On September 11, 2001, America’s worst nightmare became a reality. Terrorists attacked sites in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington D. C..

“The people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon...”

The attacks sparked a 10-year battle which came to be known as the “War on Terror.” Led by full-time U.S. military soldiers, a coalition of international forces assumed primary responsibility for engaging a largely unseen enemy.   

The coalition was supported by National Guard and Reserve Units from every state in the Union, including Iowa which, in July of 2010, mobilized more than 3,000 soldiers who served in the largest single-deployment of the state's troops since World War II.