RAPID CITY, S.D. - Soldiers from the Missouri Army National Guard's 548th Transportation Company troops left annual training early to take on a real-world mission in Iowa on Monday.
The Soldiers are delivering 20 pallets of Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, to flood-ravaged Iowa. The pallets, which were donated by the South Dakota National Guard, amount a total of 11,520 meals.
"That's $82,000 of chow," said Maj. Orson Ward, South Dakota National Guard's public affairs officer.
Ward said that it might have taken up to two weeks to receive the MREs if Iowa ordered them. By transferring the meals from South Dakota to Iowa they will have the food by Tuesday.
The Trenton and Centertown-based Missouri Soldiers will spend the night in Sioux Falls, S.D. and reach Camp Dodge, Iowa on Tuesday.
The relief mission is personal for the Missourians, who had spent much of the past week training alongside Iowans. Iowa National Guardsmen had to leave training early to respond to the severe flooding back home.
Sgt. 1st Class Christine Chaney said the troops were happy to be able to help.
"This is what we do," haney said. "Iowa needed the MREs and we could help. They knew we had the assets to make the delivery."
The remainder of the company will return to Missouri from South Dakota on June 19.
For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visitwww.moguard.com.