JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD - The Department of Defense recently approved a request for assistance from the State Department to provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) principal applicants, their families, and other individuals at risk, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and Fort Bliss, Texas, in addition to Fort Lee, Virginia.

Approximately 120 soldiers assigned to the 555th Engineer Brigade and the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command from Joint Base Lewis-McChord deployed to Fort McCoy, Aug. 21, to assist in these efforts as part of the task force located there.

U.S. Northern Command is the Department of Defense's lead combatant command for this mission in the continental United States and is providing oversight in support of the Department of State. U.S. Army North, as U.S. Northern Command's Joint Force Land Component Command, is the lead operational command for this mission. The task force at Fort McCoy will provide the housing, medical, logistics and transportation support.

"The Triple Nickel Brigade and Pacemaker Battalion are proud to join U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command and the Department of Defense team, in supporting the State Department with this mission," said Col. Jeff Hall, 555th Engineer Brigade commander. "This is our soldiers' opportunity to give back to our Afghan partners who sacrificed so much for our nation."