PLYMOUTH, N.H. – When Spc. Jacob Barrington enlisted in the New Hampshire Army National Guard in 2018, he never thought he’d be called up for state active duty to support a worldwide pandemic. Despite the health crisis, the 20-year-old medic smiles through the difficult tasks and faces each challenge head-on.
“Barrington is the kind of Soldier that just figures out what needs to happen and then makes it happen,” said Master Sgt. Caleb Smith, operations sergeant for Task Force 197. “Once he is on that path, he works to continuously improve everything around him.”
Initially, Barrington was a part of the operations section for TF 197. However, in light of his combat medic background, he was pulled to support COVID-19 swab testing at a field-testing site in Plymouth.
“He came to the mission and our team hungry to learn and eager to help,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Puleo, operations sergeant, TF 197. “Since his arrival, he has been highly motivated.”
Puleo added that while setting up tents at Exeter Hospital, Barrington was able to identify a deficiency with one of the tents, which would have delayed the mission completion if left unaddressed.
The Penacook resident is grateful for the opportunity to contribute.
“It’s a really good feeling to help,” Barrington said. “This is what I trained for. I became a medic to help people out globally, nationally and statewide, so it’s good to actually do the job you’re trained for.”