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FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas – At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state officials, approximately 740 Department of Defense medical and support professionals from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force are assigned as part of DoD’s ongoing COVID-19 operations in Texas and California. As part of the whole-of-America response, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Forces Land Component Command, continues to oversee the military operation in support of federal efforts and the state.
“We are committed to assisting those in need as part of the ongoing whole-of-America response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, U.S. Army North commander. “At the same time, we remain fully capable of conducting our primary mission of defending the homeland.”
In Texas, U.S. Northern Command assigned approximately 580 military medical and support personnel from the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy to support FEMA and the state.
The first of the 580, an 85-member enhanced Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force, from the 627th Hospital Center, Ft. Carson, Colorado, arrived July 6.
Designated UAMTF-627, the unit began treating patients at five San Antonio hospitals, July 9.
"It's an honor to be in San Antonio, Texas, providing care to patients alongside local hospital staff,” said U.S. Army Capt. Sarah Kopaciewicz, a UAMTF-627 critical care nurse embedded with Christus Westover Hills Medical Center. “I was doing similar work, treating COVID-19 positive patients, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State before being employed here."
In addition to Christus Westover Hills Medical Center, critical care nurses, emergency room nurses, medical surgical nurses, and respiratory specialists from UAMTF-627 are serving at Baptist Health Center, Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center, Methodist Metropolitan and University Hospital.
UAMTF-627 is comprised of Soldiers from Colorado and elsewhere, including Brooke Army Medical Center.
"Our Soldiers train daily to maintain clinical skills so we can save and sustain lives wherever and whenever the nation calls,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jason Hughes, UAMTF-627 commander. “We're proud to be here to support FEMA and Texas, and will work side by side with hospital workers to help communities.”
A second 85-member UAMTF from U.S. Army Medical Command, San Antonio, and elsewhere arrived in Texas, July 15. Designated UAMTF-MEDCOM, the unit began work, July 16, supporting United Memorial Medical Center in Houston.
A third 85-member UAMTF from the 16th Hospital Center, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and elsewhere is providing medical support in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The unit arrived in San Antonio, July 15, and began work at McAllen Medical Center, McAllen, Texas, July 17.
Designated UAMTF-16, it is the third of six UAMTFs assigned by U.S. Northern Command to arrive in Texas as part of the Department of Defense's ongoing COVID-19 operations to support FEMA and the state.
Also in Texas, a U.S. Navy Acute Care Team and four U.S. Navy Rural Rapid Response Teams from Naval Hospital Pensacola, Pensacola, Florida, and elsewhere arrived in San Antonio, July 16, and will support four locations in South Texas.
The U.S. Navy ACT began work today supporting Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen in Harlingen.
The four U.S. Navy RRRTs also began work today supporting Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center in Eagle Pass, and Starr County Memorial Hospital in Rio Grande City.
At the request of FEMA and as part of the whole-of-nation response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional three, 85-person U.S. Army UAMTFs were also activated to support statewide efforts here.
In California, U.S. Northern Command assigned approximately 160 military medical and support personnel from the U.S. Air Force to support FEMA and the state.
Approximately 20 U.S. Air Force medical providers and support staff from Travis Air Force Base, deployed, July 13 and 14, to each of the following five California hospitals: Adventist Health Lodi Memorial in Lodi, Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Dameron Hospital in Stockton, Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, and Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia.
The Airmen, part of a medical team and designated U.S. Air Force COVID Theater Hospital-1, began work in the hospitals, July 17.
“We are so proud of the tremendous partnership that we share with our state and federal officials,” said Lt. Gen. Richardson. “Over the past few days our joint service members have worked determinedly to relieve stress on hospitals and to deliver care to communities in need as part of the ongoing whole-of-nation response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in support of FEMA.”
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| Date Taken: | 07.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2020 14:15 |
| Story ID: | 374179 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, US Army North continues military COVID-19 operations in Texas, California, by COL Martin O'Donnell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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