Several members of the National Guard’s 891st Engineer Battalion will head to Puerto Rico this week to provide “support for engineering functions.”
Puerto Rico, an American territory in the Caribbean, was devastated in a pair of storms, the first was Hurricane Irma in mid-September, followed by the more powerful Hurricane Maria about two weeks later.
Hurricane Maria has been rated as the most powerful storm ever to strike Puerto Rico, having wiped out much of the island’s infrastructure. Two-thirds of the island remains without power.
The Guardsmen will depart from Wichita Thursday.
Katie Horner, public affairs director for the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office, said numbers of deploying 891st members were not immediately available.
The Guardsmen were notified Monday, with orders that their work could take more than 30 days.
891st members headed to Puerto Rico
