Military hospital support to FEMA to begin in Massachusetts, expand in Arizona, Maine

By Charlotte ReavisFebruary 11, 2022

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approximately 90 military medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists are continuing to deploy in six teams to three states to support civilian healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients.

“U.S. Army North’s priority remains defense of the homeland, which includes the ongoing whole-of-government fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. Gen. John R. Evans, Jr., U.S. Army North commander. “It is a team effort – the Department of Defense is one of many federal agencies providing assistance – and I am thankful and proud of our service members’ role in this endeavor.”

The Department of Defense is beginning support in Massachusetts and expanding support in Arizona and Maine.

In Massachusetts, one 15-person team from the U.S. Air Force will support Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital in Brockton, while another 15-person U.S. Air Force team will support Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence.

In Arizona, one 15-person team from the U.S. Navy will support Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, while another 15-person U.S. Navy team will support Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix. These teams join a team supporting a hospital in Yuma.

In Maine, two 15-person teams from the U.S. Air Force will support Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. These teams join a team supporting a hospital in Lewiston.

In addition to the aforementioned teams and locations, the joint DoD effort currently or will soon include 30 teams working in 18 states – one in California, three in Connecticut, one in Indiana, two in Louisiana, one in Maryland, three in Michigan, one in Minnesota, one in Missouri, one in New Hampshire, one in New Jersey, one in New Mexico, five in New York, two in Ohio, two in Oklahoma, two in Pennsylvania, one in Rhode Island, one in Texas, one in Wisconsin – and one team in the Navajo Nation.

U.S. Army North, under U.S. Northern Command’s oversight, provides operational command of the teams.

On Dec. 30, 2021, the Secretary of Defense approved the activation of 1,000 military medical personnel to support the federal COVID-19 response mission. Five hundred of the 1,000 were made available to support requests for federal support on Jan. 15, 2022. The other 500 became available at the end of the month.

These 1,000 personnel join approximately 400 other military medical personnel, previously activated to provide assistance to civilian hospitals.

All but approximately 15 of the personnel announced today are from the recently assigned additional forces. In total, more than 570 of the 1,000 additional forces are supporting or will soon support hospitals.

For additional information, contact ARNORTH Public Affairs office at 210-845-9693 or usarmy.jbsa.arnorth.mbx.pao@army.mil; for photos and/or videos, visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/DSFC19.