Minnesota National Guard cancels Liberia deployment

Members of the Minnesota National Guard won't be going to Liberia to help fight Ebola after all.

Soldiers from the Rosemount-based 34th Red Bull Infantry Division were supposed to go to Liberia this year in support of the U.S. military's Operation United Assistance.

But the Guard says the division's presence is no longer required.

Last November, the Guard announced that nearly 700 members of the 34th Red Bull would be deployed to Liberia for a six-month period. They were expected to arrive in April and depart in late fall. That mission was later reduced to nearly 300 soldiers.

But the number of West Africans who have become infected with Ebola has dropped dramatically, according to the World Health Organization.

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