends and families who bear scars and burdens long after the trumpets play. They do, however, have to remember. And people can’t remember if we don’t talk about the fallen. We have to say the names. We have to tell their stories.

The 2012 feature film “Memorial Day”—available on DVD and Blu-ray May 29—tells the story of a Minnesota boy who confronts his grandfather with a dusty World War II footlocker, filled with souvenirs. Actor James Cromwell’s character tells 13-year-old Kyle: “I didn’t loot. And I didn’t steal. I collected things that would help me remember.”

Me? I collect stories.

Kyle grows up to wear the same 34th Division “Red Bull” patch currently worn by many Minnesota and Iowa National Guard soldiers. Like thousands of other Midwestern veterans and citizen-soldiers, I proudly wore that patch on my shoulder. So did Maher, Nichols, Justice and Pasker.

After I retired, I packed my own footlocker, after my wife asked me to rid the house of my surplus Army baggage. Into a single government-issue box, I put 20 years of uniforms and boots, along with patches, pins, and other paraphernalia.

One day, I’ll tell my kids about what’s inside. I will tell them about the Red Bull. I will tell them about giving back, and putting your life on hold to serve country and community. I’ll tell them about making each day count, and never taking anything for granted.

Especially coming home.

Iowa Red Bull Soldier Killed in Panjshir

Just days or weeks away from his return from a yearlong deployment, Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker, 39, of Cedar Rapids was killed approximately 9:30 a.m. Afghan time, Sat., July 9 when an Afghan National Directorate of Security (N.D.S.) trooper opened fire on Pasker's vehicle while it was stopped at a traffic control point. The incident took place in Darah District of Panjshir Province near a construction project site. An unidentified U.S. civilian law enforcement professional ("LEP") in Pasker's vehicle was also killed.

Iowa National Guard officials announced Pasker's death at a July 10 press conference at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

Master Sgt. Todd Eipperle of Marshalltown, Iowa, was also injured during the attack. As the driver of a vehicle that preceded Pasker's through the traffic control point, Eipperle reportedly stopped his vehicle when shots were fired, exited his vehicle to return fire and killed Pasker's assailant. The attack is under investigation.

The New York Times reported on the incident here.

Eipperle is receiving treatment at an Army medical facility in Afghanistan. He is a member of Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, which is headquartered in Boone.

Pasker is a member of Bravo Company, 334th Brigade Support Battalion, headquartered in Cedar Rapids. Assigned as an electronic maintenance supervisor, he was serving in Panjshir as part a small Embedded Training Team (E.T.T.) that advises, mentors, and assists Afghan police. An Iowa National Guard spokesman said Sunday that Pasker owned a contracting business in Eastern Iowa, and brought a hardworking "construction mentality" to his work in Panjshir. Part of his military duties involved monitoring contractor performance on coalition-funded projects.

Pansjhir is traditionally celebrated as one of the safest provinces in Afghanistan, a place in which U.S. military personnel do not typically wear helmets and body armor. (Locals take great pride in the security of their region--neither the Soviets nor the Taliban were able to effectively penetrate the province--and are said to take offense at any suggestion that guests in their valley are not safe.) Also, U.S. personnel in Panjshir routinely travel in unarmed-but-armored pickup trucks or SUVs, rather than Mine-Resistant Ambushed-Protected (M-RAP, pronounced "em-rap") vehicles more familiar to other parts of the country.

Earlier this year, U.S. state department officials in Panjshir anticipated that the province would be wholly "transitioned" to Afghan responsibility as early as Fall 2011.

Pasker had previously deployed to Afghanistan in 2004-2005. He is survived by a wife, his mother and father, one brother, and two sisters. He and his wife reportedly planned to start a family following his pending 2012 retirement from the Iowa Army National Guard. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Eipperle, the senior enlisted officer for Task Force Red Bulls' training team in Panjshir, is in his civilian career the District Director of the Mid-Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In January, he connected via videoconference Cub Scout Pack 182 in Iowa with an Afghan National Police (A.N.P.) officer in Panjshir. The policeman shared some insights about Afghan life, and taught the scouts some words in the Dari language.

"When I thanked Captain [Sefat] Mire for doing this for our boys, he simply replied, 'It's something I will remember forever,'" Eipperle said at the time.

Chasing the Red Bull

The U.S. National Guard and Reserves claim lineage dating even earlier than the Minutemen (and women, too) of the American Revolution. It's the image of an Average Joe in a tri-cornered hat, however, that sticks first in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

No longer do we immediately drop our plows to pick up muskets, however. As part of an operational reserve to our nation's defense, our individual paths to war are often much longer than a moment's notice.

