National Guard

 

I serve as the key link between the Iowa National Guard Joint Operations and the State of Iowa’s Emergency Operation Center. I’ve appreciated the opportunities presented throughout the course of my career that have prepared me to lead during this COVID-19 challenge. Through deliberate coordination between the Iowa Department of Public Health, Department of Homeland Security, and the Governor’s Staff, my role has been to ensure the Iowa National Guard is engaged where we can best support the fight against COVID-19. The Iowa National Guard has provided key support ranging from personnel and equipment for the logistical distribution of vital PPE and medical equipment. We are exercising our analytical capabilities focused on the current status and future trends for hospital staffing and health care equipment allowing Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to accurately see the current status and trends across the state health care system. In addition, we have stood up our Joint Operations Center to execute Mission Command in a complex environment.

MG Benjamin J. Corell
Resident Class of 2009
The Adjutant General, Iowa

 

As the Adjutant General, MG Quinn not only has command of the Montana National Guard, he also serves as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor, in charge of the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services. MG Quinn was appointed as the Montana Coronavirus Task Force Leader, overseeing the COVID-19 response effort for the State of Montana. During the peak of the response effort, nearly 10% of the Montana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen met the call of service for fellow Montanans. The effort brought together elements of Health and Human Services, Commerce, Labor and Industry, and Administration executive branch organizations under his leadership for a whole of government response to the pandemic disaster.

MG Matthew T. ‘Matt’ Quinn
Distance Class of 2008
Adjutant General – Montana

 

Bob Walter is Commander of the Oklahoma Joint Task Force and serves as a key member of the Oklahoma Governor’s COVID-19 Solutions Task Force. He is shown here (second from the right) with MG Michael Thompson, RES ’07, The Adjutant General of Oklahoma (far left), discussing the Oklahoma National Guard mission supporting the Strategic National Stockpile during the COVID-19 crisis.

COL Robert H. ‘Bob’ Walter, Jr.
Resident Class of 2013
Commander, Joint Task Force Oklahoma
Oklahoma National Guard

 

I was activated on State Active Duty for two weeks at the initial outset of the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Georgia to lead the military coordination effort out of the State Operations Center. As part of that effort, the Georgia National Guard team collaborated with inter-agency partners from Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) , Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), and Georgia Department of Health and Human Services to accomplish the following:

1. Coordinated the formation and deployment of 14 Medical Support Teams to provide staff augmentation to Regional Hospitals across the state;
2. Coordinated the deployment of seven disinfection support teams to disinfect 367 retirement and assisted living facilities across the state with reported positive COVID-19 cases;
3. Coordinated the deployment of Guardsmen to GEMA foodbanks statewide to help with the distribution of meals to citizens.

Additionally, I command Georgia’s Regional Training Institute (RTI) that teaches 25, 35, and 91 series Military Occupational Specialty courses. With all courses being cancelled, the RTI has repurposed its instructors to support the COVID-19 mission in the following ways:

1. The RTI’s Intelligence Schoolhouse has deployed its senior Military Intelligence instructors to augment the State G2 with increased intelligence analyst capability; and
2. The RTI’s Ordnance school in collaboration with Athens Technical College is using its 3D printers to print face masks to support local medical facilities.

COL Theodore R. ‘Ted’ Scott III
Commander, 122nd Regional Training Institute (RTI)

 

Randall Simmons, DDE ‘13

Our initial planning was focused on identifying ways we could go on the offense and take the fight to the COVID-19 virus. We assessed our capabilities as a Joint Task Force comprising the Georgia Army National Guard, Georgia Air National Guard, and volunteers from the Georgia State Defense Force. The first area we identified to which we could contribute was the medical enterprise. We identified medical personnel not required by their civilian careers for service and formed 18 Medical Support Teams (MST). These MSTs are serving in regional and community hospitals augmenting their professional staffs. These personnel range from doctors, physician assistants, nurses, to medics. They are having a tremendous impact as professional staffing is the biggest limitation of our healthcare system. Next, we assessed our nursing homes and other long-term care facilities as our most vulnerable demographic. Our 201st Regional Support Group serves as FEMA Region 4 Homeland Response Force. This formation contains all of our CBRN assets to include the 4th Civil Support Team (WMD), 265th Chemical Battalion, and 138th Chemical Company. They formed a series of Infection Control Teams (ICT) to be used to conduct deliberate decontamination operations in our nursing homes and long-term care facilities (LCF) to protect that vulnerable population. We were able to scale that concept by training personnel in the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. We currently have 58 ICTs that are making a tremendous impact in flattening the curve and keeping the nursing home population safe and out of scarce hospital beds. We have over 368 LCFs in the State. In addition, we have Soldiers performing a wide variety of other missions statewide. We are supporting eight food banks, one school lunch delivery program, and Department of Public Health warehouse operations, and we are providing Soldiers to work at hospital entrances taking temperatures and assessing those wishing to enter. This allows professional medical staff to focus on patients while our Soldiers can easily conduct screening.

BG Randall V. Simmons, Jr.
Distance Class of 2013
Commanding General
Georgia Army National Guard

 

 

 

 

 

The Soldiers and Airmen of the Pennsylvania (PA) National Guard are doing what they do best and that is taking care of the citizens of the Commonwealth. We have supported numerous missions for the PA Emergency Management Agency such as COVID-19 testing sites, transported and delivered over 160,000 meal kits to food distribution points, provided military planners for future potential missions and are currently postured to provide whatever support is asked of us, all while remaining focused on those units who are expected to deploy. It is times like this, especially on our own soil, that give me a tremendous amount of purpose in what we do as a National Guard.

COL Laura A. McHugh
Distance Class of 2015
Chief of Staff, PAARNG