PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. –
Additional medical Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing’s Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) have been sent to the New York City area to assist with pandemic response.
These Airmen flew to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey on Wednesday to join others from the wing who were mobilized in response to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, earlier this month.
On April 5, 2020, the 920th ASTS and the 943rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron (AMDS) Group joined about 150 other medically trained Airmen assisting medical providers in the New York-New Jersey region. The 943rd AMDS is part of the 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and the 920th RQW at Patrick AFB, Florida. The 943rd AMDS supports the medical needs of over 1200 Airmen.
“We train during peacetime to master our medical skill sets and create cohesive teams,” said Col. Corey, 920th RQW ASTS commander. “We do so utilizing a robust critical care simulation lab that exposes our team to stressful conditions. I am confident this training has prepared our Airmen to answer our nation’s call. Not only will they hit the ground running, they will help save multiple lives.”
New York City is considered the epicenter of United States’ outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. New York City has 142,432 total cases of the virus, including 10,977 deaths. In New York state, 251,690 people have tested positive, while 97,387 have tested positive in New Jersey.
Nationwide, about 770 Air Force Reservists have been mobilized to help with the COVID-19 relief efforts.
Reserve Citizen Airmen – traditional Reservists, Air Reserve Technicians and individual mobilization augmentees - are from 18 Air Force Reserve units around the country and will continue to provide medical support to Americans in U.S. Army North’s, Task Force New York/New Jersey area of responsibility. ARNORTH was designated by U.S. Northern Command as the lead component to work with FEMA to align federal military support to validated requests for assistance. USNORTHCOM is the Department of Defense's lead for COVID-19 operations in the United States, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Military personnel under the direction of USNORTHCOM are providing robust, flexible medical capability to assist with the whole-of America fight against COVID-19, while defending the homeland.