In late 2008, for example, some 3,000 Iowa National Guard soldiers and I were nominated for duty in Iraq. In 2009, our units were alerted--one official step up from "nomination for deployment"--instead for Afghanistan. In January 2010, I was put onto stateside active-duty in preparation for mobilization. Our unit wouldn't be "mobilized"--placed into service of the federal government, rather than that of the state--until July.

My role in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) had been a new job position: "Battle Command Knowledge Officer." Also known as the "Knowledge Management Officer" (K.M.O.). As the KMO, My assigned tasks included integrating and optimizing Army computer systems, archiving organizational records, as well documenting and disseminating "lessons-learned." Lucky for me, I'd previously worked as a lessons-learned integrator within the Iowa National Guard.

What's "lessons-learned integration"? I'm glad you asked:

• A "lesson" is knowledge gained through experience. ("The oven is hot.")

• A "lesson-learned" is knowledge gained through experience that results in a change in individual or organizational behavior. ("Next time, I should really use an oven mitt to protect myself when working with the hot oven.")

• A lesson-learned is considered "integrated" when it is shared with others. ("I recommend that everyone start using oven mitts. Don't have one? Here's how to make your own!")

An additional, implied task for an Army lessons-learned guy? Unit historian.

Two weeks before "M-day," my name dropped off the deployment list. I saw my buddies get on a bus, then found myself still on temporary active-duty, but in a support role--one that wouldn't take me overseas. I followed them first to Camp Shelby, Miss., for 45 days of post-mobilization training. Then we moved to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. for a couple of weeks of realistic combat training exercises. Guess what? Southern California looks an awful lot like Eastern Afghanistan.

In November 2010, the Red Bull finally took over the mission in Afghanistan. The 2-34th BCT is the second National Guard unit ever to "own battle-space" in Afghanistan. That means that "Task Force Red Bulls" (they prefer the plural, because they're a team) is responsible for everything that does and does not happen in the Afghan provinces of Parwan, Panjshir, and Laghman. (Parts of much-contested Nuristan, too!)

In addition to other missions around Parwan, the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1-113th Cav.) is also responsible for security around Bagram Airfield ("BAF"), the largest coalition military installation in Afghanistan. It's not a sexy mission, but it's an important one. Imagine a military base comprising 30,000 souls--the population of Ottumwa, Iowa. Now, imagine doing everything possible to prevent bad guys from strafing Ottumwa with nightly rocket attacks.

Most of the "town" is run by a smaller Red Bull task force, "Task Force Archer," which combines elements of 334th Brigade Support Battalion (334th B.S.B.) and the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion (2/34th B.S.T.B.).

Laghman is "Task Force Ironman" territory, the overseas home of 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133rd Inf.).

Outside of Task Force Red Bulls turf, an additional Red Bull battalion--the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1-168th Inf.)--serves in Paktiya Province. And an attached unit of Nebraska Army National Guard cavalry troopers--the 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1-34th Cav.)--trains Afghan security forces in Kabul.

Members of Iowa's 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (1-194th FA) have been dispersed throughout the brigade.

Task Force Red Bulls is responsible for helping Afghan national military and police improve security in its area of operation. Sometimes, that means fighting. Sometimes, that means teaching and mentoring. Always, it means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Afghan allies.

I retired from the Iowa Army National Guard last December, and returned to my civilian career as a freelance magazine writer and editor. I kept up with the war in the news, and with my buddies via e-mail and Facebook.

Last month, I went to Afghanistan to visit my former unit. Not as a citizen-soldier, but as a citizen-journalist. I embedded as civilian media, with an eye toward writing a larger history of the Red Bull. (I prefer the singular, because that's the 34th Infantry Division's official nickname.)

Having trained for the deployment myself, I thought I knew what to expect. Turns out, I was in for multiple surprises.

Granted, I was already a Red Bull fan when I landed in Afghanistan. And--journalism and philosophy students take note of this thesis--the embed process itself skews the reportorial view toward the perspective of U.S. soldiers, rather than Afghan power brokers, or the people they allegedly represent.

