Oregon Guard helps respond to COVID surge at 40 hospitals

Human resource specialist Sgt. Niki McCurdy from the 821 Troop Command Battalion, Oregon Army National Guard, assigns Soldiers to hospitals at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Oregon, Jan. 12, 2022. By the end of January, more than 1,200 Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen will be serving at 40 hospitals in the state facing a surge of COVID-19 cases.

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Human resource specialist Sgt. Niki McCurdy from the 821 Troop Command Battalion, Oregon Army National Guard, assigns Soldiers to hospitals at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Oregon, Jan. 12, 2022. By the end of January, more than 1,200 Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen will be serving at 40 hospitals in the state facing a surge of COVID-19 cases.

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Oregon National Guard to Start Second Hospital Relief Mission

B-Roll Oregon National Guard to Start Second Hospital Relief Mission Event in video: Planning and Guard Members receiving orders for the hospital relief mission. Date: Jan. 11 & 12, 2022 Location: Anderson Readiness Center, Salem, Ore. Journalist: U.S. Army National Guard video by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs SALEM, Ore. - Governor Kate Brown ordered an increase to the second hospital relief mission of up to 1,200 Guard Members today. This new activation of the Oregon National Guard increased from 500 to over 1,200 in 40 hospitals across the state. During this deployment, the National Guard members will provide much-needed support for understaffed hospitals, which will begin no later than Jan. 18. These soldiers and airmen will serve in non-clinical support roles as material handlers, equipment runners, in addition to COVID testing support, laundry, custodial services, and other necessary tasks to ensure hospital operations during this critical time. The mission's planning is ongoing, with guard members placed on orders and assigned to hospitals. This activation follows a prior deployment of over 1500 Oregon National Guard Soldiers and airmen that provided the same non-clinical support rolls in Oregon hospitals from August of 2021 to December 2021. The Oregon National Guard comprises over 8,000 citizen Soldiers/Airmen dedicated to serving the communities they live in and maintaining the ability to serve the nation in times of war. The organization has the motto "always ready, always there" and is the largest part-time employer in the state. Its members, on average, serve one weekend a month with an additional two-week period a year while maintaining civilian employment.

SALEM, Ore. - The surge of COVID-19 cases prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to order an increase of National Guard members assisting at hospitals around the state, boosting the number of Guardsmen on hospital relief missions from 500 to over 1,200 at 40 hospitals.

During this deployment, National Guard members will support understaffed hospitals beginning no later than Jan. 18. Soldiers and Airmen will serve in non-clinical support roles, including COVID testing support. The mission's planning is ongoing, with Guard members placed on orders and assigned to hospitals.

This activation follows a deployment of over 1,500 Oregon National Guardsmen that provided the same non-clinical support roles in Oregon hospitals from August to December.

The more than 8,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen of the Oregon National Guard serve the communities they live in and maintain readiness to serve the nation in times of war with the motto, "Always Ready, Always There."

Members of the Oregon National Guard, the largest part-time employer in the state, serve an average of one weekend a month with an additional two-week period a year while maintaining civilian employment.

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