FRANKFORT, Ky. –
Approximately 80-100 members from the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 617th Military Police Company from Richmond, Ky., will assist the Louisiana National Guard after Hurricane Ida touched the Gulf Coast Sunday.
The Guardsmen will aid in civil support for the area and assist with recovery and relief after citizens were forced to abandon thousands of homes and businesses while seeking safer grounds during devastating winds and rising waters caused by the Category 4 hurricane.
The unit is expected to arrive in Louisiana by Sept. 4 to assist the Louisiana National Guard in the coming weeks.
The decision to deploy Kentucky troops came at the request made by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and Louisiana’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Keith Waddell.
“This isn’t the first time they have been hit, nor is this the first time we responded to their call,” said Brig. Gen. Haldane Lamberton, adjutant general for Kentucky. “My family and I could only watch in horror as Louisiana was hit again by another hurricane, so having the opportunity to help those in need of our support is humbling. Our Guardsmen are always ready. We have a diverse and skilled force ready to support Louisiana and its citizens in this time of need.”
The 617th MP Co. is a decorated Kentucky Army National Guard unit that has participated in multiple tours in support of the Iraq War, first during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2005, and again in 2011 for Operation New Dawn. They recently returned from a successful mission supporting the southwest border and have participated in numerous assignments inside the commonwealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.