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Lawmakers urge Kemp to bring Guard home for holiday
State lawmakers gathered at Liberty Plaza at the State Capitol to urge Governor Brian Kemp to bring 517 Georgia National Guard troops home from Washington, D.C., before Thanksgiving.
ATLANTA - A delegation of state lawmakers rallied outside the Georgia State Capitol on Friday to confront the governor over extended military deployments in the nation's capital.
Standing at Liberty Plaza, Democratic senators and representatives called on the administration to pull Georgia troops out of Washington before the holiday season begins.
Capital mission strains families
What we know:
A contingent of 517 Georgia National Guard members remains stationed in Washington to support municipal law enforcement operations. The troops initially deployed to the district a little more than a year ago.
Lawmakers voiced deep concern during a Friday press conference regarding the physical perils facing troops in the streets. They also highlighted a critical lack of embedded support networks and the heavy emotional toll carried by service members and their families back home.
Lawmakers demand immediate homecoming
What they're saying:
Rep. Sandra G. Scott (D-Rex) directly challenged state leadership to expedite the return of service personnel.
"Today we are here asking the governor to bring our National Guard soldiers home. Our soldiers have served their country," Scott said. "Their children and families need them home for the holidays."
Scott stressed that the assignment has strayed far from vital military missions and can be resolved instantly by executive action.
"They need to be home. Thanksgiving is one of the one of our major holidays," Scott said. "It's no reason for our guard troops to still be in D.C. picking up trash."
"And I know this is all a phone call away," Scott added. "He can make it happen before Thanksgiving."
Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone) questioned the initial rationale behind sending state personnel to Washington.
"Governor Kemp has never explained to the people of Georgia why he sent those guardsmen, men and women, to Washington, D.C. in the first place," Jackson said.
Sen. Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) widened the scope of the demand to encompass other states participating in the mission.
"These are extreme times and extreme situations where we are absolutely demanding that not just our governor, but all governors recall the National Guard troops for Washington, D.C.," Anderson said.
State officials outline timeline
The other side:
State officials stated in a formal letter that the deployed guardsmen are currently participating in routine rotations. Their dispatch is formally slated to conclude with soldiers returning to Georgia in early December.
Legislators dismissed that timetable as unacceptable. They maintain that waiting until December deprives military families of celebrating Thanksgiving together.
Deployment questions remain unanswered
What we don't know:
Gov. Kemp has not publicly stated whether he will order an early withdrawal before Thanksgiving.
State leadership has also not addressed lawmakers' assertions regarding troop duties, such as trash collection, or provided further details behind the original deployment order.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Deidra Dukes, who covered a news conference held by state lawmakers at Liberty Plaza outside the Georgia State Capitol, as well as an official letter released by state officials detailing military deployment rotations.