Nebraska National Guard Mission to Louisiana Extended

(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman announced today that many of the Nebraska Army and Air National Guard forces currently deployed to Louisiana as part of the Hurricane Gustav relief operations will see their mission extended by approximately one week from the original return date.  Exact numbers will be determined later this week.

“The Governor of Louisiana has requested that we keep many of the Nebraska National Guard forces currently engaged in the relief operations in place for an additional week as Louisiana continues to recover from Hurricane Gustav and prepares for a possible landfall by Hurricane Ike,” said Gov. Heineman.

The original relief effort called for the Nebraska Army and Air National Guard personnel to deploy for 15 days to end on September 15. Officials now expect the Guard personnel to return home on September 21.

The extension will allow National Guard officials to reassess its current mission and tailor the current force to better fit the operation’s needs. This reassessment will result in a reduction of forces currently deployed. The reduction will include approximately 200 Nebraska National Guard Soldiers and Airmen who are current college students who will return home later this week so that they can return to class.

“An operation of this magnitude takes a team effort that’s more than just the front line,” said Gov. Heineman. “I want to extend my appreciation to the families, the employers and the colleges who continue to support our National Guard members. The incredible support our National Guards members have received over the past two weeks was key to the success of this important mission.”

The Hurricane Gustav relief operation is the largest known out-of-state domestic emergency deployment in the history of the Nebraska National Guard. All told, nearly 1,000 Soldiers and Airmen from across the state were affected by the call-up.

The Guards forces are currently operating throughout much of Louisiana where they are helping local officials reestablish and rebuild damaged infrastructure. This has included providing security at numerous Louisiana parishes, delivering food, water, ice and tarps at local points of distribution, and enhancing local communication capabilities.

Affected by the deployment are:

*67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade Headquarters in Lincoln.

* 734th Transportation Battalion Headquarters in Kearney.

* 1074th Transportation Company, including units from North Platte, Sidney, Ogallala, and Broken Bow.

* 1075th Transportation Company, based in Columbus and York.

* 1195th Transportation Company, from Kearney, Lexington and McCook.

* 267th Ordnance Company in Lincoln and Hastings.

* 1167th Brigade Support Company, from Lincoln, Hastings and Fremont.

* 1-134th Cavalry Headquarters, based in Lincoln.

* Troop A, 1-134th Cavalry, from Hastings.

* Troop B, 1-134th Cavalry, from Fremont.

* Troop C, 1-134th Cavalry, from Beatrice.

* 192nd Law and Order Detachment, based in Nebraska City.

Personnel from other units deploying include: the 402nd Military Police Battalion from Omaha, the Nebraska National Guard's Joint Information Site Communications Capability from Lincoln, and members of the Nebraska Air National Guard's 155th Security Forces Squadron in Lincoln.