Iowa’s 185th Medical Group supports 60th Presidential Inauguration

Story by Vincent De Groot

185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard

National Guard Airmen and Soldiers from around the nation are arriving in the District of Columbia this week where they have been asked to provide support for the presidential inauguration on Monday.

Technical Sgt. Dylan Hinds is with a group of eight clinicians from Iowa’s 185th Air Refueling Wing who departed from the Sioux City airport on Wednesday en route to the nation’s capital.

According to Hinds the group from Iowa will be providing medical support for the contingency of National Guard members who are temporally stationed in D.C. for the inauguration.

“We will be doing sick call for approximately 2500 military members,” said Hinds, “anybody that gets sick, flu or any minor injuries we will be taking care of that.”

Hinds is a traditional guard member who works full time as a critical care paramedic for Woodbury County in Western Iowa.

Hinds and the rest of the Iowa guard members will be joining National Guard volunteers from 39 other states and territories for about a week, where they are set to help during the event.

The Iowa National Guard has asked 60 of its members to join a group of nearly 8,000 Soldiers and Airmen where they have been tasked with crowd management, transportation and medical support during the inauguration.

The Iowa Air National Guard dispatched two U.S. Air Force KC-135 aircraft that departed from Sioux City, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, delivering Soldiers and Airmen from the Hawkeye state to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington D.C.

According to the National Guard Bureau, the National Guard has supported presidential inaugurations since 1789 when Gen. George Washington was escorted to his inauguration ceremony in New York City.

In more recent history, Iowa National Guard members have participated in the past 4 inaugurations, providing similar security and medical support functions at each event.