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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 12, 2008 No. 08-097 KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYS ARMY AVIATION UNIT FOR HURRICANE IKE
RESPONSE Despite a 24 hour weather delay, three UH-60 Black Hawks from the Kansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation (Topeka) and Company C, 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Battalion (Salina) lifted off this morning from Topeka and Salina. They are headed to San Angelo, Texas to stage there. One of the three choppers is medical helicopter. The 21 soldiers deploying with this army guard unit had planned to leave yesterday for Camp Robinson, Arkansas, to stage there for Hurricane Ike response; however, weather prevented the trip and Camp Robinson is now predicted to get severe weather from Hurricane Ike. Kansas Air Guard on Alert for Hurricane Ike Response The 190th Air Refueling Wing (Kansas Air Guard) has been placed on alert for Hurricane Ike to be ready to send three KC-135 stratotankers to the Gulf Coast. The alert means they must be ready to fly within three hours of receiving mission orders, should the need arise. Kansas Guardsmen in Louisiana Beginning to Return Home The 600 Kansas National Guard personnel deployed to various locations in Louisiana to assist local authorities with hurricane response and recovery operations will be returning in phases throughout the next several days. Some soldiers from the 35th Division will return to Leavenworth Saturday, Sept. 13 at approximately 1 p.m. Other units serving in Louisiana include 69th Troop Command; the 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry, the 635th Armor, the 169th Corps Support Sustainment Battalion, 731st Transportation Company (Palletized Loading System), 137th Transportation Company (Palletized Loading System) will return over the next several days. The Kansas National Guard Incident Response Vehicle deployed to Port Barre, La., to facilitate communications between emergency response agencies and civil authorities. It is scheduled to start back to Kansas today (weather permitting). Kansas National Guardsmen are also on duty at the Joint Operations Center in Topeka to provide 24-hour operations support for the soldiers who are deployed. -30- |
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