Active-Duty Support to COVID-19 Response

While continuing to defend the homeland, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) has been essential to the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. As the synchronizer for all Department of Defense (DoD) COVID-19 support functions, USNORTHCOM deployed military personnel to support local healthcare workers across the nation and supported states in the administration of approved and authorized emergency use vaccines.

 

  

Combating COVID-19

DoD COVID-19 operations began by providing lodging support to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Department of State (DoS) officials evacuated from Wuhan, China. The first repatriation flight from Wuhan arrived at March Air Reserve Base, Calif. on Jan. 29, 2020. 

On Feb. 1, 2020, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) directed USNORTHCOM to execute the Global Pandemic Plan 3551-13. In response to this direction, USNORTHCOM and the Office of the Secretary of Defense issued health protection guidance for DoD forces and began to respond to requests for assistance in the United States. 

Shortly after the SECDEF’s direction, on Feb. 15, 2020, HHS announced the repatriation of U.S. citizens aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Approximately 400 passengers returned and were subject to a 14-day quarantine. Similarly, on March 9, 2020, the Grand Princess cruise ship docked at the Port of Oakland and 1,989 passengers were taken to five evacuation support bases – Camp Ashland, Neb., Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and MCAS Miramar, Travis Air Force Base, and March Air Reserve Base, all in Calif.

Under the direction of USNORTHCOM, the USNS Mercy arrived in Los Angeles March 27, 2020, where they treated 77 non-COVID patients and sent military medical personnel to community locations to assist local medical staff. Some of those personnel stayed after the ship departed May 15, 2020. The USNS Comfort arrived at the New York Harbor on March 30, 2020 and treated 182 patients before departing on April 30, 2020. 

Additionally, as of April 6, 2020, DoD provided more than five million N95 masks to HHS, and then acting SECDEF Dr. Mark T. Esper approved the provision of an additional five million N95 masks. 

As other communities experienced surges in COVID cases and hospitalizations, additional cities and states made requests for federal government support. Beginning April 2020, USNORTHCOM’s Joint Force Land Component Command (JFLCC), U.S. Army North (ARNORTH), oversaw military medical teams who established or augmented alternate care sites at large facilities like convention centers in nine states to assist the local and state agencies treat medical patients as hospitals became overwhelmed. As support continued, the JFLCC learned through feedback from the state, local and hospital staffs the best way to expand hospital capability and capacity to these communities-in-need was through integration or augmentation of medical personnel into existing hospitals. 

Since April 2020, the JFLCC has coordinated three iterations of direct military medical personnel support to at least 103 hospitals in 81 cities in 25 states and the Navajo Nation. This support was provided by approximately 5,100 military medical personnel, broken into separate teams for each hospital and has included doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, behavioral health specialists, and other specialties as needed. 

In February 2021, as the COVID pandemic continued and vaccines became available, FEMA and the states requested DoD to provide support to 48 community vaccination sites in 42 cities across 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. From February to June 2021, approximately 5,100 military medical and support personnel assisted with providing approximately 5 million vaccinations to communities-in-need. 

Even after support to vaccination centers eventually ceased, support to hospitals and our local, state, and federal partners continued. The joint DoD effort currently includes 15 teams working in 10 states, including Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio.  U.S. Army North, under U.S. Northern Command’s oversight, provided operational command of these teams.

Currently, 35 USNORTHCOM personnel are deployed to White House in support of COVID-19 testing efforts.

COVID-19 News Archive

March 1, 2022

Military hospital support to FEMA to begin in Utah, continues in several states

At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, one team of approximately 20 military medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists, will deploy to the state of Utah to support civilian healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients.

Feb. 11, 2022

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

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.

Feb. 3, 2022

Military hospital support to FEMA to begin in four states, expands in two states

At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approximately 220 military medical personnel, including medical doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists have deployed, or will deploy within the next two weeks, in fourteen teams to six states to support civilian healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients.


Jan. 21, 2022

Military hospital support to FEMA begins in five states, Navajo Nation, expands elsewhere

At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approximately 220 military medical personnel have deployed or will deploy ten new teams to eight states and the Navajo Nation to support civilian healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. 

COVID-19 Photos

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COVID-19 Video

Video by Spc. Khalan Moore
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nora Abdo supports Upstate University Hospital
Defense Department Support to FEMA COVID-19
March 12, 2022 | 1:38
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nora Abdo, a nurse assigned to a military medical team, shares her story while supporting COVID response operations at Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, New York, March 12, 2022. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Department of Defense support to the whole-of-government COVID response. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Khalan Moore)
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