That said, here's a sampling of what I witnessed:

• In Parwan Province, I talked to a platoon of young men that had spent more than 4 hours defending against a complex attack focused on a downed U.S. Army helicopter. After just completing a long night of patrolling by ground vehicle, they responded as a helicopter-borne Quick Reaction Force to Kapisa, a nearby province. Upon landing, they found themselves pinned down, but drawing fire away from Air Force rescue teams. Staff Sgt. James A. Justice was killed during that firefight. Some of the guys shared their stories with me, not because they were boastful or proud--although they have every reason to be--but because they wanted to remember Justice, and the sacrifice he and his family made. They also wanted to celebrate Spc. Zachary Durham, who was injured after deliberately exposing himself to fire while seeking out enemy fighting positions.

• In Parwan, I saw other Cavalry troopers working to defeat the local network of insurgents that threatens Bagram Airfield ("BAF"). Attacks are down. Morale and motivation are up. They're still seeking out the bad guys around Bagram. 'Nuff said.

• In Laghman Province, I saw Iowans engaged with a deadly enemy now often unwilling to show their faces in direct attacks. Iowa soldiers there routinely face machine gun and mortar attack, as well as Improvised Explosive Devices (I.E.D.). At the same time, they partner with their Afghan army and police counterparts, U.S. Air Force-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams (P.R.T.), and joint U.S. Air and Army National Guard Agribusiness Development Teams (A.D.T.). The latter specialty are comprised of citizen-soldiers and -airmen deployed as much for their farming-related talents as for their soldier skills. It is a unique mission to the U.S. National Guard. Together, these teams quickly flooded a newly created government district with development projects, after Task Force Red Bulls completed "Operation Bull Whip," the largest helicopter-borne "air assault" in Afghanistan in recent memory.

• In mountainous but relatively peaceful Panjshir Province, I attended a conference in which local and national officials engaged with adventure-tourism experts and investors. The hard but beautiful land may soon appeal to weekenders from Kabul, which is only 2 hours away by car. Some experts thought the area nearly ripe for international tours focused on climbing, caving, hiking, and even kayaking. Panjshir is a vision for what other Afghan provinces might also one day be.

That's great stuff, but the Red Bull ain't done yet.

These Red Bull soldiers--as well as those in Paktiya and Kabul--have achieved plenty and sacrificed much. There's a National Guard saying that "deployment doesn't end with a homecoming parade." After they return from Afghanistan, many of our citizen-soldiers will be challenged to successfully reintegrate with their families and friends, to find employment (more than 21 percent of the deployed Iowa soldiers indicate they will not have civilian jobs waiting for them), and to overcome physical, emotional and mental obstacles stemming from their service.

We should give these modern Minutemen more than our momentary notice. They have answered our country's call, and we should stand ready to hear theirs. Their stories, too.

"Attack!"

Iowa Group to Raise 'Red Bull' Puppies

Official U.S. Army Photo: LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan--U.S. Army Spc. Ahren Blake, a combat medic from Clinton, Iowa, with Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Ironman, a part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Task Force Red Bulls, holds two puppies he found at an observation post in the Aziz Khan Kats Mountain Valley range near Jalalabad, Afghanistan April 15. The puppies have been living with the Afghan National Army Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 201st Infantry Corps, which man the Observation Posts that 3rd Platoon visited. See related news article here. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Matson, Task Force Red Bulls Public Affairs)

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Paws & Effect, a Des Moines, Iowa-based non-profit organization that raises and trains service dogs for Iowa combat veterans, announced earlier in April that a litter of five service-dogs-in-training has been named in honor of 3,000 Iowa National Guard soldiers currently deployed to Afghanistan. The puppies will be raised by local volunteers for up to 18 months, then professionally trained and placed with veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) or mobility impairments.

Psychiatric service dogs assist handlers in navigating stressful environments and situations, both at home and in public. In public, service dogs often wear uniforms to indicate their special purpose. According to Paws & Effect, raising and training one psychiatric service dog costs approximately $20,000.

Born in the United States, the black Labrador puppies of the “Red Bull” litter are named:

• “Ryder”: In the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry “Red Bull” Division (2-34th BCT), the commander's radio callsign is "Ryder-6." During World War II, Maj. Gen. Charles W. Ryder commanded the 34th Infantry Division in North Africa and Italy. The 2-34th BCT is headquartered in Boone.

• “Avauncez” (aka “Vance” or “Van”): The 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1/133rd Inf.) motto is French for "advance" or "forward." The 1/133rd Inf. is headquartered in Waterloo.

• “Sabre”: Radio callsign of 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1/113th Cav.), Sioux City.

• “Archer”: Radio callsign of the 334th Brigade Support Battalion (334th BSB), headquartered in Johnston. Task Force Archer is currently in charge of administering Bagram Airfield, the largest installation in Afghanistan and home to approximately 30,000 U.S. and coalition troops.

