A Pioneer Valley lawmaker who serves in the Massachusetts National Guard soon will be headed to the nation’s southwestern border.
Details were scant, but state Sen. John C. Velis, D-Hampden/Hampshire, confirmed in a brief statement Tuesday that his unit had been activated and would be sent to the border “in the imminent future.”
Velis, a Guard major, was not available for comment. His office will operate normally and will “continue to assist constituents with any and all inquiries.”
In 2010, Velis joined the U.S. Army and deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to his campaign website.
In August 2017, he spent a month near the North Korean border, where he participated in joint military exercises with the South Korean forces.
During Velis’ second deployment to Afghanistan in 2018, he was promoted to major, his campaign said at the time.
In 2023, Velis was among about 250 Massachusetts National Guard soldiers who were activated to provide basic services to migrant families in the state shelter system, MassLive previously reported.
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