LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen and Nebraska National Guard Adjutant General Craig Strong will travel to Texas on Monday, Aug. 21 to visit with Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers supporting efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Gov. Pillen and AG Strong will visit the 61deployed soldiers who left on Aug. 2 on a month-long mission. The group is slated to return in early September.
In addition to visiting Nebraska troops, Gov. Pillen will join other Republican governors for a security briefing by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Gov. Pillen attended a similar briefing in May, also hosted by Gov. Abbott, prior to deploying 10 members of the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) to the southern border to assist with drone surveillance operations. Gov. Pillen will join that group of governors for a news conference at 2:00 p.m. (CT) in Eagle Pass, TX.
“This mission is critical to the security of Nebraskans as well as all Americans,” said Gov. Pillen. “I am look forward to visiting with our soldiers and observing their operations personally and sharing the state’s appreciation for their service as part of Operation Lone Star.”
Gov. Pillen’s deployment of state troopers and National Guard members is in response to a request from emergency management officials in Texas. Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), member states can provide resources and assistance in times of emergency. Federal funds, directed through the Nebraska National Guard will cover costs associated with this deployment.