• “Havoc”: Radio callsign of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 34th Infantry Division (2/34th BSTB), headquartered in Cedar Rapids.

“Our latest litter of dogs has been named in honor of the 34th Infantry ‘Red Bull’ Division, which has a proud Midwestern history, dating from the World Wars to present-day Iraq and Afghanistan,” says Nicole Shumate (“shoo-mayt”), executive director of Paws & Effect. “Additionally, while in training, they’ll wear the same special camouflage as the Iowans and Nebraskans currently deployed to Afghanistan.”

The organization had earlier hinted at the pending puppy news at a March 28 event, celebrating a series of televised Public Service Announcements that featured Iowa National Guard soldiers and airmen.

Before it deployed to eastern Afghanistan in October 2010, the Iowa National Guard’s 2-34th BCT was one of the first U.S. Army units to be issued the Afghanistan-specific “MultiCam” pattern. Military apparel manufacturer Propper International Inc., Weldon Spring, Mo. has constructed and donated MultiCam service-dog uniforms for the “Red Bull” litter.

“As a company rooted in military heritage, we fully support Paws & Effect in their mission to provide services to Iowa veterans,” says Megan Henderson, marketing manager for Propper International. “We look forward to watching these puppies grow in the months to come, and to welcoming our troops home.”

In addition to training service and mobility dogs, Paws & Effect provides “Pet Partners” for animal-assisted therapy and activities. It also regularly conducts agility trials as fund-raising events. Because it is a 501(c)3 organization, donations to Paw & Effect are tax-deductible.

For more information on the Paws & Effect organization, visit: paws-effect.blogspot.com

'Operation Bull Whip': Air Assault into Galuch Valley

It was, by some reports, a dark and stormy night in Afghanistan.

"Fierce lightning shattered the night sky as a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter’s 350-pound blades sliced through the air producing a continuous rain of thunder over the otherwise quiet Galuch Valley," wrote U.S. Army Sgt. Amanda Jo Brown, a public affairs soldier with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

According to reports subsequently published by military and civilian news outlets, the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) participated in the largest helicopter-borne assault yet conducted in Eastern Afghanistan during the active-duty 101st Airborne Division's current Afghan rotation.

During "Operation Bull Whip," approximately 2,200 Afghan and coalition troops moved into the Galuch Valley, Laghman Province. Starting March 25, the Red Bull soldiers were to search out enemy personnel and equipment, so that Afghan government officials could assemble local leaders at a community meeting called a "shura," and subsequently establish a district-level presence.

Most of the 2-34th BCT is currently organized as "Task Force Red Bulls," headquartered at Bagram Airfield ("BAF"). News reports on the operation specifically mentioned involvement of Iowa units such as the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133rd Inf.); 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1-113th Cav.); and 334th Brigade Support Battalion (B.S.B.). Laghman Province has been an area of responsibility of the 1-133rd Inf. since last November.

The Des Moines (Iowa) Register's Tony Leys reported:

The raid marked the third time in a little more than a year that U.S. or Afghan troops tried to dislodge insurgents from the area. The Taliban killed several U.S. and Afghan government soldiers during the two previous raids. The French Army, which participated in this week’s operation, also has lost soldiers in the area. This time, the allies flooded the valleys with troops, and most of the Taliban apparently fled.

The operation was planned in secret, but insurgents probably figured something was coming after provincial leaders announced several weeks ago that they intended to set up a district government center in the area. Then, shortly before the troops hit the ground last weekend, the Americans dropped leaflets warning that a raid was imminent.

In one of his regularly published "Eagle 6 Updates," U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John Campbell, the commander of 101st Airborne Division, wrote of the operation:

I joined Task Force Red Bulls' Commander, Col. Ben Corell at his Tactical Command Post on the side of a mountain during their Operation Bull Whip. With the Afghan National Security Forces, TF Red Bulls conducted this operation to defeat insurgents in the western part of the Laghman Province in order to allow [Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan] to establish governance in the area. While there, TF Red Bulls uncovered several caches and conducted a peace shura with the locals and the governor of Laghman, Governor Azizi. The peace shura was successful, and the local and provincial government established a [Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan] presence in the area for the first time.

For photos of Campbell's visit to the Task Force Red Bulls command post, click here.

For more on the aviation training and support leading up to Operation Bull Whip, click here.

For video of sling-load operations conducted by Alpha Company, 334th BSB, Task Force Red Bulls during Operation Bull Whip, click here.

