Sometimes, duty calls — even for students.

Students who are in the National Guard have been ordered to assist the state of Texas in search and rescue missions due to severe weather forecasts, according to an email from Marion Donaldson, Campus Life administrative assistant. An upcoming round of thunderstorms in could produce hail, tornadoes and flooding across the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Donaldson wrote to TCU faculty that these students were granted a university absence and were “ordered to report immediately.”

“In the highest American tradition, the patriotic men and women of the National Guard serve voluntarily in an honorable and vital profession,” Donaldson wrote. “Keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they serve and protect us.”

Sixteen students who had been ordered to assist were listed in the email. It’s not yet clear when those students will return.