TOPEKA —Approximately 230 Kansas National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have returned home from Washington, D.C., this week. The Guardsmen came home on KC-135s flown by the Kansas Air National Guard's 190th Air Refueling Wing, according to a media release from the Kansas Adjutant General's Department.
The Kansas Guardsmen deployed following a request from the District of Columbia National Guard to support the presidential inauguration. Gov. Laura Kelly authorized the deployment.
"I am so proud of the fine Soldiers and Airmen Kansas sent to Washington to assist with security during the recent inaugural," Kelly said. "Their service is just one great example of the dedication and professionalism our Kansas National Guardsmen display, no matter what mission they are assigned."
Col. Michael Venerdi, director of the Kansas National Guard Joint Staff, was Kansas lead.
"I am honored to have led the men and women of the Kansas National Guard on this mission to Washington," said Venerdi. "These individuals left their families, employers, educational responsibilities and Kansas to support a mission that we initially had few details on. These Soldiers and Airmen worked long hours with little sleep and I couldn't be more proud of the work that they did while we were there."
After arriving in D.C., the Kansas Soldiers and Airmen were assigned to Task Force Response as a quick reaction force for multiple locations in D.C. The Kansas team reacted to the rapidly evolving missions that they were assigned. After the completion of the inauguration, the team was assigned to Task Force SCOTUS, which was tasked with securing the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. The remaining Soldiers and Airmen supported a quick-reaction force that responded to issues at the White House.
Approximately 50 Kansas Soldiers and Airmen will remain on duty at least through the middle of March in continued support of District and federal civil authorities.
"I give my full support for those Guardsmen who remain on duty in our nation's capital," said Kelly. "Protecting the health and safety of the public is one of their primary missions, whether at home in Kansas, in another state, and even abroad as they serve the cause of peace."
"I am also proud of the Soldiers and Airmen that stayed behind and worked tirelessly in order to ensure our readiness, training, logistics, and mobilization processes were rapidly available and extremely efficient," said Venerdi. "Without these individuals, we couldn't have accomplished either mission."
The Soldiers and Airmen represent the following: the Kansas Army National Guard's 130th Field Artillery Battalion (Manhattan); 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery (Hutchinson); 997th Brigade Support Battalion (Hays); 330th Signal Company (Wichita); 1161st Forward Support Company (Wichita); 250th Forward Support Company (Ottawa); 170th Maintenance Company (Wichita); 995th Maintenance Company (Smith Center); 635th Regional Support Group (Wichita); 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation (Topeka); 891st Engineer Battalion (Iola); 226th Engineer Company (Augusta); 242nd Engineer Company (Coffeyville); 772nd Engineer Company (Pittsburg); 1st Battalion, 635th Armor (Kansas City); 235th Regiment (Salina); 169th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Olathe); and 731st Transportation Company (Great Bend); and the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Wing (Wichita) and the 190th Air Refueling Wing (Topeka)