Hurricane relief: NY soldiers building houses in Puerto Rico

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) - New York Army National Guard soldiers are heading to Puerto Rico to build houses as Hurricane Maria recovery continues.

The 45 soldiers being deployed Saturday are members of the 204th Engineer Battalion headquartered in Binghamton. They’re from across the state. They’ll work with Habitat for Humanity as part of the Defense Department’s readiness training program.

The New York National Guard deployed 300 soldiers to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck the island 10 months ago. The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation flew four UH-60 Blackhawks on relief missions.

The New York Air National Guard also flew supply missions.

Military unit rotations to support construction efforts began in late spring and are expected to continue through the summer.