National Guard

 

I am the G8 / Deputy USPFO (Property and Fiscal Officer) for the Oregon National Guard. My team has been involved in ensuring funding is aligned and properly executed in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This includes ensuring State Active Duty, CARES Act funding, and FEMA reimbursable funding are appropriately aligned to the duty status and efforts of the Soldiers and Airmen of the Oregon National Guard. Our Supplies and Services Division has been diligently coordinating across our agency to align fuel and commodity purchases. Additionally, our purchasing and contracting teams, usually behind the scenes and often overlooked, are working to ensure our State continues to comply with acquisition and execution of funds regulations during a time of sometimes conflicting guidance and stress.

LTC Russ Gibson
Distance Class of 2020, Seminar 10

 

I am a fairly new J3 with an assignment date of December 2019.  The learning curve was steep coming into this position.  During my second drill weekend, we focused our efforts on tracking/responding to 63 wildfires.  The next drill weekend, we started COVID-19 planning, demonstrating that flexibility is key.  Supporting our agency partners in a response like this, is what we prepare for every month.  Because our section is minimally staffed when not responding to an emergency, we developed an ad hoc Adaptive Domestic Operations Group (ADOG) to assess and plan missions.  Less than a month into COVID-19 Response, we stood up our first Joint Task Force charged with statewide distribution of food/medical supplies and staffing Community Based Test Sites.  Always something interesting happening in the J3!

COL Erica M. Christie
Resident Class of 2018
LG, KSNG, J3

 

MG Reyes currently serves as the Adjutant General of Puerto Rico and has been actively engaged in the coordination of the State’s response to COVID-19. Here the Adjutant General swears in Laiza Rivera, one of over 80 4th year medical students who are assisting the Puerto Rico National Guard in the fight against COVID-19 by helping with medical screenings performed in the Island’s airports.

MG José J. Reyes
Distance Class of 2011

 

BG Mendez was activated as the Dual Status Commander (DSC) for Puerto Rico in support of the Commonwealth’s response during the January earthquakes. He’s currently performing as Commander of JTF-PR and approved DSC for Puerto Rico in support of the Commonwealth’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a combined strength of over 1,500 service members from different services.

Miguel A. Mendez
Distance Class of 2015
Brigadier General, Puerto Rico National Guard

 

I am working the COVID-19 crisis response in the state of Texas, along with one of my AY20 classmates, Jim Carney, the state J4 who coordinates logistics support with the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and other state partners.  I am the 176 Engineer Brigade Commander and have been designated as the JTF 176 Commander and we have Soldiers working at warehouses distributing medical supplies in the Central Texas region.  I also have the engineer assessment teams as a part of our organization.  So far, we’ve conducted over 100 alternate care site (ACS) assessments.  We have Air, Army, and State Guard Engineers on the team and we’re working closely with USACE, and TDEM to provide additional hospital bed capacity.

COL Robert S. ‘Rob’ Crockem, Jr.
Distance Class of 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like many other Guardsmen, I’m on Title 32, 502(f) active duty for this crisis, serving with the new Texas Joint Innovation Task Force (TXJITF) hosted by the Texas Military Department. The TXJITF is engaging over 150 multidisciplinary innovators across industry and academia on this public health crisis. Focus areas include diagnostics, telemedicine, artificial intelligence, public health services, and personal protective equipment among others. We support ideas and projects with savvy and elbow grease. We work at the speed of trust.

COL Robert Ferry, Jr., MD, MSS, FAAP
Resident Class of 2018