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For the employees of the Washington Military Department, 2021 picked up right where 2020 left off, with hopes that we were advancing toward a post-pandemic future.
Less than a week into 2021, Congress reconvened to count electoral votes and certify Joseph R. Biden as the nation’s new President. As the count began, a hostile group of rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building. In the following days more than 25,000 National Guard members from across the country were activated to support the upcoming Presidential inauguration. More than 400 members from the Washington National Guard were deployed to provide support to the D.C. National Guard. In March, another group of Washington National Guard members would deploy to the Nation’s capital to provide on-going security support.
Simultaneously a group of protestors stormed the Governor’s mansion in Olympia to protest the state’s restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 600 National Guard members were activated to support the Washington State Patrol with ensuring safety at the capitol as the 2021 legislative session begun.
January also brought a glimmer of hope for so many as the state began a mass vaccination effort. Partnered with the Washington Department of Health, National Guard members assisted at multiple vaccination sites across the state and visiting assisted living centers to help with the most vulnerable populations.
The Washington Emergency Management Division’s state Emergency Operations Center remained activated for COVID-19, but also responded to wildfires, floods and more throughout the year.
The Washington Youth Academy opened their campus doors for the first time in nearly nine months, bringing in cadets from across the state. The academy took an active approach to ensuring the safety of all cadets, completing two cycles in 2021 with a total of 185 cadets graduating the program in person.
The Academy also opened a new classroom building on campus, which was dedicated to former director Larry Pierce, who died in 2021. The new Larry Pierce Academic Center now houses multiple classrooms and has been put right to use. Pierce’s family was able to join friends and co-workers for a dedication in October.
“I believed in Larry Pierce and Larry always believed that every cadet before him deserved a second chance and he made sure that they got it,” Maj. Gen. Bret D. Daugherty said at the dedication.
While more than 1,000 Guard members continued to provided support to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic response, another 1,500 Guard members prepared for federal deployments. In March, more than 100 Guard members from the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed to Ukraine in support of Joint Multinational Training Group – Ukraine. In April, nearly 800 members of “Task Force Dark Rifles,” a combined arms battalion, deployed to Poland in support of the enhanced forward presence mission in the Baltic Sea region. In June, another 250 Washington National Guard members deployed to the middle east in support of the on-going operations in Kuwait.
April also led to the return of in-person foreign exchanges, as a group of Foreign Attachés attended a conference at Camp Murray, learning about the Guard mission and visiting troops working at food banks. The following months would see the return of the Washington National Guard’s State Partnership Program partners from Malaysia and Thailand for exchanges.
In May and June, more than 250 Washington National Guard members took part in the yearly ritual of preparing for the pending summer wildfire season. In July, August and September, their training was put to the test as helicopter and ground crews were deployed to provide critical support to fires burning across eastern Washington.
July brought good news to the Washington Emergency Management Division. After four years, EMD received full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program, a national organization that ensures emergency management organizations do their job well. To achieve accreditation, applicants must demonstrate through self-assessments, documentation and peer assessments that the agency meets a standard created and honed by expert emergency management professionals.
“This is the culmination of several years of hard work by our statewide team to document that we are in full compliance with the Emergency Management Standard,” wrote EMD Director Robert Ezelle in an email he sent to staff. “This is truly a team effort. You should be proud of your accomplishment and the fact that we now number among the states that claim full accreditation.”
The Washington National Guard reached another milestone in August when the Guard’s COVID-19 response came to a close. The 18-month mission was critical to the state’s success of handling the pandemic. Guard personnel packaged and distributed nearly 100 million pounds of food at food banks, administered more than 250,000 COVID-19 vaccinations, built more than 2.5 million COVID-19 test kits, and tested more than 75,000 Washingtonians.
Guard members from the 319th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, who had just arrived in Afghanistan in early August 2021, were on the ground in Kabul as the Taliban gained control of the city. During their short time there, these members helped citizens and those seeking refuge back to the United States. During the following months, more than 90,000 displaced Afghans were relocated to the United States. Nearly 60 Washington Air Guard members deployed to the east coast in support of Operation Allied Welcome. Guard members would help provide medical aid, processing and support to displaced Afghans.
As the holidays approached, the weather across the state began to take a turn. The days leading into Thanksgiving, strong winds and heavy rain led to flooding in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties. Following the holiday, a second round of storms approached and 40 members of the National Guard were deployed to Everson to provide sand bags and high water vehicles. Teams from the Washington Emergency Management Division also were dispatched to chronicle flood damage and work on major disaster declarations.
As the year came to a close, the 100 members of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team that deployed to Ukraine returned home. In early 2022, the remaining Washington National Guard members are set to return home from Poland and Kuwait, while another group prepares to deploy in support of on-going training missions.
| Date Taken: | 12.22.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2021 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 411812 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 197 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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