Some of the 1,800 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers now in the Middle East are returning home earlier than planned. About 250 soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, are coming back because they are no longer needed overseas, according to an announcement from the National Guard. This is the beginning of a phased return home of the soldiers, the National Guard reported. The troops left Iowa in May 2025 and were scheduled to return home this coming June. Soldiers of the Fort Dodge-based unit — Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 194th ...