Patrol began after Bourbon Street attack killed 14 people
The Louisiana National Guard is withdrawing its 120 remaining troops from New Orleans, ending an eight-month deployment that placed uniformed service members on patrol in the city’s French Quarter.
Lt. Col. Noel Collins, a guard spokesperson, said the troops completed their final patrol Monday and are set to conclude their mission in the city on Aug. 31. Collins said the withdrawal ends a deployment that began in late December, when 350 troops were deployed to the city to support a heavy security presence for New Year’s celebrations.
The deployment came a year after an attack on Bourbon Street killed 14 revelers. The guard was brought in to boost public safety in the French Quarter during the holiday period.
The mission was requested by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and authorized by President Donald Trump. The New Orleans authorization followed other National Guard missions that the Trump administration launched in other Democrat-led cities last year, including in Washington and Memphis, Tennessee.
The guard contingent was initially set to withdraw from New Orleans following Mardi Gras festivities in February. Instead, the Louisiana National Guard extended a slimmed-down deployment through August.
The New Orleans deployment was not the first time National Guard troops had patrolled the city. Earlier in the year, troops had already been deployed briefly to bolster security for both the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, and the sight of uniformed service members on city streets was not unusual.