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Amid the chaos and confusion surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ohio Air National Guard has shown they are always ready and always there. As part of a joint task force, members of the 121st Air Refueling Wing Medical Group and Medical Detachment were recently activated to assist with the pandemic response across Ohio.
1st Lt. Amin Ansari, a medical planning and operations officer with the Ohio Homeland Response Force, said that more than 20 Airmen from the 121st ARW were tasked to assist at testing sites and to relieve medical staff in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.
Ansari, who previously worked as a respiratory therapist at Riverside Methodist Hospital, said the Airmen were excited for the hands-on opportunity to utilize their training and were eager to help.
With a very short notice, all Airmen were accounted for and ready to work by the next day. When they arrived, the planning team was overwhelmed with the response, said Ansari.
“Everyone has been extremely accommodating to the military and has received us with open arms,” said Ansari. “They have been so thankful and grateful that we are there to assist them.”
Ansari said his team has administered hundreds of tests each day, provided food to overwhelmed nurses and medical staff, and responded to nursing homes that reached out for assistance.
The community and the military have been working together to really get COVID-19 under control, said Ansari.
“I’m here to make sure our Airmen are taken care of, but they are the ones doing the work,” said Ansari. “We have people out there actively working to continue to flatten the curve.”
Ansari said he is proud of his team’s willingness to step up and serve others, knowing they could be putting themselves at risk.
“To see our people assisting the state of Ohio and putting their best foot forward is seeing the mission in action,” said Ansari. “That’s the most rewarding part.”
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.26.2021 11:24 |
| Story ID: | 375807 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rickenbacker Airmen eager to assist amid pandemic, by SSgt Mikayla Gibbs, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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