WATERLOO -- A group of John Deere employees and other community volunteers are "going one extra" for Iowa Army National Guard soldiers based in Waterloo whose deployment in Iraq was extended.

Iowa's Bravest, an organization that has been sending holiday gift boxes to troops since the war began, plans to assemble a special shipment to the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry. The event will begin at 4 p.m. March 28 at United Auto Workers Local 838, 2615 Washington St.

Thirty 50-pound boxes of snacks, movies, telephone calling cards and other items -- valued at $15,000 including postage -- will be distributed to about 700 soldiers, said Julie Ehlers, Iowa's Bravest organizer.

The battalion is marking its one-year anniversary in Iraq today.

"Our shipment will be arriving in time to give them all the morale boost that they will be needing about then," Ehlers said.

The goods also will arrive just before Easter, and donations of candy are being sought.

The 1/133rd, called the Ironman Battalion for consecutive days in combat during World War II, was to return home in April. The deployment was extended to August as part of President Bush's troop surge initiative in Iraq.

The battalion performs convoy security escort duty in western Iraq. The group was called to active duty in fall 2005.

Two of the battalion's soldiers died in combat. Several others were wounded, mainly by roadside bombs. Many battalion members also served in recent deployments in the Sinai Peninsula or Afghanistan.

Most of the soldiers received a few weeks leave, taking turns rotating home over each of the two holiday seasons during their deployment. But Guard officials have indicated such leaves will not be available through the remainder of the deployment.

"They are starting to count down their 125 days of their extension with the hottest part of the year coming up," Ehlers said. "Whatever this community can do to brighten the lives of our soldiers for just one day will mean more than they can even imagine.'

She added new groups from the community as well as some new ones from as far away as Cedar Rapids and Des Moines are collecting items for the project.

"It's very heartwarming to see this wonderful level of support shown to our soldiers," Ehlers said. "Being away from loved ones at home for almost two years is more difficult then most of us can even imagine.

"We can't wait to welcome all of our Iowa soldiers home."

Family members of deployed soldiers, as well as employees of Black Hawk County and members of AMVETS, are helping the effort. Cell Phones for Soldiers, a project started in 2004 by Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, two teenagers in Massachusetts, donated 1,000 international calling cards to Iowa's Bravest for the upcoming shipment.

Ehlers said the community has done another outstanding job of supporting its soldiers.

"I think the 133rd's extended deployment really tugged at a lot of our community members' hearts," she said. "It's a huge sacrifice on both the soldier and their family."

Donations are being accepted and may be dropped off at the National Guard Armory in Waterloo. To make arrangements, call Sgt. Sean Sejkora at (319) 235-6581.

For information, call Ehlers at {M3 (319) 232-3795 or e-mail juliea58@mchsi.com.

The Iowa's Bravest committee also continues to sell Support Our Troops flags for its year-round fundraising effort. The flags can be embroidered with soldiers' names for an additional fee. Information about that project is available online at www.IowasBravest.org.

Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1484 or Pat.Kinney@wcfcourier.com.