Iowa National Guard Soldiers from the 1133rd Transportation Company, of Mason City, Iowa, and its detachment in Iowa City, Iowa, delivered four semitrailers of medical personal protective equipment (PPE) to five counties across the state on March 24.

Personal protective equipment is specialized clothing and equipment worn by healthcare professionals to help prevent the spread of disease. It is a vital commodity in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa and across the country.

Guard spokesman Col. Michael Wunn, said “Working in support of the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa National Guard used its heavy hauler, M915A5 Line-Haul Tractor Trucks, to deliver this mission essential equipment to distribution sites in Black Hawk, Johnson, Polk, Pottawattamie and Tama counties.

These missions will continue for the foreseeable future as additional requests for PPE are processed by the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and given to the Iowa National Guard for distribution.”

On March 23, eight Soldiers from the 3654th Support Maintenance Company, out of Knoxville, Iowa, with a detachment in Oskaloosa, Iowa, delivered and assembled two large tents in Oskaloosa for the Mahaska Health Partnership hospital’s COVID-19 response plan.

The Iowa National Guard continues to provide a number of Soldier and Airmen in support of the state’s emergency response efforts. Currently there are 42 service members in a State Active Duty status.

The Iowa National Guard continues to work closely with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Iowa Department of Public Health and other state agencies to monitor the situation in Iowa and is prepared to support future missions in the ongoing effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.