Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Bixler | Private First Class Brandon Losey, combat medic specialist, 108th Area Support Medical...... read more read more
ANNVILLE, Pa. – The 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard administrated a mass vaccination event at Fort Indiantown Gap, 6-7 November 2021. The event makes the 213th the first major command, or MACOM, in the Pennsylvania Guard to provide the service.
There were a total of 376 service members processed through the event; 231 of whom accepted the vaccine or were receiving their second dose.
The medical officer in charge, Captain Nicole Barela-Vess, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 213th RSG praised the event for its reach and scope to serve other commands,
“I am exceptionally proud we were the first MACOM to roll out a mass vaccination event; not only for our own people but members of the [Joint Force Headquarters, Eastern Army Aviation Training Site, Medical Detachment, and 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade] also took part.”
The event was full-service and inclusive; staffed not only to administer the vaccine but to initiate administrative provisions. There are allowances within the requirement for service members who wish to apply for administrative – usually religious – or medical exceptions. There are, however, several steps to this process, such as watching an educational video and a commander’s counseling – all of which were available on-site.
Barela-Vess also said that, as a commander serving at a time when a pandemic is part of our operating environment, medical readiness is very important if we are going to be effective, fight, and win.
Critical to that line of effort is the 108th Area Support Medical Company, 213th RSG, without whom this past weekend’s event would not have been possible.
National Guard personnel have until June 2022 to become compliant with the mandate. Service members not eligible for an exception who do not become fully vaccinated by the June deadline will be subject to dismissal by way of a general officer memorandum of reprimand.
Thanks to the event, the 213th’s formation is now over seventy-percent compliant.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.09.2021 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 408968 |
| Location: | ANNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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