Iowa National Guard commander to retire in March

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa National Guard’s commander plans to retire this spring.

The Des Moines Register reported that Gov. Kim Reynolds announced to a crowd of veterans at the state Capitol on Wednesday that Maj. Gen. Benjamin Corell will step down March 1. Corell said he wants to retire so he can spend more time with his wife and seven grandchildren.

Corell has served as the Iowa National Guard’s adjutant general since August 2019. He’s a 37-year member of the Iowa National Guard. He enlisted in 1986 and was commissioned as an officer in 1989. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Romania and Kuwait.

He warned legislators in his annual Condition of the Guard address last week that the organization faces recruiting challenges. He also said lawmakers should consider reorganizing the Guard’s facilities around the state, noting that many armories were built in the 1950s and 1970s.