ARNORTH adjusts military COVID-19 support to hospitals in three states and Navajo Nation

By Col. Martin O'DonnellMarch 1, 2021

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approximately 30 military medical personnel from the U.S. Air Force, part of a Department of Defense COVID-19 response operation, arrived yesterday in Arizona to support the Kingman Regional Medical Center in Kingman. U.S. Army North, the Joint Force Land Component Command of U.S Northern Command, will oversee the military response at the hospital in support of federal efforts and the state.

“Even as we are focused on supporting federal and state vaccination distribution efforts, our forces continue to support hospitals treating COVID-19 patients at the request of FEMA,” said Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, ARNORTH and JFLCC commander. “This is a multi-service undertaking and just one facet of the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The U.S. Air Force medical personnel include nurses and respiratory therapists.

Their deployment follows the redeployment last month of approximately 275 military medical personnel from the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force from one hospital in Arizona, three hospitals in California, six hospitals in Texas and one hospital in the Navajo Nation. In addition to overseeing those supporting the Kingman medical center, ARNORTH continues to direct approximately 40 other military medical personnel from the U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Navy supporting three hospitals in the Navajo Nation.

U.S. Northern Command, through ARNORTH, also oversees approximately 1,900 military medical and support personnel from four of the six service branches at state-run, federally supported community vaccination centers in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.