In anticipation of a significant influx of tourists for the 2024 eclipse, Oklahoma’s National Guard will be deployed to assist communities in McCurtain County. Parts of southeast Oklahoma lie in the solar eclipse’s rare path of totality, where tourists will flock to watch the moon completely block the sun.

National Guard troops are trained in a range of specialized duties such as search and rescue, industrial fires, and maintaining communications during high-traffic occasions. Support was requested by towns of fewer than 10,000 residents to handle a predicted 100,000 visitor load. The National Guard, in a press release on Mar. 18, 2024, stated the primary purpose of the deployment will be to assist and relieve potentially overtaxed local services such as fire and police.

The Oklahoma National Guard has assisted local authorities in past large gatherings, such as the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and football games.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Oklahoma National Guard Oklahoma National Guard to assist McCurtain County amid influx of eclipse tourism

The Oklahoman 2024 total solar eclipse: Where to watch it in Oklahoma and when it will happen

Newsweek Fact Check: Why National Guard’s Nuclear Unit Is Poised For Solar Eclipse

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