Photo By Brad Rhen | Spc. Gary Sowash, a combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2/112th...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – It began on St. Patrick’s Day.
On March 17, 2020, over 50 Pennsylvania National Guard members were placed on state active duty to support COVID-19 missions. They would be the first many Pa. Guard members to support COVID missions, which are still taking place one year later.
To date, more than 1,700 PNG members have been on duty for varying lengths of time and have taken part in a variety of COVID-related missions from one end of the state to the other.
“Throughout the past year, Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have answered the call to support numerous COVID-19 missions across the commonwealth, even if it meant putting their own health at risk,” said acting Pennsylvania adjutant general Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler. “I am continually amazed by the commitment, compassion and endurance of our entire team, and am proud of each and every one of them. I am very grateful for the many sacrifices made by our service members’ families and employers which enabled us to successfully support, sustain and complete our missions.”
The first missions that came down were to provide subject matter expert planners to assist the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and to provide transportation for 38 Pennsylvania residents who had been quarantined following a COVID-19 outbreak on a cruise ship. The residents, who were determined to be asymptomatic, were flown to Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pa., and individually driven by Guard members to their homes throughout the commonwealth.
Additional missions followed in rapid succession and have continued ever since.
As the number COVID-19 cases began to rise, health officials feared hospitals would be overrun with patients and PNG members began helping establish “field hospitals” at several locations across the state to help deal with the influx. Among them were the Glen Mills School in Delaware County, at Temple University in Philadelphia, and at East Stroudsburg University's Koehler Fieldhouse.
PNG members helped establish and operate COVID-19 testing sites at several locations, including Montgomery County and at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre.
The Pennsylvania National Guard assembled a task force to conduct COVID-19 testing at nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the commonwealth.
Nearly 60 PNG members were activated in April to take part in a mortuary-affairs support mission, assisting local medical examiners from Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Bucks, and Montgomery counties in the transportation of remains to a central collection locations.
Seventeen PNG members were activated in April to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The soldiers assisted with packing emergency food boxes, distributions and general operations.
Guard transportation units assisted the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services beginning to deliver meals to various distribution centers across the state. These meals, supplied by PEMA were designed to resupply county emergency management agencies, senior citizen centers, food banks and other organizations.
Pennsylvania National Guard members have been assisting at long-term care facilities across the commonwealth since. The staffing support teams are usually a combination of medical providers, medics and general purpose personnel. The medical personnel can help with non-acute care of patients, such as checking vitals, while the general-purpose personnel can assist with daily tasks such as delivering meals and cleaning.
As of early March, the PNG had conducted nearly 80 staffing support missions and has provided some form of assistance to over 130 long-term care facilities.
More recently, about 90 PNG members began assisting PEMA and the state Department of Health operate COVID-19 vaccination clinics for teachers and school staffs at seven sites across the state.
“Pennsylvania National Guard members have taken part in a wide variety of COVID-support missions from one end of the state to the other,” said Col. Frank Montgomery, the Pennsylvania National Guard’s director of military support. “It demonstrates the flexibility of our force and the dedication of our service members, who put their lives on hold to preserve the health, safety, and welfare of their neighbors.”
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2021 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 391527 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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