MINNESOTA — Some members of the Minnesota National Guard are on their way to Florida to help with emergency response services in Hurricane Milton, after Gov. Tim Walz signed off on their deployment this week.
Brooke Majchrzak, logistics readiness officer with the 148th Fighter Wing, says there are more than 200 soldiers and airmen who are a part of the Minnesota National Guard's joint domestic operations team, but only 13 will be going to Florida.
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Of those, 11 will be part of the search and recovery team, one is a chaplain and another is with communications.
The 13 left their base in Duluth on Tuesday, Oct. 8, with four trucks, four trailers, three generators and communication equipment.
They plan to reach Camp Blanding in Starke, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 10. Once there, Majchrzak says they'll get their specific mission and connect with the Florida teams.
She said the unit trains several times a year to prepare for calls such as these.
"We serve here, we're your neighbors, we're your community members, we're your family and friends and we support and defend our nation, and so being able to come and help like this is what we're trained for, that's what we're here for," Majchrzak said.
It's unknown how long the unit will be deployed in Florida, she said.
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