President Biden orders Fort Liberty troops to Western NC as part of Helene response

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A thousand soldiers from Fort Liberty will “immediately” be deployed to Western North Carolina as part of the response to Tropical Storm Helene, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday morning.

“These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina — they have the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this vital job done, and fast. They will join hundreds of North Carolina National Guard members deployed under State authorities in support of the response,” Biden said in a statement.

The soldiers headed to Western North Carolina are part of an infantry battalion task force, the White House said in a statement. Their unit includes a forward support company that can station key resources like fuel, water and mechanics in areas that are still without power or water nearly a week after the storm.

Soldiers will help with the delivery of key commodities like food and water, according to the White House. They will also help FEMA and other agencies participating in the response reach hard-hit areas that remain inaccessible due to catastrophic damage to the region’s roads and bridges from flooding and landslides.

Additionally, the Department of Defense will send 22 helicopters to help with search-and-rescue operations and “dozens” of high-water clearance vehicles.

The National Guard has activated more than 700 members to work on the delivery of supplies and to conduct search and rescue missions in the region. There were 15 aircraft and 275 vehicles involved in that mission as of Tuesday morning, according to a press release from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.

At a Tuesday press conference, Cooper said he and Biden had recently discussed deploying troops to Western North Carolina to help with the relief effort, saying there was a particular focus on aircraft to help deliver supplies.

“I want to make sure we get every single resource that we possibly can into North Carolina for what may be a long haul to make sure that we’re continuing to get water and supplies all across Western North Carolina,” Cooper said.

Biden is scheduled to visit South Carolina and North Carolina on Wednesday, with the president expected to view storm-battered Western North Carolina from the air before receiving a briefing in Raleigh.

“Hurricane Helene has been a storm of historic proportion. My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced unthinkable loss. We are here for you — and we will stay here for as long as it takes,” Biden said in a statement.

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