SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approximately 60 military medical personnel will deploy in three, 20-person teams – two teams to Michigan and one team to New Mexico – to support civilian healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients in local hospitals.
These teams join eight other teams currently working in five states – three in Montana, two in Minnesota, one in Colorado, one in Idaho, and one in Utah. U.S. Army North, under U.S. Northern Command’s oversight, provides operational command of the teams.
“As COVID-19 hospitalization rates continue to shift across the country, decreasing in certain areas while increasing in others, we unfortunately find new communities and healthcare facilities overburdened and in need of federal, military assistance,” said Lt. Gen. John R. Evans, Jr., ARNORTH commander. “The Department of Defense was again called upon by FEMA to support the New Mexico and the state of Michigan as they, along with the military and the entire nation, continue to fight this pandemic.”
The military medical personnel include nurses, respiratory therapists, and medical doctors.
In Michigan, one 20-person team from the U.S. Army will support Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn, while another 20-person team from the U.S. Army will support Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids.
In New Mexico, one 20-person team from the U.S. Navy will support San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington.
ARNORTH is the joint force land component command of USNORTHCOM.