HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut National Guard is being deployed to North Carolina to assist with disaster response and relief efforts as Tropical Storm Helene moves through the area.
Gov. Ned Lamont approved the request to send the National Guard to North Carolina, and he announced that the Connecticut Army National Guard's 1-169th Aviation Regiment left Windsor Locks on Friday morning.
The unit consists of a five-soldier flight crew on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. They will be out there for about a week helping residents of North Carolina and assisting its state National Guard.
Lamont said Connecticut stands ready to help our friends in North Carolina respond to the impacts of the storm.
“I am appreciative of all the members of the Connecticut National Guard for always being ready and willing to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice, and I thank the 1-169th Aviation Regiment for accepting this mission," Lamont said in a statement.
The swift deployment is thanks to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) which is a nationwide system that allows affected states to request lifesaving resources when needed.
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