SC National Guard troops heading to Puerto Rico
About 150 troops from the S.C. Army National Guard are heading to Puerto Rico as soon as this weekend to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Th soldiers of the 178th Engineer Battalion from Rock Hill, and 122nd Engineer Battalion from Edgefield began arriving Thursday at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover on Thursday.
Gov. Henry McMaster made the announcement Thursday afternoon.
“The people of Puerto Rico have had our thoughts and prayers throughout this devastating and trying time, and now they will have the dedicated men and women of South Carolina’s Army National Guard working side by side with them to restore their homes and get them back on their feet,” the governor said.
The troops will dispatch by airlift to the U.S. territory, located more than 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, as early as this weekend, said S.C. Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Cindi King.
The troops will be accompanied by 60 vehicles, including bulldozers and backhoes, as well as “lots of chain saws” to help clear roads on the devastated island, King said. Puerto Rico, which was hit first by Hurricane Irma and then by Maria.
“They are going to be assisting clearing debris, helping the different areas that may have been cut off by fallen trees and helping to get the infrastructure going again,” King said.
The troops are being required to be self-sustaining for at least a week and are “prepared to work in very austere and challenging conditions,” King said. “They will be down there for as long as needed. It could be over a month.”
The S.C. Guard also sent two Blackhawk helicopter rescue teams to Houston the assist with Hurricane Harvey, and 600 soldiers to Florida in the aftermath of Irma. All of those soldier have returned.
The South Carolina soldiers will be part of a 750-soldier task force with guard members from North Carolina, Louisiana, and New York.
This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 12:22 PM with the headline "SC National Guard troops heading to Puerto Rico."