For photos of Red Bull and Afghan soldiers participating in Operation Bull Whip, click here.

UPDATE (April 7): For more photos and a news article wrapping-up Operation Bull Whip, click here.

The Enemy Already Knows You're Here

According to a Mar. 26 Army news release, members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division launched helicopter-based operations in the Galuch Valley of Agahanistan's Laghman Province on Friday, Mar. 25.

News reports from the Des Moines (Iowa) Register and the Omaha World-Herald, each of which currently have reporter-photographer teams on the ground in Afghanistan, posted their respective coverage of the announcement here and here.

Army leaders did not speculate as to the expected duration of the operation. News reports specifically mention involvement of 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133rd Inf.), 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1-113th Cav.), and 334th Brigade Support Battalion (334th BSB), although other "Task Force Red Bulls" soldiers can also be expected to participate.

The operation involves the movement of soldiers by helicopter--what the military calls an "air assault"--to search villages for equipment used by those fighting against Afghan and coalition forces. In addition to weapons, homemade explosives, and communications equipment, soldiers are also to look for specific enemy personnel. Throughout the operation, soldiers meet with village elders to encourage cooperation against anti-Afghan forces.

According to the Des Moines Register post:

The plan was for Iowa and Afghan soldiers to show up at each village in force and to ask village leaders to voluntarily let the Afghan troops search buildings peacefully. But Guard leaders warned that some villages might resist.

“You need to go into there with the mentality that you’re going into a fight. If you think any differently, you’re fooling yourself,” Major Aaron Baugher of Ankeny said during a briefing of officers and senior sergeants before the operation kicked off.

Despite the fact that Army leaders themselves announced the operation shortly after its launch, friends and family in Iowa expressed mixed reactions regarding the publication of the news. Some worried that even general information would place loved ones at risk--the result of what the military calls a violation of "operations security" ("OPSEC"). Others said they were worried about their soldiers, but were proud of their mission and service.

A number of Red Bull family members reacted to news of the operation on the 2-34th BCT's official Facebook page. Said one:

Just so you know, articles like these make it IMPOSSIBLE to sleep when you are the wife at home with the kids. This is hard enough, thank you for adding to it. Hard enough laying my head on a pillow knowing that at the same time he is putting a helmet on & heading out. It is one thing to be informative, it is another to try to sell a story with total disregard to how it may affect people. There was a time when combat zones were no place for reporters ... and it should have stayed that way.

Said another:

I guess I have mixed feelings about this. During the Vietnam assault my parents, brother, and I sat on the couch every evening watching for a glimpse of my brother's Marine unit. Dreading it and longing for it at the same time. With today's instant news sources ... it's scary to read my daughter is participating in this assault ... but it narrows the playing field and allows me to focus on just those news items that might apply to her situation. I can't control the events ... but I can sure pray more specifically for the teams involved! God bless the warriors and their loved ones back home.

Said a third:

I am so proud of all of these soldiers! They are doing what they have been trained for! My husband would much rather be doing "something" as apposed to sitting around doing nothing while he is deployed. I don't think it's fair to blame the reporters for our fears as army wives war is war and it would be silly of us all to expect it to be all sunshine over there while our husbands and wives are over there. Although I understand the stress that comes from having a spouse gone and a part of a war, don't miss the part of the story where our soldiers are helping these people so much! They are going in and possible saving many lives because of these missions! Thank you all! Your truly amazing and I believe God's angels will protect you all!

When training soldiers to assault an objective--a house or village, for example--military trainers often stress the importance of surprise and secrecy. Soldiers sneak around, and communicate quietly using hand-and-arm signals. Once the helicopters and bullets start to fly, however, the trainers just as often have to remind mute soldiers that it's OK to start communicating out loud, even if it means shouting over the noise.

"Talk to one another!" they say. "The enemy already knows you're here!"

Mangled Mottoes and Other Tongue-Twisters

In many units, soldiers sound off with a variation of their organization's motto when saluting each other. Currently in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT), the standard salutation is, "Red Bulls!" The person returning the salute replies with "Attack!"--an echo of the 34th Infantry Division motto, which is "Attack! Attack! Attack!"

The 2-34th BCT command sergeant major says that it's "Red Bulls," because the unit is a team. "'Red Bull' is an energy drink," he says.

Sometimes--but never with the sergeant major--soldiers slip some humor into their salutes with a little intentional tripping of the tongue. Despite the "we're not an energy drink" sentiment, for example, one occasionally overhears variations such as:

• "Red Bull ..." / "and vodka!"

