Jeff Terrill, DDE ’14
It certainly has been a crazy time since I received our first email in early February regarding COVID-19. That first email dealt with the cruise ship Diamond Princess and the State of Michigan potentially utilizing one of our federal installations (Ft. Custer) as an isolation location. Over the last sixty plus days, I’ve come on full time orders and am leading the Joint Task Force fighting the virus in the State of Michigan. I became a Dual Status Commander when the Secretary of Defense authorized me to be on both Title 10 and Title 32 orders simultaneously. A Dual-Status Commander is used for domestic emergencies, and allows states to request relief capabilities from the military that are outside of those of their own National Guard. For example, this designation allowed 85 medical professionals from the U.S. Army Reserves, a federal military asset, to join Michigan’s fight against COVID-19 at the TCF Regional Care Center in Detroit. Dual-Status Commanders are designated to streamline emergency response, coordinating relief efforts of both state and federal military organizations. This designation requires specific certification, and allows one commander to have both state and federal authority simultaneously. In my state role, I command Michigan National Guard members activated for COVID-19 response, at the direction of Governor Whitmer and MG Paul Rogers (DDE ’08), the Adjutant General of the Michigan National Guard. In my federal status, I command active duty or Reserve service members who are participating in relief activities in Michigan, under the direction of U.S. Army North. Throughout the crisis, I’ve also been reaching out to other senior leaders throughout our formation that I met through the USAWC, e.g. Dan Shank, one of my 2014 DDE classmates, who is working COVID-19 for Ohio. As of April 20th, my JTF has over 700 service members assigned to it in both active duty (T10 – activated Army Reservists) and Title 32 National Guardsmen. Our missions vary between food distribution, Alternative Care Facility management and care giving, logistics support, and strategic planning support to numerous departments within the State’s government.
BG Jeff Terrill
Distance Class of 2014
Joint Task Force Commander for the State of Michigan
