Easton area National Guard unit leaving Sunday for New York
Nov 03, 2012 (The Morning Call (Menafn - Allentown - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --A Forks Township-based battalion of the Pennsylvania National Guard will leave Sunday for New York to help in post-Sandy relief and cleanup efforts.
The 180 members of the 228th Brigade Support Battalion, Alpha Company will help move food and supplies to and from distribution sites in and around New York City as well as moving them to affected areas of the city, said Staff Sgt. Ted Nichols.
The 228th will join members of the 28th Military Police unit based in Johnstown, Pa. who will muster in Fort Indiantown Gap. They are also headed to New York Sunday along with elements of the 171st Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard based in Coraopolis and members of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in Washington, Pa. All the units are helping under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a national mutual aid pact covering all 50 states.
Earlier today, approximately 50 troops from the Pennsylvania National Guard's Alpha Company 328th Brigade Support Battalion based in Lebanon, Pa. departed for New Jersey to where they will provide fuel to critical resources in New Jersey.
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 271st Combat Communication Squadron based at Fort Indiantown Gap will be sending a sophisticated communication package with six airmen to New Jersey, departing tonight.
According to the compact's website, 1,127 national guardsmen have been deployed to superstorm Sandy relief efforts.
The region's two Nestle' Waters North America bottling plants near Breinigsville are also helping in the relief effort. At the request of federal and state emergency management officials, the company is sending 100 trucks from plants in four states including Pennsylvania, to New York and New Jersey, with 5.4 million bottles of water for storm victims. The company has also donated 770,000 bottles of water, some of which were headed for the canceled New York Marathon.
Scott.kraus@mcall.com
610-820-6745
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