As part of a select few states to do so, a North Dakota Army National Guard unit has received an alert for possible mobilization.
If ordered to go, the Grand Forks-based 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment would leave for duty to the National Capital Region in the summer.
The unit is made up of 225 soldiers and would work with other Department of Defense agencies, protecting the nation’s capital.
KX News spoke to the unit’s Lieutenant Colonel who says this type of deployment is normal except only about five states are ever asked to participate.
“North Dakota National Guard, we’re known to be some of the most professional guardsmen in the nation and then specifically, air-defense unit wise, it’s a small community and we’re really great at what we do. We’re known as one of the best air-defense units in the nation and so we want to continue that,” Walyn Vannurden said.
If mobilized, guard members would be gone about a year.
