I got a call from my sister, in the Illinois Army reserves, late Sunday, and she had gotten the dreaded phone call ...

turns out she's been mustered to head to Louisiana for 4 to 6 month deployment.  I know it ain't Iraq but it's still too much like a war zone for comfort.   She was philosophical saying. "I volunteered for this, so I can't really complain."

Send your prayers with those good folks.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050831nationalguard,1,398008.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Blagojevich sends Illinois National Guard to Louisiana

By Tara Burghart
The Associated Press
Published August 31, 2005, 5:30 PM CDT

The Illinois National Guard will send 300 soldiers and up to 50 military vehicles to Louisiana to assist with the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office announced Wednesday.

The large military cargo trucks can drive through several feet of water, making them suitable for cleaning up debris and transporting supplies, officials said.

The trucks will be accompanied by about 200 members of the Springfield-based 367th Maintenance Company, plus drivers and command staff. The group will leave Friday morning, a day after the 10-member Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team is expected to depart.

The state of Louisiana made the request for help through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement between states.

tell her that if she links up with anyone from mass ntl. guard to look for a Sgt. St. Dennis... he's also down there... if she needs anything he should be able to find it...

also tell her good luck... sounds terrible down there...

-Roth