Alaska National Guard Adopts Proactive Response Posture to COVID-19

April 23, 2020 | BY Army Sgt. Seth Lacount , DOD News

President James Buchanan said, "The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there." In that spirit, Alaska National Guard leaders have built on their preemptive measures to mitigate the potential harm done by the COVID-19 coronavirus.

More than a month has passed since President Donald J. Trump issued a national emergency declaration in response to the pandemic, and Alaska still maintains one of the lowest contraction rates and death tolls in the nation.

In early March, Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, under the authority of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, activated the State Emergency Operations Center to establish a network of available resources for partner agencies and local communities.

The governor then initiated a unified command structure between the Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Public Safety and DMVA to ensure a swift, effective response to COVID-19 and to augment potentially overwhelmed communities.

Additionally, Joint Task Force Alaska stood up to provide a coordinated effort for Alaska Organized Militia forces to support the state. Alaska Organized Militia includes the Army and Air National Guard, the Alaska State Defense Force and the Alaska Naval Militia.

"I can't help but be aware of the fact that we stand, once again, on the stage of history," said ArmyCapt. James Tollefson, a Joint Task Force Alaska operations plans officer. "The COVID crisis will subside eventually and be followed by landmark reforms and legislation, just like [Hurricane] Katrina, the Enron collapse, the Great Recession and 9/11 were. Each of us engaged in this response will have played a small but essential part of that historical drama."

In state emergencies like this pandemic, the National Guard is called upon as a last-resort measure to fulfill missions when other state, private and nonprofit resources are unavailable or unable to meet requests directly related to an emergency or disaster.

"The Guard is unique in that it has this state role and the ability to respond on behalf of our fellow Alaskans in their darkest hour," Tollefson said. "It motivates me to know that while people are hunkering down, we're actively preparing to go forth and take care of our communities."

Joint Task Force Alaska has the equipment, facilities, personnel, training and experience to meet logistical, transportation and safety requirements for the state upon request.

Due to the unprecedented response requirements of the pandemic, Joint Task Force Alaska works to perfect the response force's battle rhythm to ensure maximum efficiency.

"We've engaged in a lot of crucial relationship building with our brothers and sisters in the organized militia," Tollefson said. "It will make a huge difference if this response ramps up, and we've done a lot of internal process refinement to ensure that we're ready to go when the time comes."

Under the leadership of Joint Task Force Alaska, the Alaska National Guard and the rest of the organized militia have met the challenges set before them, Tollefson said. While the future of the COVID-19 pandemic is uncertain, Alaskans everywhere can rest assured that members of the National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Naval Militia will be there to protect their neighbors in their time of need

"Our people are ready," he said. "They're volunteering at the Bean's Café kitchen, screening passengers at airports and helping with logistics in the Department of Health and Social Services warehouse."

"Quietly, inexhaustibly, behind-the-scenes, we are there, working and planning to keep Alaskans safe," the captain continued. "And if the need arises, there will be many hundreds more who follow where these first few have led the way."

(Army Sgt. Seth LaCount is assigned to the Alaska Army National Guard.)

Maryland Guard's Surgeon Details State COVID-19 Assistance

April 22, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

Some 1,400 Maryland National Guard soldiers and airmen are on active duty, and 700 more are on enhanced standby, able to come on active duty within a matter of hours if called upon by the governor, the Maryland Guard's state surgeon said.

Of those called up, 73 are health and medical specialists who are now dealing with COVID-19, Army Col. (Dr.) Eric Allely told reporters by phone during a Pentagon news conference today regarding the Guard's COVID-19 efforts in his state.

The Maryland Guard has visited about 40 of the 227 skilled-nursing homes throughout the state, as well as some children's facilities, he said. Skilled nursing homes are in-patient rehabilitation centers staffed with trained medical professionals.

The visits are performed with multidisciplined Guard teams of health and medical specialists, Allely said, working closely with the Maryland Department of Health.

Several types of teams conduct the visits, Allely said. One does an overall assessment, one provides care, another works in behavioral health, and another provides medical testing and education.

The behavioral health professionals are particularly important, the doctor said. "People need to be reassured," he explained. "They are experts at post-traumatic stress and are extremely well received."

Allely said the guardsmen do COVID-19 testing and turn the tests over to the Maryland Department of Health, which runs the tests at 10 a.m. daily. Results are provided the same day. The staff in the skilled-nursing homes he's visited are professionals and don't often get the credit due them, he added.

The health of the guardsmen is also important, he told reporters, noting that he's trying to ensure people are not working long hours and becoming fatigued. "This is not a sprint; it's a marathon," he said. "I take this very seriously."

The Maryland Guard also is supporting food and food distribution missions throughout the state. "For us, it's not just about handing out food," Allely said. "It's about being there in any way we can help."

Noting that the virtual online community is important to efforts to stop COVID-19, the state surgeon said guard officials are working cyber threat issues, ensuring that information is accurate and that people stay connected.

Defense Officials Express Agreement With President's Warning to Iran

April 22, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Defense Department officials are in full agreement with President Donald J. Trump's warning to the Iranian regime on Twitter, senior Pentagon officials said today.

"The president issued an important warning to the Iranians," Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist said during a Pentagon news conference today. "What he was emphasizing is all of our ships retain the right of self-defense, and people need to be very careful in their interactions to understand the inherent right of self-defense."

The president tweeted, "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea."

The Iranian regime has a history of harassing U.S. vessels operating in the Persian Gulf. In the past, small, quick Iranian boats have charged at U.S. ships in international waters.

The president's tweet does not signal a new policy, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, as U.S. forces in any environment retain the right to defend themselves. "Every ship that deploys in harm's way has the inherent right of self-defense," Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten told reporters. "What that means is if we see a hostile act, if we see hostile intent, we have the right to respond, up to and including lethal force."

Hyten warned Iran that, if threatened, U.S. commanders "will respond with overwhelming lethal force."

Norquist said Trump was responding to Iran's poor behavior.  "He is emphasizing and warning them about the challenges of what they will create," the deputy secretary said. "I think it was a very useful thing that he put out, and I think it's an important thing for other people to understand and take very seriously."

Hyten emphasized that he thinks it is a good thing that the president warned an adversary. He said that if the Iranians want to go down that path, "we will come, and we will come large."