Indiana's Camp Atterbury to be used as temporary housing for Afghanistan evacuees

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana's Camp Atterbury will be used as part of "Operation Allies Refuge" to provide temporary housing and support for evacuees from Afghanistan.

The military base will join Fort Pickett, Marine Corps Base Quantico and Fort Lee in Va.; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort McCoy, Wis.; Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.; and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in N.J. in providing for up to 50,000 Afghans.

There is no timetable being released detailing when the evacuees could begin arriving.

In a Tweet, U.S. Representative Greg Pence announced that he has received confirmation from the United States Department of Defense to authorize the use of the military facility in Edinburgh, Indiana, which is about 40 miles south of Indianapolis.

Pence says Camp Atterbury will start ramping up for the mission in the next few days to be able to handle about 5,000 people.

The Defense Department said in a release that active-duty and National Guard service members will be part of the federal mission to provide "transportation and temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for Afghan special immigrant visa applicants, their families and other at-risk individuals at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible."

(1/3) Today, I received confirmation that the @DeptofDefense has now authorized the use of Camp Atterbury, IN, to provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support to Afghan evacuees in support of the @StateDept and @DHSgov.
— Rep. Greg Pence (@RepGregPence) August 31, 2021

Gov. Eric Holcomb has already offered his support and willingness to help Afghan refugees with Camp Atterbury.

"As Hoosiers, we are proud to do our part and provide a temporary home for Afghan evacuees who have supported this nation," Gov. Eric J. Holcomb said in a release. "Our federal partners are taking necessary and appropriate steps to establish that there is a smooth process to allow these men, women and children to quickly find their permanent home across the United States. I have faith in the Indiana National Guard's ability to support this federal mission."

The Atterbury-Muscatatuck Training Center serves as a major training site for the National Guard and other joint operations. The facility is used to prepare military readiness and building partnerships with the commercial defense industry.