JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is sending 202 national guard members and their equipment to the U.S. Virgin Islands to help after Hurricane Irma.
The Mississippi Army and Air National Guard will spend 32 days on St. Thomas and St. Croix. They’re bringing C-17 aircraft, generators, trailers, forklifts, fuel supply equipment and other support items.
The Mississippi National guard, said in a news release Thursday, that its help was requested through the National Emergency Management Assistance Compact , an agreement for state-to-state support during disasters. All 50 states and the U.S. territories all are part of the compact.
The U.S. Virgin Islands will pay deployment expenses.