KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Around 500 troops from Fort Riley, Kansas, will be deployed around the United States to help incoming Afghan evacuees.
The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley service members will be sent to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Fort Lee in Virginia to support the efforts of task forces located there.
Among top priorities are providing temporary housing and other resources for evacuees from Afghanistan.
The troops will also provide medical, logistical and transportation support.
Service members from Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and other stations are being deployed to help in the mission.
U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas noted the last week has been hard for many Americans — especially veterans and their families.
For active service members, ongoing conflict as Americans pull out of Afghanistan has different implications. LaTurner issued the following statement Friday:
“The men and women of our Armed Forces are the best our country has to offer, and the Kansans at Fort Riley are no exception. Five hundred brave servicemembers from the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley are deploying to several U.S. Military bases around the country to assist incoming refugees following their evacuation from Afghanistan.
Join me in praying for the safety of the Kansans answering the call of duty and for all our servicemen and women assisting in the Afghanistan evacuation. God Bless our Armed Forces.”
