Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, began his 2026 Condition of the Guard address Thursday by honoring the loss of two Iowa National Guard service members.
Osborn’s remarks come just over a month after Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar of Des Moines, were killed in Palmyra, Syria, during an attack by a lone gunman associated with ISIS. Three other Iowa National Guard members were injured, and another U.S. civilian was killed in the Dec. 13, 2025 attack.
“We begin today with heavy hearts, reflecting on the profound loss of two of our finest soldiers,” Osborn said. “Yet even in this time of sorrow, we have witnessed something powerful — the strength, the unity and the compassion of the state of Iowa. On behalf of the entire Iowa National Guard, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of care and respect shown to our fallen heroes and their families.”
Osborn thanked Iowans for their support of the National Guard, the soldiers and their families following the attack, in addition for the continued support of the three Guard members who were injured. He also honored the more than 1,800 Iowa soldiers and airmen who are still deployed in the Middle East, where they “continue to carry out critical missions that are ongoing, demanding and vital to our national security.”
Lt. Col. Jeremy Taylor, deputy state chaplain in the Iowa National Guard, was brought to the podium to lead the chamber in prayer honoring Torres-Tovar and Howard, saying “these young men, Lord, were willing to walk through the shadow of the valley of death, doing what they loved and serving others.”
“They embodied what you taught us that there is no greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” Taylor said.
In her Condition of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds also honored the Iowans who died in the attack. Howard’s wife, parents and brother attended the address while the Torres-Tovar family held a memorial service at their local church Tuesday night. Reynolds said “their service lives on — in the families they cherished, in the communities they strengthened and in the freedoms they helped preserve.”
Osborn said in light of the tragedy in Syria, he understands there are many Iowans wondering, “Why is the Guard in Syria?”
“That’s a fair question, and one that I want to clearly address today,” Osborn said. “The National Guard is a core component of our nation’s total force, providing 40% of the army and 30% of the Air Force operational force. … The National Guard is no longer a strategic reserve to be utilized in times of the most extreme national emergencies. We are and will continue to be, the primary combat reserve in the United States Army and the United States Air Force.”
The adjutant general said Iowa National Guard members are in Syria “and many other locations around the world” because the reserve forces serve as a critical fixture in Iowa’s national security efforts both domestically and abroad.
Osborn’s address did not touch on many specific requests for the Iowa Legislature in 2026, but he asked for support in the National Guard’s modernization efforts in coming years. Over the next decade, he said, the Guard and the whole U.S. military system will “undergo one of the most significant periods of transformation and modernization in our history” as it adapts and integrates new technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and space assets, as well as making organizational and personnel changes.
“In the Iowa National Guard, transformation is underway as we build a more advanced and capable force,” Osborn said. “We are launching new Air National Guard units designed with next generation technologies and creating new and challenging training opportunities for our airmen. We are also proactively shaping our future army force structure to be highly relevant in a changing world, while simultaneously delivering value here in Iowa.”
An important component of these efforts are infrastructure investments, Osborn said. He highlighted several federally funded efforts across the state, thanking the state’s congressional delegation for their support authorizing the $220 million investment to replace the runway and parking ramp at the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, which was included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. Funds for this effort still must be appropriated before the runway project can begin, he said.
He also pointed to new Readiness Center in West Des Moines that opened in 2025 as a vital facility for supporting the Army National Guard “well into the future,” as well as the Guard breaking ground on a $14 million federally funded Army National Guard equipment maintenance facility in Sioux City. In 2026, Osborn said, the National Guard will begin construction on another $14 million federally funded project in Waterloo, for an equipment maintenance facility.
As the year begins, Osborn said three priorities will guide the National Guard: a focus on service members through recruitment and support, conducting trainings that prepare the force for “increasingly complex missions at home and abroad,” and modernization of the Guard’s structure, infrastructure and equipment.
“This transformation strengthens the readiness of the Iowa National Guard, while creating opportunity for Iowa through economic growth, job creation and stronger communities, ensuring the Iowa National Guard remains ready for the future,” he said.
