50,000 Troops Now In 'Katrina Zone'

[beetbox]

50,000 troops now in 'Katrina zone'
From correspondents in Washington
06sep05

THE number of US military forces in storm-ravaged Gulf Coast states has swelled to more than 50,000 as ground troops and naval vessels continued to stream into Louisiana and Mississippi, military officials said.

"I think we're going to be there a relatively long time. I see it in months, and not weeks," said Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of the US Northern Command.

Admiral Keating said there were now 13,000 active duty military personnel and 38,000 National Guards members in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the three states hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.

The army, meanwhile, said more than 2800 troops from the Louisiana National Guard's 256 Brigade Combat Team are returning from Iraq this week to Fort Polk, Louisiana. They were sent home early to deal with family emergencies.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,16507774%5E1702,00.html