1,100 Minnesota National Guard Troops In Afghanistan Ahead Of Evacuation Deadline
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Eleven-hundred Minnesota National Guard troops are working to secure parts of the Kabul airport and help with other humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.
They were already stationed in Kuwait when they were deployed to help with the evacuations, according to guard officials.
President Joe Biden says he will not extend the Aug. 31 deadline to evacuate Americans and refugees from Afghanistan. That means the Pentagon will start withdrawing service members from Kabul as early as this week. Biden says the operation becomes more dangerous every day.
The federal government has ordered several United States-based airlines to assist in the evacuation of refugees, who will then be transported to international processing centers.
READ MORE: 'A Deluge Of Awful, Awful Images': Minnesota Journalist Describes Fleeing Afghanistan