Photo By Maj. Ramah Knox | Lt. Col Dena Dietzler, outgoing commander for the 109th Multifunctional Medical...... read more read more
Outside the Iowa National Guard Readiness Center in Iowa City, Iowa, on Aug. 29, the 109th Multifunctional Medical Battalion assembled for a battalion change of command.
This group of over 300 Soldiers was pivotal in the Iowa National Guard’s medical response to COVID-19. The 109th MMB includes combat medics, doctors, nurses, mental health and other support professionals.
Lt. Col. Dena Dietzler, the outgoing commander, led the medical battalion during the COVID-19 response effort. Dietzler was the first female to command the 109th MMB and the first commander to do so during a global pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, more than one-third of Dietzler’s battalion was activated.
“Our battalion provided personal to Task Force East the first task force set up to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dietzler said. “We provided lab runner support, taking COVID tests from the test sites to the state hygienic lab in Coralville, IA. We also provided Soldiers to manage and staff the Test Iowa sites on the east side of the state.”
Since March 2020, the Iowa National Guard has brought more than 1,200 Airmen and Soldiers on orders to support Iowa’s COVID-19 response. The 109th MMB was primarily responsible for the Iowa National Guard operations in eastern Iowa.
A pandemic was not the only challenge the battalion faced; on Aug. 10, a derecho ripped through Iowa with hurricane-force winds and destructive power.
“We had Test Iowa sites decimated after the storm,” Dietzler said. “Our Soldiers got the sites back up and running within 48 hours.”
Under the hot August sun, Dietzler passed the battalion guidon to incoming commander Lt. Col. Kristina Stanger as a symbol of passing the reins of leadership.
This symbolism is heavily weighted with the 109th MMB’s legacy of meritorious service since WWI with triage, treatment and evacuation care on the battlefield.
“It is an honor and a privilege to take command of the 109th Medical Battalion because the Soldiers have shown us they stand ready to serve and save lives at home or abroad,” Stanger said. “Whether in battle, a pandemic or natural disaster, these Hawkeye medics are courageous and compassionate first responders.”
A drilling status Iowa National Guard Soldier, Stanger is a bankruptcy attorney and a mother of three school-age children. “I draw upon skills, experiences and thought processes from each role I engage in to help me make the best decisions, provide counsel and simply serve others,” Stanger said.
Stanger and Dietzler are the first women to hand off battalion colors in a change of command ceremony in the Iowa Army National Guard. As one female leader steps into command, the other steps out and onto the next assignment in Kosovo, and history is made. With this milestone met, each leader knows the work has just begun.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2020 15:09 |
| Story ID: | 378467 |
| Location: | IOWA CITY, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,033 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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