Gov. Mike Braun is withdrawing about 50 Indiana National Guard members from the southern U.S. border, ending a deployment that goes back to early 2024.

The Indiana National Guard says a 34-year-old soldier serving in Iraq has died in a non-combat incident. Capt. Eric Richard Hart of Indianapolis died Saturday, Dec. 28.

Gov.-elect Mike Braun made his final cabinet appointment this week, choosing Brigadier General Larry Muennich to lead the Indiana National Guard.

Indiana National Guard Adj. Gen. Dale Lyles announced recently he will retire early next year, which will coincide with the new gubernatorial administration, allowing Gov.-elect Mike Braun to choose his replacement.

The Indiana National Guard expects to spend about $7.1 million deploying 50 soldiers to the U.S-Mexico border at Texas for up to 10 months.

A portion of Camp Atterbury will soon be home to a proving and testing ground for new technologies that could be useful to both civilians and the military — largely those involving autonomous vehicles.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill Wednesday that would make it easier to court-martial and administratively punish Indiana National Guard troops. As it made its way through the legislature, House Bill 1076 faced opposition from a small, but growing group of lawmakers and left questions about existing disciplinary procedures.

A bill making it easier to court-martial and administratively punish Indiana National Guard troops is one step away from becoming law despite debate that has divided military advocacy groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Indiana National Guard leaders have told lawmakers since January they are “not able” to convene general courts-martial to address the “most serious” cases of misconduct within the Guard, including four sexual assaults last year.

Indiana sent more than a dozen soldiers, three flight crews and mechanics, along with two Black Hawk helicopters Sept 29, the day after Hurricane Ian slammed into the southwest Florida coast. They were sent home Sept. 30.