More good news for the troops in Mississippi. I just got this advisory:

Office of the Speaker
SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EMBARGOED UNTIL: March 8, 2007                     
Contact: Greg Foster
March 7, 2007                           
(803) 734-3125
fosterg@scstatehouse.net

Media Advisory
Speaker Harrell, Rep. Mulvaney, S.C. Chamber of Commerce and others pledge to give S.C. Guard transportation home

(Columbia, S.C.) – Recently 1,600 S.C. National Guard troops in Camp Shelby, Mississippi were granted a 10-day leave in early April before their deployment to Afghanistan.  They were granted leave to visit their families one last time before being deployed, but were not given access to transportation.  Speaker Harrell and others will announce in a press conference their intentions to aid our troops in their efforts to come home. 

    Who:  Speaker Harrell, Rep. Mick Mulvaney, other members of the House Republican Caucus, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and business leaders from across our  state

    When:  March 8, 2007 at 12:40

    Where:  Veterans Monument on State House Grounds.  West side of State House on Assembly Street.

    What:  Speaker Harrell and the business community pledge to help to bring our troops home to visit their family before being deployed for Afghanistan.

This follows on the good news that Rusty shared with us the other day:

Brad–I checked with the Guard and they have about 800 coming home.
Some opted not to do so having already gone through that wrenching
good-by more than a month ago. According to information I received from
HQ, for those few who might have some difficulty paying for the trip
home, "the National Guard Assn. of SC in conjuction with the 218th
Family Readiness Group has established a program to assist in the
funding of family and soldier relief programs for the 218th. This will
include assisting soldiers who have chosen to return to SC with their
travel. This program and funding will also be used to help soldiers’
families at home as needed during the deployment. The S.C. National
Guard has assisted the National Guard Assn. of S. C. with arranging
round trip charter bus transportation from Camp Shelby to S. C. at a
cost of $110 per soldier. Anyone wishing to donate funds to the
National Guard Association of S. C. Family Readiness program can send
checks payable to the ‘SCNG Family Program’ to: National Guard Assn. of
S. C.
1 National Guard Road
Stop # 36
Columbia, SC 29201
Attn: Cindy Watson (803-254-8456)

Rusty’s going to send them a check for future help. I will, too. Others who had offered earlier might want to consider channeling their generosity to this route.

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