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Army Staff Sgt. Victor Palomo, LPN, left; Army Capt. Patricia Nolan, RN, center; and Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Simmons, LPN, right, transport thawed Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to the clinic to begin the first COVID-19 vaccinations at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash., Dec. 16, 2020.
Two Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons fly in formation with two Royal Saudi Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles after receiving fuel from an Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker during an exercise over Southwest Asia, Dec. 15, 2020.
Soldiers and airmen assigned to the Connecticut National Guard load boxes of personal protective equipment into emergency response vehicles at the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security commodities warehouse in New Britain, Conn., Dec. 16, 2020. The Connecticut National Guard assisted the Connecticut Department of Public Health in distributing masks and gowns to residential care facilities, long term care facilities, assisted living facilities, and local first responders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A soldier jumps from an Army UH-60 Black Hawk into the water during a helocast demonstration for Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller in Key West, Fla., Dec. 16, 2020.
With the first COVID-19 vaccine already in the arms of some health care workers, the Defense Logistics Agency is ready to ship doses for Defense Department employees outside the continental U.S. and the deployed U.S. Navy Fleet.
DLA has spent months working with Operation Warp Speed and Defense Health Agency officials to refine its plan for delivering the vaccine as it becomes available from manufacturers. The agency already has well-defined, cold-chain management practices and has delivered the annual flu vaccine for 20 years.
"In some aspects, storage and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is pretty similar to what we've been doing all along with the flu vaccine, and DLA has had great success getting that to DOD employees around the world," Army Col. Anthony Bostick, who leads DLA's Operation Warp Speed operational planning team, said.
The agency has increased refrigerated storage space and can maintain almost 19 million doses of the 2-to-8-degree Celsius vaccine and 4.6 million of the minus 20-degree Celsius vaccine ahead of shipping products to customers. The agency hasn't been asked to distribute the minus 80-degree Celsius vaccine but has developed initial plans to provide support if necessary, Bostick added.
DLA Distribution manages six U.S.-based and four overseas centers capable of handling cold-chain items and began training additional employees in cold-chain management processes in June, Bob Garrettson of DLA Distribution's special commodities team said.
"We've been involved in very detailed, intense planning with DHA and other key players to make sure there's a coordinated response that gets the vaccine exactly where it's needed, and we have contingency plans in place in case they're needed," he said.
Dana Dallas, DLA troop support's cold chain program manager, helps create policy for managing temperature-sensitive medical material throughout DOD. She works with DLA distribution to establish packaging and handling procedures that follow manufacturer guidelines.
"We have temperature-monitoring devices in all of our cold-chain shipments, so we can do quality analysis for any incidences on cold-chain material during either distribution or post-receipt, such as refrigerator malfunctions," she said.
Shipments from U.S.-based centers typically remain cold for up to five days, Garrettson added. Many shipments destined for overseas customers will be cross-docked at other DLA Distribution centers where material handlers will refresh packaging components to maintain cold temperatures. The agency is also coordinating with customers to ensure they're available to receive the vaccine upon arrival, Garrettson continued.
DLA has been involved in the nation's pandemic response since February and has provided over $2.5 billion in items ranging from face masks and ventilators to test kits.
Marines fire an MK-153 shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon during Fuji Viper at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Dec. 10, 2020. The exercise allows infantry units to maintain their lethality and proficiency in infantry and combined arms tactics.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Alyssa Kozak, left, Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin Phillips, center, and Seaman Siane Nash load sonobuoys onto a P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft at Royal Air Force Lossiemouth, Scotland, Dec. 14, 2020.
Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Dakota Ford aims at a target in Japan, Dec. 16, 2020, during Forest Light, an annual bilateral exercise that strengthens the interoperability and readiness of U.S. and Japanese troops.
An Air Force C-17A Globemaster III pilot participates in a night cargo mission over Southwest Asia, Dec. 9, 2020.
A soldier assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard” guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, Dec. 14, 2020. The site has been guarded continuously since July 2, 1937.
Navy Seaman Robert Murdolo signals to the pilots of an MH-60R Seahawk during night flight operations aboard the USS Princeton in the Arabian Sea, Dec. 15, 2020.
Marines use a smoke signal during a joint search and rescue exercise at Kin Blue Bay, Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 8, 2020.
Marines fire an MK-153 shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon during Fuji Viper at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Dec. 10, 2020. The exercise allows infantry units to maintain their lethality and proficiency in infantry and combined arms tactics.
