Following a request for support from the District of Columbia National Guard, Gov. Laura Kelly has authorized the deployment of approximately 300 Kansas Guardsmen to Washington D.C. in support of next week's presidential inauguration. 

The presidential inauguration is a collaborative event, requiring extraordinary support from many federal and state agencies, Kelly said. The National Guard has supported presidential inaugurations since the founding of our nation.  I'm incredibly thankful for everything they do, and this is just the latest example of our Kansas National Guard being always ready to answer the call for our state and nation."

The Kansas Guardsmen will be transported on KC-135s flown by the Kansas Air National Guards 190th Air Refueling Wing and will join a force of approximately 20,000 National Guardsmen from across the nation.

The Soldiers and Airmen represent the following:  the Kansas Army National Guards 130th Field Artillery Battalion (Manhattan); 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery (Hutchinson); 997th Brigade Support Battalion (Hays); 330th Signal Company (Wichita); 1161st Forward Support Company (Wichita); 250th Forward Support Company (Ottawa); 170th Maintenance Company (Wichita); 995th Maintenance Company (Smith Center); 635th Regional Support Group (Wichita); 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation (Topeka); 891st Engineer Battalion (Iola); 226th Engineer Company (Augusta); 242nd Engineer Company (Coffeyville); 772nd Engineer Company (Pittsburg); 1st Battalion, 635th Armor (Kansas City); 235th Regiment (Salina); 169th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Olathe); and 731st Transportation Company(Great Bend); and the Kansas Air National Guards 184th Wing (Wichita) and the 190th Air Refueling Wing (Topeka).