Senior Airman Carmen Gerda, 162nd Medical Squadron, aerospace medical technician, administers the COVID-19 vaccine to a service member at Davis-Monthan Air Pressure Base, Tucson, Arizona, Might 6, 2021. (U.S. Air Nationwide Guard picture by Tech. Sgt. Michael Matkin)
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ARLINGTON, Va. – With COVID-19 case counts and positivity charges lowering, the Division of Protection ended its active-duty part’s help for coronavirus missions final week.
However Protection Division Press Secretary John Kirby not too long ago famous the mission isn’t but full for the Nationwide Guard.
“It’s essential to notice that whereas the Title 10 [active-duty] COVID-19 response might have come to a detailed, as of this morning, there are nonetheless greater than 10,800 Nationwide Guard Troopers and Airmen supporting COVID-19 response efforts in at the least 43 states, territories, and the District of Columbia,” Kirby mentioned throughout a March 29 briefing.
Moreover, 44 states and territories have requested FEMA mission task extensions via July 1 to make sure they’re ready to help native wants.
“I’m very happy with the compassion and dedication our Guard members demonstrated all through the pandemic,” mentioned Military Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the Nationwide Guard Bureau. “Regardless of vital challenges abroad and at residence, the Nationwide Guard fulfilled each combatant command deployment and completed each mission directed by our nation’s governors.
“Make no mistake,” Hokanson mentioned, “the funding America has made to make sure the Nationwide Guard is prepared for its fight mission is paying dividends in our homeland response.”
For the reason that onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Nationwide Guard has administered greater than 15.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, carried out greater than 34.9 million assessments and screenings of their communities, disinfected over 71,000 services, lent help to over 1,000 meals banks, and helped ship greater than 1 billion meals to the general public.
On the peak of the COVID mission, greater than 47,000 Guard members had been on responsibility, offering greater than 135,000 vaccinations day by day. As well as, as a result of versatility of the Guard, members supplied help in different methods.
“We taught college, we drove buses, we labored in prisons — so it was huge, deep and broad after we had been known as upon for issues that we did to assist help our native communities that had been impacted by COVID,” mentioned Military Maj. Gen. Jill Faris, director of the Nationwide Guard Bureau’s Workplace of the Joint Surgeon. “As a result of COVID reached everybody, it was at all times fascinating to see what the subsequent factor was that governors appeared to have us do to maintain the communities vibrant, opening and functioning.”
With its help thought-about successful and in mild of the lower in COVID-19 instances, the Nationwide Guard may even wind down the variety of personnel helping with the pandemic mission, mentioned Kirby.
“Most of our medical personnel that had been working in hospitals had been not likely doing COVID remedy; [the Guard was] taking the stress off different burdens, and that stress was appreciated and welcomed and has been alleviated,” he mentioned. “And in live performance with discussions with FEMA and civilian well being practitioners, all of us deemed collectively that now could be the precise time to drag again that help.”
Although the chance atmosphere has modified, Kirby acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the virus and the necessity to stay vigilant.
“This pandemic, as you effectively know, is a residing factor, and it adjustments over time,” mentioned Kirby. “So, we’re grateful for the flexibility — we’re grateful for the prospect that we needed to contribute to this. And we’ll stand by and keep prepared.”
About 8,700 Nationwide Guard members had been serving on COVID-19 help missions as of April 8, and that quantity is anticipated to proceed declining.
“The previous two years put the Nationwide Guard within the highlight, and thru all of it, we stored our promise to America by being At all times Prepared, At all times There,” mentioned Hokanson.
How the National Guard is helping
