National Guard News:

The New Mexico National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force will team up with the Drug Enforcement Agency and local first responder agency partners to present a Drug Awareness Campaign event for students at Carlos F. Vigil Middle School at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25.

The team mission is designed to make an impression on New Mexico’s future generations by focusing on promoting drug free communities and engaging students in activities designed to promote positive role models and healthy lifestyles plus build state-wide community collaborations around efforts to reduce and/or prevent youth drug and alcohol use/abuse.

The initiative, which is part of Red Ribbon Month, was started in memory of DEA agent Kiki Camarena who was killed in the line of duty fighting the war on drugs.

The Counterdrug Task Force is conducting 25 Drug Awareness events across the state. To date, the Task Force team has 15 completed events across eastern, central and Northern New Mexico with more than 1,800 students participating.

The events feature New Mexico National Guard members, DEA agents, and educators from across the state addressing factors that increase risks for drug use and promoting resilient behaviors. Local community fire departments and police departments often join to showcase their capabilities and reinforce the drug free community message.