Oregon National Guard back in hospital support role

Photo By Maj. Wayne Clyne | Hospital administrators give Oregon Army National Gaurd hospital relief mission members a first-day orientation briefing at West Valley Hospital in Dallas, Oregon 18 Jan. 2022. The seven soldier team is part of the National Guards' second hospital relief mission tasked to place 1,200 guard members in approximately 40 hospitals across Oregon to address urgent non-clinical staffing shortages. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)  

SALEM, OREGON, UNITED STATES

01.18.2022

Story by Maj. Wayne Clyne 

Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Office

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon National Guard Service Members started their second hospital relief mission on Jan. 18, 2022. This new activation will place approximately 1,200 Oregon Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen supporting up to 40 hospitals throughout the state.

Since Jan. 10, 2022, the Oregon National Guard has stood up a Joint Task Force of Air and Army National Guardsmen to support this latest hospital effort. Over the past eight days, the Guard activated nearly 500 Oregon Service Members from six locations throughout the state, supporting approximately 40 medical facilities in Oregon.
The Oregon National Guard will further increase support by approximately 700 additional Service Members over the next two weeks, further bolstering non-clinical hospital staff roles throughout the forecasted COVID-19 Omicron variant peak over the next thirty days.

“We will continue to work together, and in alignment with our core values, remain confident that the Oregon National Guard will ‘Always be Ready, Always There’,” said Lt. Col. Brian J. Kroeller, Oregon National Guard Hospital Relie Joint Task Force Deputy Commander.

This activation follows a successful prior deployment of over 1,500 Oregon National Guardsmen that provided the same non-clinical support Roles staffed from August of 2021 and ended in late December of 2021.

The Oregon National Guard comprises over 8,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen, dedicated to serving the communities they live in and maintaining the ability to serve the nation in times of war. The organization is the largest part-time employer in the state. Its members, on average, conduct duty one weekend a month with an additional two-week period a year while maintaining civilian employment.

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• Date Taken: 01.18.2022
• Date Posted: 01.20.2022 20:49
• Story ID: 413188
• Location: SALEM, OREGON, US