December 14, 2025
This has been a heavy weekend for Iowa.
Yesterday, we learned that two members of the Iowa National Guard were killed in a terrorist attack in Syria. One of those service members was Nate Howard. An Iowan. A Guardsman. A son who did not come home. We also mourn the loss of the other Iowa National Guardsman who was killed. Their lives and their service matter.
I have been friends with Jeff Bunn for many years. Jeff serves as the Police Chief for the Meskwaki Nation Police Department, a community within Tama County. I am thankful for his friendship, and my heart is broken for Jeff, Misty, and their family. Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to face.
This hits close to home. It reminds us that service is personal and that the cost is real. These losses are not headlines. They are families, coworkers, and communities left carrying the weight.
ISIS is evil. That is not political. That is reality. Our service members are still standing in harm’s way because that evil still exists. Acknowledging that matters, and so does remembering why they serve.
I am deeply thankful for the men and women of our armed forces, and I believe we do not do enough for them. They accept risks most people never have to think about.
What this does show is how Iowa handles loss. People do not turn away. They show up, they check in, and they help where they can. It is quiet and steady, and it is real.
Tama County stands with the rest of Iowa, with Jeff and Misty Bunn, James Roelsgard, Nate's wife Arianna, all the family and friends of Nate Howard, the Iowa National Guard, and every service member serving and in harm’s way. We share in the grief. We support one another. We remember.
Sheriff Casey Schmidt
September 19, 2025
