There is so much to do in Iowa’s capital, so I’ve heard.
As a Midwest transplant, as I like to call it, I don’t get over to central Iowa very much!
I was in Des Moines this past weekend for the Iowa Nation Guard’s 1st Squadron 113th Cavalry Regiment’s ‘Dining Out’. AKA a nice formal dinner.
It’s a great time to dress up, celebrate the Squadron's accomplishments, and camaraderie, and an opportunity to get families involved in some of the special traditions.
These types of formal events are a special time to mingle with other families before a deployment, catch up after the return from deployment, and be with friends in a special setting.
A bit of some history.
In WWII, the state of Iowa had more soldiers per capita in the fight than any other state. (Go Iowa!)
Back to the ball.
Nebraska Cornhuskers wrestling coach Mark Manning was our guest speaker for the evening, but my favorite part was the grog.
What is a grog?
I had the same question when I first attended one of these events.
Grog: “Cavalry Troopers would share their spirits, ensuring that all fellow troopers had something. The spirits usually consisted of whatever an individual trooper's taste was, and that, when mixed with other drinks, created a powerful drink known as “GROG”.
It’s like a giant party juice that everyone is invited to partake in after the ceremony is over.
The ingredients of this mixed drink are different for each event but each ingredient has a connection of sorts to the military unit’s history. For example, Everclear, ‘dirt’ from a deployment, tequila, bourbon, juices of some sort, and the water of the Missouri River. They’ve even put parts of uniforms and boots in the drink mix as well.
It’s a wild tradition that gets the soldiers riled up, and for the first time, I tried it!
I like to embrace the ups and downs of being a military spouse, and this for one was a major UP! These types of events bring pride, community, and opportunity to the soldiers based in Northwest Iowa. While the path may not always be the easiest, the love and commitment shared makes every moment worthwhile.
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