Local volunteer work helps veterans make Washington trips
The state recognized a Cedar Rapids woman this week for long-running volunteer work that has helped aging veterans visit monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. Connie Arens, a retired Army nurse, received the Governor’s Volunteer Award for her service with Eastern Iowa Honor Flight.
Arens has worked with the volunteer-run organization since 2015, providing medical support on the flights and at departure points so older veterans can participate in the trips safely. Her medical care has been credited with making it possible for veterans with complex needs to travel and be honored for their service.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition,” Arens said. “Supporting our veterans through the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.”
Three decades in military nursing, then community caregiving
Arens served in the Army Nurse Corps from 1989 until her retirement as a lieutenant colonel in 2010. Her career included an 18-month deployment to Landstuhl, Germany, in 2006, where she cared for injured service members returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. During that deployment, multiple daily incoming flights brought wounded personnel to the hospital where she worked, exposing her to serious combat-related injuries and the intense medical needs that accompanied them.
After leaving active duty, she continued to serve veterans through volunteerism at home. The Eastern Iowa Honor Flight program transports veterans to Washington for a day of recognition; volunteers like Arens manage medical needs, wheelchairs and supplies so participants can focus on the experience.
What the award recognizes
The Governor’s Volunteer Award honors exceptional service across Iowa communities. Organizers and fellow volunteers highlighted Arens’ steady presence on Honor Flight missions and the professionalism she brings to each trip, particularly when caring for aging veterans who need medical attention or assistance while traveling.
- Served with Eastern Iowa Honor Flight since 2015
- Enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps in 1989
- Retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2010
- Deployed to Landstuhl, Germany, for 18 months in 2006
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Enlisted in Army Nurse Corps |
| 2006 | 18-month deployment to Landstuhl, Germany |
| 2010 | Retired as lieutenant colonel |
| 2015 | Started volunteering with Eastern Iowa Honor Flight |
Local impact and broader meaning
For Cedar Rapids and the wider Eastern Iowa community, Arens’ recognition underscores how local volunteers connect veterans to national remembrance rituals. The Honor Flight trips are short but powerful — they offer older veterans a chance to see national memorials and receive public thanks. Medical volunteers ensure those with limited mobility or chronic conditions can participate without undue risk.
Her story also echoes a broader pattern of military medical professionals continuing to serve communities after active duty, translating battlefield and wartime hospital experience into civilian volunteer roles that address pressing needs among aging veteran populations.
The award ceremony, held Thursday, brought statewide attention to a volunteer role that is often behind the scenes: the medical and logistical caretakers who make Honor Flight trips feasible. For many local families of veterans, those volunteers are the reason a once-in-a-lifetime trip can happen safely.
As the community reacts to the recognition, volunteers and organizations in Cedar Rapids say the emphasis remains on the veterans themselves — enabling them to travel, be cared for and be honored for their service.
