NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More than 320 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard have been activated to support Hurricane Ida relief efforts in Louisiana.
Personnel from the Tennessee Army National Guard's 251st Military Police Company in Lexington and Savannah, 1172nd Transportation Company in Memphis and Waynesboro, and the 1176th Transportation Company in Dresden, Jacksboro and Smyrna were preparing to depart for Louisiana Monday to assist with relief and recovery operations.
The members of the Tennessee National Guard will assist with security in the affected areas, provide high water vehicles to support rescue and recovery operations and transport people out of the affected areas, among other tasks.
The Tennessee National Guard communicated with the Louisiana National Guard and National Guard Bureau before the hurricane made landfall in Louisiana Sunday to prepare for this activation. This mutual support among states is standard, allowing states within a region to mobilize rapidly to respond to emergencies.
"We are actively engaged in relief efforts in Humphreys County (Tennessee) and with COVID-19 support statewide, but we are also ready to help Louisiana without impacting our support here in Tennessee," said Holmes. "During our mobilization in Humphreys County, I had numerous states reach out to me offering support and we, in kind, offered similar support to Louisiana.
"The ability to mobilize rapidly is one of the biggest strengths of the National Guard in each state," he said. "This capability has been on display for the last 18 months with COVID-19, domestic responses, and our federal missions. We're continuing to uphold Tennessee's volunteer tradition."
Heavy rain caused severe flooding in Humphreys County, Tennessee, last week. More than 80 members of the Tennessee National Guard were assisting state and local first responders in relief efforts there.