A helicopter and nine members from a Greenville-based South Carolina Army National Guard unit are being sent to Texas to help secure the border with Mexico, officials announced Friday.
A UH-72A Lakota helicopter and nine members of the 2-151 Security and Support Aviation Battalion are scheduled to depart next week. The battalion is headquartered at the Donaldson Center in Greenville.
The deployment is part of Operation Guardian Support, President Donald Trump’s mission to secure the southern border.
"The highly trained men and women of the South Carolina National Guard are ready and able to support President Trump’s mission to secure our country’s border, and our entire state is grateful for their service and sacrifice," said Gov. Henry McMaster.
Friday's announcement comes a month after McMaster spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to offer South Carolina’s support for the border-security mission.
"You have some of the most professional soldiers in army aviation throughout South Carolina. The South Carolina National Guard are some of the best throughout the United States Army," said LTC Douglas Leslie, Commander of the 2-151 Security Support Aviation Battalion, which is the first group to deploy.
The members of the battalion who are being deployed will arrive in Austin, Texas, on or about May 19. They will support missions wherever they are needed in Texas.
"The soldiers picking up and leaving their civilian jobs and being away from their families, this is something that South Carolina, whether it's a mission abroad in the desert or on the homefront to support our nation, we're continually answering the call to pick up and support our nation," said Leslie.
The UH-72A Lakota is a light-utility helicopter primarily used for aerial surveillance and passenger movement. An additional South Carolina Army National Guard UH-72 with crew is expected to augment support later next month.