CAMP RIPLEY, Minnesota - Spc. Cassaundra Runyan, of Urbandale, Iowa, was recognized as a top performer during an eXportable Combat Training Capabilities (XCTC) exercise at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, July 2024.
Runyan stood out amongst her peers by her hard work and outstanding performance setting up and running exceptional geospatial services and demonstrating commendable initiative, all while maintaining an infectious positivity that spread through her station.
Runyan represents today’s Iowa Army National Guard, which consists of 7,000 Citizen Soldiers based in more than 40 communities across the state. Runyan, a 2014 graduate of Ankeny High School, is 12Y Geospatial Engineer assigned to Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.
Runyan was one of nearly 5,000 Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers and support staff who participated in the training exercise.
During the training exercise, men and women demonstrated a variety of combat skills. Soldiers fired several different weapon systems, low-crawled through the dirt, and carried their packs and tents through the woods.
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