Ga. citizen-soldiers deploying to aid storm relief

SAVANNAH - Citizen-soldiers from the Georgia National Guard are being called up to help with relief efforts in states affected by superstorm Sandy.

About 20 Georgia guardsmen assigned to two Army Chinook helicopters were scheduled to deploy Tuesday afternoon from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. The citizen-soldiers belong to B Company of the 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment.

Officials say the Georgia guardsmen are headed to Raleigh, N.C., to stage with National Guard troops from other states in advance of disaster response operations. With flooding and snow from Sandy affecting much of the East Coast, it's unknown where they'll ultimately be sent to help with recovery efforts.