Mississippi To Send Guardsmen To U.S. Virgin Islands

PEARL, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – The State of Mississippi is sending 202 Mississippi National Guardsmen and equipment to the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.  The request for support was made directly to Mississippi through the National Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

The Mississippi Army and Air National Guard will provide support with personnel, C-17 aircraft, generators, trailers, forklifts, fuel supply equipment and other support items.  The teams will be deployed for 32 days on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix.

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is an agreement signed by all 50 states and the U.S. Territories and allows for state-to-state support during disasters. The expenses for this deployment will be covered by the U.S. Virgin Islands.

MEMA is prepared to coordinate additional support as it is requested.

For more information on the Emergency Management Assistance Compact please visit www.emacweb.org.