Oklahoma National Guard troops leave for Louisiana
5th Sep 2005, 12:36 GMT
Sep 04, 2005: OKLAHOMA CITY - A convoy of Oklahoma National Guard troops was en route to Louisiana Sunday, part of a contingent of 4,500 people from the state who were providing assistance in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina or were on their way to the Gulf Coast region. Gallery: Troops deploy to help About 700 troops in 150 vehicles left the state Sunday, National Guard Col. Kevin McNeely said. They were among about 3,500 National Guard troops from the state who will provide assistance to hurricane-damaged areas, said Michelann Ooten, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Another 1,000 state emergency workers and disaster relief volunteers from the state are also providing assistance. Troops have been leaving the state since Thursday, but the largest single departure came Sunday. At the National Guard Armory in Oklahoma City, more than 200 troops armed with M-16 rifles and dressed in green fatigues loaded about 40 Humvees with boxes of food and water that will last them for about a week. The troops aren't sure when they will return, but they are happy to finally be leaving, National Guard Lt. Roy Banes said. "They are all pretty excited," he said. "Getting a mission like this is pretty special for us. We're looking forward to pitching in and helping out where we can." Some of the troops are students, while others are single parents or have been caring for family members with severe illnesses, he said. "I told all the college kids that they didn't have to go," he said. "But, many of them dropped out of school to help out." Spc. Vanessa Thomas, 39, left her three daughters with her mother to aid in relief efforts, including a 20-month-old girl. "I feel like we are doing something worthwhile," she said as she prepared to deploy. "But, I'm a little scared because of the things I've seen on the news with the gunfire and the civilians growing restless and aggressive." Thomas, who also served in Desert Storm, said she thinks troops shou
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