Equipment and personnel from the Wisconsin National Guard may be sent south as part of the federal response to Hurricane Gustav's landfall.
Lt. Col. Tim Donovan says aerial refueling aircraft based in Milwaukee is ready to take off as soon as a request for help is received. Helicopters in Madison and West Bend are also available.
Donovan says the state has received no specific request to respond yet, but there has been a general nationwide call for Guard units to report what they have available.
More than 500 members of the Wisconsin National Guard were sent to the Gulf Coast when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Donovan says they're prepared to do that again after the damage from Gustav is assessed, but only if requested.
Donovan says the federal response this time is a lot more coordinated than three years ago because of "energized" leadership at FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.
