The Iowa Army National Guard will both deactivate and debut battalions in Fairfield with a ceremony this Sunday. The 224th Engineer Battalion, which had been headquartered in Fairfield since 1968, is being reorganized as a result of nationwide restructuring of the National Guard. The 1034th Composite Supply Company will take their place in the Fairfield headquarters. Members of the engineer battalion are either transitioning to the supply company, or moving to different battalions in Cedar Rapids or Nebraska.

Colonel Greg Hapgood said the ceremony is a military tradition in which a deactivated battalion’s flag is retired, which is commonly referred to as “casing of the colors.” When a new battalion is activated, it’s colors are “uncased,” and Sunday’s ceremony will feature both. Hapgood added the 224th Engineer Battalion has been a valuable resource both in the state of Iowa and abroad. They took part in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to their work helping Iowa recover from natural disasters. The ceremony will be at 1 p.m. at the Fairfield High School football field, and the public is encouraged to attend.