Airmen and soldiers from the Mississippi National Guard were deployed in late February to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to support Operation Epic Fury, the Guard said in a statement shared on social media.
The Guard identified the units as the 186th Air Refueling Wing, the 172d Airlift Wing, the 2-20th Special Forces Battalion and a Special Operations Detachment, according to the statement.
Maj. Gen. Bobby M. Ginn Jr., Mississippi’s adjutant general, said in the statement that “Mississippi’s Airmen and Soldiers stand ready to serve wherever they are needed” and that the deployment highlights the Guard’s training, commitment and capability.
Gov. Tate Reeves said in a separate statement that “Mississippi is praying for the brave members of the Mississippi National Guard and all U.S. Service Members who have been deployed as part of Operation Epic Fury,” and praised the guardsmen and their families.
The Guard’s statement described Operation Epic Fury as a Trump administration assault on Iran’s military installations intended to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. The Magnolia Tribune reported the operation was entering its second week and that 13 U.S. service members have died in the Middle East conflict.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