• "Red Bull ... / "and Jaegermeister!"

In keeping with Iowa's agricultural roots, a buddy of mine has perfected replying with an "Attack!" that sounds as if it were spoken by some sort of mutant chicken. When, I'm not snickering like a school boy at his antics, I've come to regard his "attack / chicken" combo as a potential comment on the duality of man, sort of like simultaneously wearing a peace symbol on your body armor and writing "Born to Kill" on your steel pot helmet.

But, hey, that's just me.

Such pranks within the ranks extend to battalion-level mottoes, as well. During the 2-34th BCT's Fall 2010 rotation at National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., for example, members of the 334th Brigade Support Battalion were known to reverse the order of their unit's sound-off: "Support the attack" became "attack the support. It seemed to be an inside joke among logisticians, a collective comment on their combative customers.

As one canny Red Bull Rising commenter has already noted, some unit mottoes lend themselves more to creative mis-interpretations than others. The "when ready" motto of the 2-34th BCT's 194th Field Artillery, according to a couple of Red Bull red legs, is occasionally delivered as "when (you're) ready" or "when (we're good and) ready."

"Attack?!"

The Quest for the Crests, Part 3

Here are the distinctive unit insignia (D.U.I.) of the remaining three battalions in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, as currently deployed to Afghanistan:

194th Field Artillery

Motto: "When Ready"

Symbolism: The colors scarlet and yellow are for Artillery.

The flame-like partition line indicates the intense fire power of the organization’s artillery.

The pellets depict cannon balls and symbolize readiness.

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2/34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion

Motto: "Semper Amplio" (Latin for "Always Improve")

Symbolism: The colors are from the Iowa Army National Guard shoulder sleeve insignia. The wall fortifications signify the assimilation of the 834th Engineer Company into the Battalion. The crossed lightning flashes are a reference to the Battalion’s history as the 234th Signal Battalion. The key refers to opening the way to improvement. The teal color of the scroll is for units unassigned to a branch.

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334th Brigade Support Battalion

Motto: "Supporting the Attack"

Symbolism: Buff and scarlet are the colors traditionally associated with support units. The bayonet recalls the battalion's association with the 34th Infantry Division and the 54th Infantry Regiment. The battalion's motto is underscored by the sections of the chevron supporting the upraised bayonet; together they highlight the unit's "forward" mission. Red stands for sacrifice. Black represents strength.

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For more information on other 2-34th BCT unit insignia, see part 1 and part 2 of this series. For a review of the units currently comprising the 2-34th BCT, click here.

The Red Bull Story So Far: 'Halfway There'

Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry “Red Bull” Division (2-34th BCT), recently marked the "halfway home" milestone on their deployment calendars.

The 2-34th BCT comprises approximately 3,000 Iowa and Nebraska National Guard troops. In the largest single deployment of Iowa National Guard troops since World War II, units comprising the brigade began mobilizing in late July and early August 2010. Red Bull units first trained at Camp Shelby, Miss., before conducting realistic war games at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., in late September and early October 2011.

While most units returned to Camp Shelby prior to phased departures to Afghanistan, the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry "Ironman" Regiment (1/133rd Inf.) and select brigade personnel launched directly into country from Fort Irwin. According to news reports, 1/133rd Inf. soldiers captured one Taliban fighter just days after arriving in Afghanistan.

Other Red Bull units gradually arrived in Afghanistan through the end of November 2010. The brigade officially relieved the Vermont National Guard’s 86th BCT at Bagram Airfield (“BAF”) on Dec. 4, 2010. The event nearly coincided with a surprise visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

The mission of “Task Force Red Bulls” marks only the second time a U.S. National Guard brigade has been given responsibility for geographic area of operations in Afghanistan. The brigade is under the command of 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” Division, headquartered in Fort Campbell, Kent.

In Army jargon, a "task force" is a battalion-or-larger-sized group of units temporarily organized to address a specific mission. The term can include the addition of personnel from other U.S. and allied armed services, both active-duty or national guard/reserve, as well as civilians.

