Photo By Staff Sgt. Tegan Kucera | Col. J.R. Alexander, a resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is the deputy commander of the...... read more read more
Subscribe
LANSING, Mich. – This is a unique time in America and around the world: citizens are encouraged to stay indoors whenever possible and do their best to adhere to social distancing guidelines, all because of a virus that has taken the world by storm.
One Airmen is doing his best to help get the word out to the Michigan Air National Guard on the rapidly changing practices and procedures put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and federal leaders.
“A lot of our guard members are doctors in the real world,” said Air Force Col. J.R. Alexander. “We’re looking at the guidance coming down, and we’re following the best practices and the latest guidance so we can ensure the safety of our troops.”
Alexander, a resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is the deputy commander of the Michigan National Guard’s Joint Task Force implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19 within the state of Michigan.
“I’m charged with leading the Air Force element, so I’m looking at everything from mission completion and making balanced calls, to ensuring that we keep our troops healthy, happy and capable,” said Alexander. “I’m overseeing all aspects from the air side and working in conjunction with the Army side to make sure we have all the capabilities to respond to requests from our communities for assistance.”
On March 18, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called up the National Guard to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic within the state. Since that time, her office has been working closely with the Adjutant General’s team as the National Guard responds to aid communities during these trying times.
“We can use Air and Army joint forces to combat this virus, along the Governor’s line of efforts,” said Alexander.
Across the State of Michigan, the guard is supporting medical screening, assisting at local food banks, augmenting the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), and supporting efforts for establishing alternate care facilities across Michigan. Title 32 funding for the Michigan National Guard was approved on March 30, providing resources for future humanitarian relief activities by the Michigan National Guard under the authority of the Governor.
Alexander has been in the Michigan Air National Guard for eight years, after having spent a lengthy period in the Navy and the active Air Force. He said he reentered the service because he thought he had more to give; right now he is giving his all to help the Michigan National Guard in the COVID-19 fight.
“This is a unique case that we’re in with this virus: this isn’t a local issue, it is a national and global issue,” said Alexander. “I don’t think it has ever happened before where we’ve had a national situation where guard units from across 50 states and four territories have been activated at once to fight the same issue; we are all enduring and I think we’re all learning from it.”
By the end of March, almost 15,000 guardsmen had been called up by their governors to help fight this pandemic that has now infected hundreds of thousands of Americans and claimed thousands of American lives. Like the rest of the country, the National Guard has never seen anything like this, but it has had a unifying effect on the guard.
“We are learning and sharing information between each other, so we can collectively – as an organization – protect our states and protect our nation,” said Alexander.
One of the ways they are doing this is by communicating with counterparts in other states when something goes right or wrong. Alexander said right now he is in communication with counterparts in a handful of other states, but he expects that number to increase as the response continues.
“We have other state guard units calling us, because right now we are leading the pack in the way we’re doing our planning and execution,” said Alexander. “They are calling Michigan for the best practices and any new ideas.”
It is all in an effort to collect the best procedures and techniques to fight the virus, and to keep guard members safe who have been called up.
“Right now I think the virus is in control of when this ends,” said Alexander. “We can take control of it by following the guidance that CDC and out state and federal leaders have set forth – that’s what I want to see.”
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2020 09:55 |
| Story ID: | 367104 |
| Location: | LANSING , MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 163 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Col. J.R. Alexander: Sharing best practices and procedures to control the virus, by SSG Tegan Kucera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
