Oregon National Guard surging to support hospitals again

By Oregon Military DepartmentJanuary 19, 2022

Oregon National Guard surging to support hospitals again
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 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. (Photo Credit: Maj. W. Chris Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
Oregon National Guard surging to support hospitals again
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Hospital Facilities Operations Manager Don Wilder gives Oregon Army National Gaurd hospital relief mission members a tour of West Valley Hospital in Dallas, Oregon 18 Jan. 2022 as part of the team's first-day orientation. 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 non-clinical staffing shortages. (Photo Credit: Maj. W. Chris Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
Oregon National Guard surging to support hospitals again
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Hospital Emergency Room Nurse Director Shane Emmert leads a first-day orientation briefing to Oregon Army National Gaurd hospital relief mission members 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. (Photo Credit: Maj. W. Chris Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
Oregon National Guard surging to support hospitals again
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Oregon Army National Gaurd member 2nd Lt. Jacob King and his team of Soldiers assigned to the hospital relief mission receive a first-day orientation briefing from Nurse Arielle LeVeaux 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 non-clinical staffing shortages. (Photo Credit: Maj. W. Chris Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL

SALEM, Ore. - Hundreds of Oregon National Guard members are increasing support of hospitals throughout the state in their second hospital relief mission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This new activation beginning Jan. 18 will put about 1,200 Oregon Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen in as many as 40 hospitals facing a surge of patients with the coronavirus.

Since Jan. 10, the Oregon National Guard has stood up a Joint Task Force of Air and Army National Guardsmen to support this latest hospital effort. Over eight days, the Guard activated nearly 500 Oregon service members from six locations.

The Oregon National Guard will increase support by approximately 700 additional members over the next two weeks. Guardsmen will serve in non-clinical roles over the next 30 days when the Omicron variant is expected to peak.

“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, deputy commander of the Oregon National Guard hospital relief joint task force.

This activation follows a successful prior deployment of more than 1,500 Oregon National Guardsmen who served in non-clinical roles from August to late December.

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