“[Task Force] Wolverine [86th BCT] was the first National Guard Brigade to serve as a battle space owner here in Afghanistan, and throughout their tenure here, Task Force Wolverine focused on making Afghanistan better for the Afghan people and coalition forces,” said 101st Airborne Division commander Maj. Gen. John Campbell in a Dec. 5 statement. “From partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces ... to increasing capability of local governance ... to implementing and continuing new development programs ... to improving quality of life on Bagram, Task Force Wolverine has set an incredible standard of success.“

He continued, “Their successors, the 2-34 IBCT ‘Red Bulls’ from the Iowa National Guard have some big shoes to fill, but I am confident they will meet the challenges of this deployment with success. I have seen many of the Task Force Red Bulls soldiers on my battlefield circulation, and I have seen first-hand that they are well disciplined and well trained. I am confident that under the leadership of COL Ben Corell and CSM Joel Arnold that Task Force Red Bulls is exactly the right unit to continue capitalizing on the successes of Task Force Wolverine. Welcome to Afghanistan, Red Bulls!”

Task Force Red Bulls comprises:

• Headquarters, 2-34th BCT, Boone, Iowa.

• 334th Brigade Support Battalion, headquartered in Johnston. The 334th BSB is commanded by Lt. Col. John Perkins, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Adams. As "Task Force Archer," the unit is responsible for the operation of Bagram Airfield, an installation of approximately 30,000 U.S. and other personnel. The unit also provides logistical, maintenance, and medical support to the brigade.

• 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB), 34th Infantry Division (2/34th BSTB), headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 2/34th BSTB is commanded by Lt. Col. Allyn Gronewold, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Christine Short. Due to requirements surrounding the Bagram base operations mission, much of the 2/34th BSTB has been task-organized under 334th BSB.

• 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1/113th Cav.), headquartered in Sioux City, Iowa, is commanded by Lt. Col. David Updegraff, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Wayman. As "Task Force Red Horse," the 1/113th Cav. is responsible for security operations around Bagram Airfield and in surrounding Parwan Province.

• Personnel of Iowa’s 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (1/194th FA) have been distributed throughout the brigade. The 1/194th FA is headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and is commanded by Lt. Col. John Cunningham, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. David Enright.

• 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry "Ironman" Regiment (1/133rd Inf.), headquartered in Waterloo. The 1/133rd Inf. is commanded by Lt. Col. Steven Kremer and Command Sgt. Maj. Marcus Mittvalsky. The 1/133rd Inf. is currently operating in Laghman Province. Ironman soldiers recently described 'average' days in this Army news release.

The other of the 2-34th BCT’s two organic infantry battalions has been attached to units outside the Task Force Red Bulls area of operation: 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1/168th Inf.), headquartered in Council Bluffs. The 1/168th Inf. is commanded by Lt. Col. Steve Boesen, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Duane Hinman. The unit is currently operating in Paktia Province.

Until recently, the 1/168th Inf. had been operating under "Task Force Rakkasan," led by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (3/101st BCT). The Rakassans were recently relieved by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division of Fort Knox, Kent., however, and the Iowa unit now reports to "Task Force Duke."

The Nebraska National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1/134th Cav.), headquartered in Lincoln., Neb., also deployed with the 2-34th BCT. The unit is commanded by Lt. Col. Tom Rynders, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Marty Baker. As "Task Force Fury," the 1/134th Cav. trains and mentors Afghan police personnel in and around the Afghan capital of Kabul. This National Guard news article describes recent 1/134th Cav. operations.

Iowa soldiers deployed with the 2-34th BCT wear the Red Bull patch on their left shoulders, and are authorized to wear the patch as “shoulder sleeve insignia” (SSI) more commonly referred to as a “combat patch.” Slang terms for a soldier wearing a Red Bull patch on each shoulder can include: “Wearing the ‘Double-Bull’” and “Wearing the ‘Steak-Sandwich.’”

Living conditions for Red Bull soldiers in Afghanistan range from the densely packed Bagram Airfield, in which soldiers are bunked in multi-level stacks of air-conditioned and heated semi-trailer containers, to austere platoon- and company-sized Combat Outposts (“COP”), in which soldiers do laundry in 5-gallon cans filled with river water, lack hot showers and Internet access, and must burn toilet waste.

In early January 2011, the brigade suffered its only reported combat casualty to-date, when Sgt. Brian Fieler, 27, was injured after stepping on a landmine in Laghman Province. The Earlville, Iowa, soldier lost the lower portion of one leg.

The 2010 deployment is not the first time the Red Bull patch has been seen in Afghanistan. In 2004-2005, nearly 1,000 Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed as “Task Force 168,” where they provided security for Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) sites across the country.

In other connections to Red Bull history, 2-34th BCT commander COL Ben Corell and CSM Joel Arnold were in charge of the 1/133rd Inf. during its deployment with the Minnesota’s National Guard’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, 2005 to 2007. Included as part of a U.S. troop "surge," the 22-month deployment was the longest continuous deployment to Iraq of any U.S. Army unit. Members of Nebraska’s 1/134th Cav. also participated in that deployment as part of 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry Regiment (1/167th Cav.).

