Lawmakers urge Kemp to bring Guard home for holiday

With the holidays almost here, there's a push to pull Georgia National Guard troops out of D.C. They were sent to the nation's capital a little over a year ago. Fox 5's Deidre Dukes is live at the state capitol where state lawmakers held a news conference this morning. Deidre. Well, just this week, military officials indicated that those troops would return home in early December. But state lawmakers we heard from today say that's not good enough. They want them home in time for Thanksgiving. Governor Kemp has never explained to the people of Georgia why he sent those guardsmen, men and women, to Washington, D.C. in the first place. State lawmakers want Georgia National Guard troops, who were deployed to Washington, D.C. last year, back home before the holidays. Today we are here asking the governor to bring our National Guard soldiers home. Our soldiers have served their country. Their children and families need them home for the holidays. 517 Georgia National Guard troops are assisting with local law enforcement efforts in the nation's capital. When the government invokes extraordinary... State representatives and senators gathered at Liberty Plaza Friday to voice their concerns over the ongoing deployment, emphasizing what they call the emotional strain on service members and their families. They are also concerned about what they call physical dangers and what they see as a lack of embedded support networks for service members. These are extreme times and extreme situations where we are absolutely demanding that not just our governor, but all governors recall the National Guard troops from Washington, D.C. lawmakers reacted to a letter from state officials stating that guardsmen are on routine rotations and are scheduled to conclude their mission and return to Georgia in early December lawmakers insist that timeline is unacceptable and are urging the governor to bring troops home before Thanksgiving they need to be home Thanksgiving is one of the one of our major holidays lawmakers say they will continue to push for that earlier return date and hope that those Troops will be home reunited with their families in time for Thanksgiving. At the state capitol, Deidre Dukes, Fox 5 News. Deidre, thank you.