More than 20 members of the Arkansas Air National Guard have been deployed to other U.S. bases to help with flow of Afghan refugees. News release:
More than 20 Arkansas Air National Guardsmen from the 188th Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, and Joint Force Headquarters at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock
Volunteered to support Operation Allies Refuge on Title 10 active duty orders. One departed Aug. 26, the rest departed this morning, Aug. 30.
One is at Volk Field, Wisc., the rest are on their way to Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst, N.J.
The Department of Defense recently approved a request for assistance from the State Department to provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for vulnerable Afghans at Fort McCoy, Wisc.; Fort Bliss, Texas; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; and Fort Lee, Va.
U.S. Northern Command is the Department of Defense’s lead combatant command for this mission in the continental United States and is providing oversight in support of the Department of State. U.S. Army North, as U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command, is the lead operational command for this mission. The task force JBMDL will provide the housing, medical, logistics, and transportation support.
“We are proud to join Task Force JBMDL, Task Force Fort McCoy, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command and the Department of Defense team, in supporting the State Department with this mission,” said Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn, Arkansas’ adjutant general.
The Arkansas Air National Guard consists of 1,900 Airmen across two Wings and geographical separated units, providing ready Airmen for ongoing global military operations and response to domestic emergencies for the Governor of Arkansas.
