Iowa National Guard Families Meet for Support

By Anna Lothson, Reporter

(AP Photo/ Iowa City Press Citizen, Matthew Holst)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Oct 25, 2009 at 9:54 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 26, 2009 at 12:53 PM CST

IOWA CITY - Rachel Waldron just tries to take it one day at a time. Waldron is among the thousands of families preparing for the possible deployment of roughly 3,500 Iowa National Guard soldiers next fall.

“Nothing is set in stone,” she said, “So I just focus on today.”
Sitting with her husband Will Waldron, and lively 8-month-old daughter Hallie, they joined among over 100 people at a support-group meeting to ask questions at the Iowa National Guard Readiness Center in Iowa City Sunday afternoon.

Will Waldron, 23, of North Liberty, has been in the Iowa National Guard since 2004 and has been deployed to Iraq once. While he said it’s too early to change any of their plans, he said he keeps their families constantly updated with news as it comes.

Lana Berry, from Tipton — a mother of two sons in the Iowa National Guard — became emotional when speaking of her youngest possibly being deployed for the first time.

Since her oldest son, Shawn Dean, 34, has been deployed before and is currently stationed in Texas, the family understands what it’s like. But when it comes to the younger son, Brandon Berry, 19, she said saying goodbye would be more difficult.

“It different,” she said. “He’s the baby.”

While the situation is always tough on the family, Lana Berry said she thinks the resources provided to families are wonderful.
And ensuring families are in the loop is something Patrick Hoyt, family coordinator for the Iowa National Guard, said he is working his best to achieve.

Whether its reminding a young soldier to call his parents, or ensuring a leaky pipe gets fixed in a soldiers home while they’re away, Hoyt is there to do help.

And with such a high number of soldiers being alerted for the possible deployment, he said his job will be no easy task.
“It’s going to be a rough one,” Hoyt said.

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