President Obama Visits Red Bull Country

In the days surrounding a number of Transfer of Authority ("TOA," pronounced "tow-ah") ceremonies marking the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division assumption of missions in Afghanistan, the U.S. commander-in-chief dropped in to say hello at the base at which "Task Force Red Bulls" is now headquartered.

In a unpublicized overnight trip to at Bagram Airfield ("BAF"), U.S. President Barack Obama traveled via Air Force One to visit with troops for a few hours. The president was on the ground for only a few hours, and reportedly met with approximately 4,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen. A meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai was scrapped, with White House officials citing weather concerns.

While Red Bull soldiers were no doubt heavily involved in planning and executing the presidential surprise, some Iowa soldiers in attendance reported the identity of the incoming Very Important Person (V.I.P.) was revealed to them only when the U.S. presidential seal was placed on the podium.

Many of the 2-34th BCT's more than 3,000 soldiers were on duty elsewhere on the base and throughout Afghanistan. Because the "Red Bull" is one of few units currently issued the new, Afghan-specific MultiCam combat uniform, however, it's not too hard to pick them out in photos of the crowds in pressing in on the president. Nor is it hard to watch for the left-shoulder patch.

In his remarks, the president repeatedly thanked soldiers and families for their service, spoke to the mission at hand in 2011, evoked the memories of 101st Airborne Division (2-34 BCT's higher headquarters) soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and mentioned the recent words of Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Guinta of Hiawatha, Iowa.

Excerpts of the president's remarks follow:

Now, I’m not here to give a long speech. I want to shake as many hands as I can. (Hooah!) But let me say that at this time of year, Americans are giving thanks for all the blessings that we have. And as we begin this holiday season, there is no place that I’d rather be than be here with you.

I know it’s not easy for all of you to be away from home, especially during the holidays. And I know it’s hard on your families. They’ve got an empty seat at the dinner table. Sometimes during the holiday season that’s when you feel the absence of somebody you love most acutely.

But here’s what I want you to know. As President of the United States, I have no greater responsibility than keeping the American people secure. I could not meet that responsibility, we could not protect the American people, we could not enjoy the blessings of our liberty without the extraordinary service that each and every one of you perform each and every day. [...]

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This year alone nearly 100 members of 101st have given their last full measure of devotion. There are few days when I don’t sign a letter to a military family expressing our nation’s gratitude and grief at their profound sacrifice. And this holiday season our thoughts and prayers are with those who’ve lost a loved one -- the father and mother, the son or daughter, the brother or sister or friend who’s not coming home. And we know that their memories will never be forgotten and that their life has added to the life of our nation.

And because of the service of the men and women of the United States military, because of the progress you’re making, we look forward to a new phase next year, the beginning of a transition to Afghan responsibility.

As we do, we continue to forge a partnership with the Afghan people for the long term. And we will never let this country serve as a safe haven for terrorists who would attack the United States of America again. That will never happen. (Hooah!) [...]

*****

[Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta] is right. Each of you has your own story. Each of you is writing your own chapter in the story of America and the story of American armed forces. Each of you have some losses. Each of you have made sacrifices. You come from every conceivable background -- from big cities and small towns, from every race and faith and station. You’ve come together to serve a greater cause, one that matters to the citizens of your country back home and to strangers who live a world away.

So make no mistake, through your service, you demonstrate the content of the American character. Sal is right -- every single one of you is a hero. [...]

Elements of Iowa's 2-34th BCT Iowa relieved elements of the Vermont's 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (86th IBCT).

These ceremonies included:

• On Dec. 4, the 2-34th BCT's "Task Force Red Bulls" relieves 86th IBCT's "Task Force Wolverine." Article here.

• On Dec. 3, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (B.S.B.) relieves 86th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (B.S.T.B) of Bagram Airfield base operations mission.

• On Nov. 30, Task Force Red Horse (1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment) relieves Task Force Morgan (1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment) of BAF and Parwan Province security missions. Article here.

For photos from the 101st Airborne Division public affairs office click here.

For a copy of the president's remarks to troops in their entirety, click here.

Coincidentally, Capt. Sean Taylor, the 334th BSB unit public affairs representative mentioned in last Thursday's Red Bull Rising blog-post, is also featured in one of the White House photos. (By the way, as official government photos, these images are in the public-domain.) You can play Where's Waldo in the picture below: