Arkansas National Guard officials have confirmed that a group of soldiers from the state will deploy to Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1.
A departure ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Dec. 1 at the Fort Chafee Joint Maneuver Training Center. Following the ceremony, about 100 Guard members will board a C-130 aircraft from the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing in Fort Smith for their flight to the nation’s capital.
The soldiers are part of the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 142nd Field Artillery Brigade. They began preparing for the mission earlier this month. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders previously announced the deployment, saying it is expected to last several months.
“Arkansas’ Guardsmen are there when we need them – whether it’s to deploy overseas, help secure the Southern Border, respond to a natural disaster, or keep our nation’s capital safe,” Sanders said in a Nov. 3 statement. “I have no doubt that in this mission, they will show the same skill and discipline that makes them such valuable public servants and will help bring law and order back to the streets of Washington, D.C.”
Officials say the federally funded mission will involve conducting security presence patrols and supporting law enforcement in designated areas. The deployment is part of a routine rotation of National Guard units assigned to the mission.