Photo By Sgt. Marcel Pugh | North Carolina Army National Guard Pfc. Pedro Dominguez, right, assigned to the 875th...... read more read more
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The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) deployed statewide for COVID-19 relief missions beginning Sept. 23, 2020.
They reported to nonprofits and state and local government agencies who requested help via North Carolina Emergency Management by assisting with personal protective equipment distribution, food bank support, warehouse operations, testing assistance and other missions.
The 175 Soldiers and Airmen in teams ranging from two to 30 personnel reported to civilian leaders at several locations including Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Asheville and Winston-Salem.
“You know you are helping someone in need,” said NCNG Army 2nd Lt. Danielle Dias, a leader assigned to the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade.
Years of military and civilian experience, skills and education, combined with specialty military vehicles gave local agencies capabilities in short supply as COVID limited civilian volunteer availability. These efforts stored, processed, packaged and transported more than 100,000 pounds of food in one day.
“That is a large impact we are having,” NCANG Sgt. Brian Nesmith, a leader assigned to the 2-130th Airfield Operations Battalion.
The mission at the Inter-faith Food Shuttle Food Bank at St. John United Holy Church in Zebulon was an example of NCNG and local teamwork. Soldiers packed and sorted fresh and non-perishable food for hundreds of families on-site.
“It is my first big mission and I started in the Guard in July,” Dias said.
At NCNG headquarters, senior leaders tracked deployments and shifted resources as conditions changed and new missions arose. These missions not only provided critical support at the local level but also gave agencies time to adapt.
“We can clear out a whole room of supplies and let them {civilian agencies} get ahead of the problem and get additional hands and training,” said Capt. Erin Grahm, NCNG COVID Command and Control Cell officer-in-charge said.
From March 6, 2020 to July 31, 2020, the NCNG had 940 service members on duty supporting COVID-19 response.
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.30.2020 14:56 |
| Story ID: | 381687 |
| Location: | RALEIGH, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NC Guard COVID Deployments, by SFC Robert Jordan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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