South Dakota Funds Technology for Communication With Deployed National Guard Troops

In South Dakota last week, Gov. Mike Rounds announced that some money raised to support the state’s deployed National Guard units was used to improve communications between the soldiers and their families.

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"The amount of support for our Guard members serving on active duty is truly impressive," said Rounds. "For starters, in December alone, more than 60 different state agencies, organizations and private donors contributed more than $33,000, and the South Dakota Bankers Association donated nearly $27,000 to the ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ fund."

The funds were used to buy video cameras, telephone calling cards and Internet phone systems, which were included in last week’s shipment to the troops. One digital video camcorder (DVC) will be distributed to each unit in Iraq/Kuwait and to each company headquarters for the families to use. Soldiers and their families will receive DVCs, allowing them to film 30-minute video messages that will be sent back and forth.