Guard Activated and Ready for the Worst

[unhappycamper]

Guard Activated and Ready for the Worst
August 31, 2008
American Forces Press Service

BATON ROUGE, La. – As 1,500 National Guard members arrived in New Orleans to support the city’s police department and assist in executing civil support missions, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the activation of all available remaining Louisiana National Guard forces to assist with emergency operations in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.

With the newly activated troops coming on board today, the total of Louisiana Guard members activated reaches 7,000.

Gustav, which grew to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, is bearing down on western Cuba today with sustained winds of more than 120 mph, and is expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Sept. 1 or early Sept. 2.

The Guard troops who arrived in New Orleans yesterday will safeguard homes and businesses during evacuation and instill confidence in the citizens, state Guard officials said.

The state’s adjutant general assured residents of a response to Gustav that’s based on lessons learned three years ago, when back-to-back hurricanes struck the region.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/guard-activated-and-ready-for-the-worse.html