With many fleeing from the gulf coast, Kentuckians are now helping out by heading south.

Governor Steve Beshear and Adjutant General Edward Tonini ordered the deployment of 350 troops from the state.

We spoke with those at the National Guard Armory in Glasgow when they reported for duty on August 31.

"Anything this size, catastrophic size, obviously we have to go with worst case scenario," said Jeff Hughes, Executive Officer at the National Guard Armory in Glasgow. "This mission calls for 350 people, which is a little bit less than we actually have."

Soldiers assembled for orders on their mission to Alexandria, Louisiana.

"Once we get to Alexandria we'll receive further guidance," said Hughes. "We'll be providing security throughout the community for the relief efforts and humanitarian efforts in Louisiana."

Security that will be needed at places like distribution sites.

"It is different from our normal mission," said Hughes. "Normally we are multiple launch rocket system, but as part of the National Guard we have a dual role mission. We have our federal mission, and we have our state mission where we provide security and humanitarian needs and so forth, whether it's a tornado or, like this, a hurricane."

Although they only found out on Saturday they would be going, soldiers, both experienced in this type of mission and those going for the first time, are glad to help out.

"I'm actually excited," said Shannon Burden of the National Guard. "I got to go to Katrina. It's a good thing to actually just get to help your own people here in the United States."

"I'm very excited to go," said Natasha Napier of the National Guard. "I've been in six years, and I've never gotten to deploy anywhere, so this is exciting to get to help our fellow Americans over here that are in need."

The term of the mission is estimated for 15 days.

"It could be less or it could be more depending on how bad the hurricane actually gets once it reaches landfall," said Hughes.

But the soldiers are familiar with this type of work that calls for emergency response during times of natural disaster.

"It makes them feel better as a person, as a soldier, that we're providing support to anyone in need," said Hughes.

Troops from Glasgow, Tompkinsville, Campbellsville, Monticello, Elizabethtown and Brandenburg are scheduled to depart for the Gulf Coast on September 1.