More Than 50 Louisiana National Guardsmen Headed for Afghanistan

The Louisiana National Guard’s G Company and D Company, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment is preparing to deploy for more than a year, and their destination is one of the most dangerous places in the world - Afghanistan.  According to KATC, the 238th will providing "air movement support and medical evacuation support to ground forces,"  In a country where the war on terror has raged for almost 19 years.

This will be the regiment's 3rd trip across the Atlantic Ocean since 9/11, but this time the troops contain two father-son teams and one married couple.  Both companies will head to Fort Hood (near Kileen, Texas) for premobilization training before making the long trip to the Middle East.

Not only will these brave men and women be headed to a literal war zone, but the move will also leave the Bayou State without some crucial rescue workers during an increasingly violent and destructive Hurricane season.  According to KATC's report:

(The 238th is a) key part of state emergency operations and has provided search and rescue, air evacuations and support for almost every state emergency, including: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Harvey, Shreveport forest fires, marsh fires in New Orleans, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the multiple floods of 2016."