A Marine assigned to Drill Instructor School attends a graduation ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Dec. 16, 2020.
Dec. 17, 2020 | BY Penelope Carroll, Michigan National Guard
The Michigan National Guard received a request from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to support community health care organizations with logistical and medical assets for COVID-19 vaccinations across the state. Guard leadership has analyzed its medical assets and logistical requirements and plans to augment health care providers across the state, where requested, in the administration of the vaccine.
The guard will first staff approximately 50 COVID-19 vaccination and testing teams, or CVTTs, that are composed of a uniformed medical technician and one or two administrative support personnel. The CVTTs will report to four hospital locations deemed priority by the state of Michigan.
"We will provide medics and administrative support to hospitals and local health care organizations and work to fill their needs," said Army Col. Ravindra Wagh, Michigan National Guard joint operations officer. "For some locations that will mean directly administering the vaccine to their staff. We will also provide administrative support when needed, freeing up critical front-line hospital employees and allowing them to focus on the ongoing battle against COVID-19."
The first priority of the allocated vaccines in Michigan will be to front-line health care workers and the residents and staff of long term health facilities. After that, MDHHS says they will expand vaccinations to people who work in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, essential workers and those people who are at high-risk for severe COVID-19 illnesses.
The guard is ready to surge their CVTT capacity when needed and in any location throughout Michigan's 83 counties. The COVID-19 vaccination mission will be an ongoing endeavor as the Michigan National Guard works to stay in front of the demands of the health care system throughout the state.
"The Michigan National Guard remains focused on supporting our communities, our neighbors, in this important task," said Army Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "They are professionals who have proven they have the tenacity and right skillset to support the state of Michigan's ongoing response to COVID-19."
The guard has been integrated into the state's emergency response to the pandemic since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced its activation on March 18. Across the state of Michigan, the guard continues to support COVID-19 testing and assisting at local food banks. There are currently several hundred Michigan National Guard members supporting these missions. COVID-19 vaccination support by the guard is expected to continue into spring 2021.
Michigan residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
Dec. 17, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News
This year, the Defense Department released a declassified summary of its Irregular Warfare Annex to the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The annex details how the department seeks to institutionalize and operationalize this form of warfare amid the ongoing recalibration of its focus on peer and near-peer adversaries.
In the annex, irregular warfare is defined as ''a struggle among state and non-state actors to influence populations and affect legitimacy.''
The DOD is currently working on crafting a new irregular warfare annex to the next NDS.
Kristen R. Hajduk, national security innovation network director of operations; Daniel ''Deak'' Roh, acting principal director for special operations and combating terrorism; and David Stephenson, director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's office of irregular warfare, spoke about the topic on a National Defense Industrial Association panel discussion yesterday.
Irregular warfare doesn't necessarily mean that the struggle by a state or non-state actor has to involve violence, although it can, Stephenson said. It could also include influencing populations through propaganda or intimidation.
In order to influence a population, they have to be able to trust you. They have to understand where your motivations are coming from, Haiduk added.
To succeed at irregular warfare, the department can't rely solely on special operations forces, Stephenson said. Partnerships play a bigger role —meaning with the joint force, industry and interagency partners including the State Department, Treasury Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as allies and partners.
Haiduk agreed: "The operators that are most effective are those that have the best relationship with the country," she said, meaning that special operations forces and others serving abroad in a conflict zone are most effective if they gain the trust of the local military and government.
It is not necessary for every warfighter to understand the concepts of irregular warfare, Roh said, but noncommissioned officers and field-grade officers should have a basic knowledge of why it is important and what it means in shaping the battlespace and the feelings of the local populace.
Stephenson noted that the young generation entering the military is digitally savvy and has an understanding about what role social media can play in influencing populations.
The NDS and the annex are not political documents, Stephenson emphasized. "They're based on the threats the nation faces and what capabilities there are to counter them," he said, expressing optimism about the incoming administration's approach to irregular warfare.
Soldiers conduct an emergency deployment readiness exercise mission at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, Dec. 10, 2020. The exercise provided soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment an opportunity to rehearse and showcase the unit's ability to rapidly deploy to any location and successfully conduct any mission with which they are tasked.
Sailors decorate stockings during a USS Constitution holiday event in Boston, Dec. 11, 2020.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Matias and military working dog Eenoch provide perimeter security during Exercise Razor Talon 21-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Dec. 2, 2020. The exercise provided agile combat employment using multi-functional airmen in an austere environment.
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