2300 Pa. National Guard in La. Wait for Something to Do

[JPZenger]

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1126171428147750.xml&coll=1

2,300 PA. National Guard in Louisiana Wait 2 Days for Orders to Help Out
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Harrisburg Patriot-News (story has also been reported separately on AP)

Alexandria, La. - ..."They are tired and missing loved ones. They are eager to start their mission of relief to the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast, four hours or so south of this central Louisiana city. So far, there is no mission.

The brigade moved its troops, plus 440 vehicles and supplies for a month on two to three days' notice. Wierenga said that means the unit will be indispensable when it does arrive in the stricken areas.

"People have said they have seen other units from far away for a few days now, but those have been relatively light units that hopped a plane and flew in," he said. "We've come prepared to sustain ourselves for 30 days, so when we go out into a community down there, we're not a liability."

(Another article said some of the Guardsman yesterday entered the New Orleans area, but were sent back to Alexandria Louisiana because they had no mission.)

[JPZenger]

1. Another article from AP

Here's an AP article on the same topic

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/12583517.htm

"But two frustrating days after arriving in Louisiana, more than 2,500 Pennsylvania National Guardsmen were still awaiting orders ... in Alexandria, about 170 miles northwest of New Orleans. "All the soldiers were saying 'Let's go,'" said Lt. Col. Jerry Miller, a battalion commander. "The soldiers really want to do something."

Guardsmen from Pennsylvania rode more than 1,200 miles in Humvees, sleeping in truck stop parking lots, to get to Alexandria - only to find they had no mission yet... The contingent ... has 500 vehicles, and is self-sustaining with the capability to purify its own water and maintain vehicles. The soldiers packed bulletproof vests, ammunition and weapons.

Several sleeper buses full of Pennsylvania troops did get close to the devastation. They arrived at the airfield in St. Tammany Parish on the outskirts of New Orleans on Tuesday morning after 24 hours on the road; they unpacked, only to be told to load the buses back up and head to Alexandria four hours away because Marines and members of the Alabama National Guard were already in the parish.

Col. Joel Wierenga did not hide his frustration when he told his officers the news, and also informed them they might eventually be split up to provide security to utility crews."