DETROIT, Mich. — Seeing such a great need in her own community, one Michigan National Guard Citizen-Soldier answered the call to duty without hesitation.
U.S. Army Cpl. Jutona Hightower is a transport operator with the 1463rd Transportation Company "Rough Ryders," based out of Fort Custer Training Center, located in Augusta. She is currently serving with Michigan’s Task Force Red Lion COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Team (CVTT), preparing vaccine doses at the Coleman Young Community Center (CYCC) in Detroit.
“As a lifelong Wayne County resident, I have participated in many different community service activities such as Gleaners food bank, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, volunteering at the Veteran Administration (VA) hospital, and assisting the Detroit Rescue Mission with the homeless,” she said.
Hightower, a certified dialysis technician in her civilian job, has plenty of experience with medical syringes and volunteered her expertise in preparing the vaccine doses as her contribution to the COVID-19 fight.
“After passing three required online courses, reading information on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), I was given the awesome responsibility to prepare the vaccine for those administering it,” Hightower said.
Tonia Harvey, an immunization specialist for Detroit Health Department, working at the CYCC with the Task Force CVTT, expressed how great it is to work side-by-side with the task force.
“Their professionalism amazes me — whether it’s the members assisting on the call-in lines, processing immunization history and consent forms, or preparing the vaccine doses.”
Hightower has prepared more than 2,500 vaccine doses for the local residents coming to the CYCC to receive their vaccination.
Army Sgt. Scott Doman with the 182nd Support Company, Michigan Army National Guard, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the task force working at the CYCC, said, “Hightower is a motivated troop. She is truly concerned and cares for the residents of her community and she is a superstar in our group.”
Being mobilized to the Task Force CVTT is a precursor to what Hightower wishes to ultimately achieve.
“My desire has always been to help others and make a difference in someone else’s life,” she said. “The goal I have in life is to become a registered nurse at the VA hospital assisting and caring for veterans.”
Her hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed by the MING leadership.
Two months into her mobilization, U.S. Army Major General Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general of Michigan National Guard, presented Hightower with his personal challenge coin during an awards ceremony.
“I have never been so honored for doing what I love to do,” said Hightower. “I appreciate the knowledge and skills I’ve learned and was able to utilize while preparing the COVID vaccinations for individuals within my community.”
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