The commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade announced at an evening briefing that the brigade was to begin moving south this morning to Hammond, La., in Tangipahoa Parish, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans.
Wierenga said about two-thirds of the brigade will set up and secure food distribution centers and access to them. The rest of the 2,300-soldier deployment will have various missions as needed, he said.
Wierenga said it was uncertain how long the units might be at Hammond. FEMA was to have set up tent shelters there by today.
While awaiting orders in this central Louisiana city, the Pennsylvania troops have used their time to get ready to move into the storm-devastated area. [...]
