Soldiers from 1st battalion, 133rd Infantry and 334th BSB work with Ottumwa citizens to create a levee around a power sub-station threatened by flood waters. [Click to enlarge]

Fifty-five members of the local National Guard unit were working through the night this weekend to help hold back flood water in downtown Des Moines and Burlington.

The group from Le Mars' C-Troop 113th Cavalry left Thursday to help sandbag near the rising Des Moines River. This weekend they were called to Burlington to help with sandbagging efforts along the swelling Mississippi River, and they are continuing with that effort this week.

The troops have been on the go since they arrived at Camp Dodge near Des Moines last Thursday.

"We went on our first mission at midnight," said Lt. Cnl. Damian Donahoe, the squadron commander, in a phone interview Friday. "We were involved in a sandbagging operation in downtown Des Moines on the riverfront there."

The city authorities were concerned about the possibility of water coming over a levy there, and the National Guard soldiers put down sandbags to keep water away from key utilities, he said.

"We worked about five hours through the night, came back for a little sleep -- about five hours, got them a bite to eat and had them back on the trucks to downtown Des Moines at a different location," Donahoe said.

The C-Troop soldiers' stay in eastern Iowa is open ended at this point.

"We're here as long as the governor deems our support of civilian authority a necessity," Donahoe said, noting that the city, county and state authorities have the lead in the flood assistance. "As soon as they can take back operations, they will. We're here to help in times of crisis. When it's over we'll leave."

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They're mainly sandbagging now, but they could also be called upon to help evacuate people should the need arise, Donahoe said.

Sandbagging work can be wet and muddy, but the troops are keeping their spirits up.

"They're very upbeat, very positive," Donahoe said. "They feel like they're doing their part, kind of what they signed up to do."

The National Guard troops are working alongside city employees and volunteers, he added. Governor Chet Culver called the guard out to help the local civilian authorities.

The National Guard does both state and federal work, and the soldiers like when they get to serve in-state, Donahoe said.

"It's neighbor helping neighbor," he said. "I'm really proud of the National Guard folks from Le Mars. They've already done a wonderful deployment to Iraq in 2005 and 2006. This just shows again what they're made of."