Bruce L. Braley: “I rise today to welcome the members of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard home to Iowa…”

“I rise today to welcome the members of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard home to Iowa after a lengthy deployment in Iraq, and to honor and thank them for their service there. Today was a momentous day in Iowa as the members of the 1-133rd, known as the ``Ironman Battalion,'' were reunited with their friends, family, and loved ones at a homecoming ceremony in Waterloo. This day of reunion and celebration has been anxiously awaited in Iowa since the battalion left for Iraq last year. An overflow crowd of thousands packed Riverfront Stadium to welcome the hundreds of men and women home. As they drove the final miles from Ft. McCoy in Wisconsin, Iowans lined the road to wave at the 1-133rd. Sadly, today was also made bittersweet by the absence of two members, Sergeant 1st Class Scott Nisely and Sergeant Kampha Sourivong, who were tragically killed during combat operations in Iraq in September 2006. It is impossible for those who have not served in Iraq to fully understand the experiences of the 1-133rd, or to comprehend the sacrifices that they and their families have made on behalf of our country.”