Fund planned to bring S.C. troops home on leave

A fund has been started to raise $40,000 to bring S.C. Army Reserve and National Guard troops home on leave in April.

"We're going to bring our soldiers home for 10 days with their families before they deploy to Afghanistan," said Sen. Jake Knotts (R- Lexington), who is establishing the fund.

More than 1,000 S.C. soldiers of the 218th Enhanced Brigade are training for deployment to the war in Afghanistan at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The Army has granted the soldiers 10 days leave but no funds to come home.

Sen. Knotts has established a fund to finance roundtrip bus transportation to S.C. He said he is working with Congressmen Joe Wilson and Henry Brown and U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint on the possibility that military aircraft in Charleston and at McEntire Air Guard Base could airlift some of the troops.

Knotts has borrowed $12,000 and established an account at First Reliance Bank to help bring soldiers home. He has only enough to bring about 100 of the 1,000 home, which is why he established the fund.

Donations may be made to Jake Knotts War Zone Fund, Attn. Branch Manager Gail Berry, First Reliance Bank, 709 North Lake Drive, Lexington, S.C. 29072. Checks should be made out to the Jake Knotts War Zone Fund.

Any excess funds will be made available to help families of the 218th in emergencies while they're deployed, he said.