Going south

The Daily Inter Lake

The Montana National Guard announced Monday the mobilization of Kalispell's

Headquarters 495th Motor Transport Battalion in support of Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Montana National Guard announced Monday the mobilization of Kalispell's Headquarters 495th Motor Transport Battalion in support of Hurricane Katrina victims.

According to a release received late Monday, the guard activation also includes units of military and security police, firefighters and a small medical team for a total of 200 soldiers from around the state.

National Guard units were notified during the weekend of their deployment. Plans call for the guardsmen to move to areas of operation in either Mississippi or Louisiana later this week.

The 495th soldiers specialize in transport, so their duties likely will involve distribution of food and water.

They will take their own equipment on the mission to help the hurricane victims.

Maj. Gen. Randy Mosley serves as the Montana Guard's adjutant general.

"This is what we do best - it's what we've trained for, and we will have a positive impact wherever we serve," Mosley said.

Other Montana soldiers will participate in search-and-rescue and security operations. The 495th and other units expect to serve in the hurricane-affected states for 45 days.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, commander-in-chief of the state's national guard, called the deployment neighbors helping neighbors in the spirit of Montana.

"These soldier take with them the hopes and wishes of all Montanans for a bright future for those affected by this tragedy," Schweitzer said.

About 45 guardsmen with the 495th last deployed in February 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

They returned in April 2004 after logging 10 million miles moving cargo, supplies and ammunition for the war and subsequent rebuilding efforts.