LINCOLN, Neb. — Roughly 200 Nebraska National Guard members are going to Washington D.C. to help provide security during the country's 250th anniversary celebration.
Governor Jim Pillen announced the deployment. The troops will serve in groups of four, focusing on national monuments and doing safety patrols around the Capitol region.
Pillen says the mission is fully funded by the federal government. He added that it's a deterrent, not a response to any specific threat.
"The data is crystal clear, right? Since troops have been, the crime rate's down significantly. So when there's a presence, when there's a presence, the bad people stay away. It makes a big difference," Pillen said.
Nebraska's Guard members will head out late next month and stay through May or June. Other states have or will also support the mission.
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