By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Another 700 Missouri National Guard soldiers are on their way to Louisiana to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.
They'll be spending the night at Camp Robinson in Arkansas, and are due to arrive in Louisiana tomorrow.
Captain Tammy Spicer with the Missouri National Guard says they've formed two task forces to aid the Bayou State.
"One is military police-specific, and one is engineer-specific, and then we have a variety of other elements, including logistical leadership and transportation, and communications that are down there trying to help Louisiana through this period," Spicer said.
Around 600 Missouri guard members are already in Louisiana.
The staging area for the remaining 700 is unknown.
"It's changed a couple of times, because of weather conditions in Louisiana, so they'll first report to northern Louisiana, to a staging area where Louisiana authorities will direct them further," Spicer said.
Spicer also says she doesn't know what their specific assignments will be, but they could include such duties as patrolling evacuated towns, sandbagging, and traffic control.
She adds, though, that they have not been asked to patrol New Orleans.
As for the length of their deployment, Spicer says Missouri citizen soldiers will stay in Louisiana for as long as Governor Bobby Jindal needs them.