By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – New Hampshire’s citizen soldiers in the National Guard have been called up following the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran five days ago, Gov. Kelly Ayotte confirmed Wednesday.

Ayotte, a Republican, told reporters Wednesday she could not say how many troops or where they were being deployed in Operation Epic Fury, but said she had been in communication with the Trump Administration about the deployment and received a classified briefing.

She also answered questions about her discussions with the Trump Administration which led to it abandoning plans to build an ICE detention facility in Merrimack.

NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
The New Hampshire National Guard previously had units deployed both domestically and overseas, including border security missions and the first operational KC-46A Pegasus deployment.

In recent domestic operations, approximately 2,200 National Guard troops from multiple states, including New Hampshire, were mobilized to Washington, D.C. for security and support missions.

Five days ago, President Donald Trump announced that the country and Israel were bombing Iran and to date there have been six casualties.

The President has not ruled out “boots on the ground,” Ayotte said, adding “our national guard has been activated,” and she has received a classified briefing.

“In terms of additional details let me say this, first of all, I have such respect for our men and women in uniform, as you know I come from a military family. They have our full support and we appreciate them and their families.”

She said the state is coordinating with the Pentagon because when you are in an active conflict situation, that messaging – and they are federally activated – “we have to take their, really their recommendations on what can be released publicly because we don’t want to give the enemy any information that they shouldn’t have just to protect our troops.”

MERRIMACK ICE

The governor said there are no plans for other immigrant detention facilities for ICE such as the one mentioned for Merrimack in New Hampshire before that plan was scrapped, and if that were to occur she said she would handle it the same way.

“Number one, raise the concerns of the local community and…if the local community doesn’t want it, then I would work the same way,” Ayotte said.

She said she went to Washington and spoke with the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and spoke directly to her about the local concerns. “I would do the same for any community in New Hampshire,” Ayotte said.

First she said she laid out the impacts to local police and public services, the potential loss of taxes and pointed out that New Hampshire is an anti sanctuary city, state and that it has worked closely with them to keep New Hampshire’s border areas safe.