LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) - The Michigan Army National Guard is planning to send more than 1,000 soldiers to help out with Hurricane Irma relief efforts.
One CH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight air and ground crew personnel, are scheduled to leave sometime Monday morning from the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Mt. Clemens.
They’re likely to provide aerial support for personnel and logistical movement initially in South Carolina and then they’ll move to Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
Around 425 Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment are expected to deploy to the west side of southern Florida where they are likely to provide humanitarian assistance and security. They’ll leave Monday morning at 10 a.m. to head to Camp Grayling to consolidate and pack equipment including more than 120 vehicles and trucks.
The battalion will then leave Grayling on Tuesday and head down to Florida.
Approximately 60 Michigan soldiers from the 238th Aviation in Grand Ledge are expected to leave for Jacksonville Florida either Monday or Tuesday.
The unit from the 238th Aviation in Grand Ledge will perform aviation maintenance on UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, an aircraft that is expected to be in high demand in the upcoming week throughout Florida.
"Our Soldiers are trained and equipped to provide the vital assistance that our fellow Americans are going to need following a massive catastrophic storm," said Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais, The Adjutant General of the Michigan National Guard. "We are anxious to get down there as soon as conditions allow us to get into Florida."
An additional 570 Soldiers, from 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery, with its headquarters in Lansing are scheduled to leave on Sunday, Sep. 17. Where they’re likely to provide humanitarian assistance and security.
Their deployment location has not yet been determined.
