National Guard COVID-19 Response

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COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal Reinstatement
February 24, 2025 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Former Army National Guard Soldiers: You can continue your service in the Army... MORE

2nd Lt. Kyle Funk, military police officer, 323rd Military Police Company, conducts fast rope insertion and extraction system training out of a CH-53K King Stallion helicopter during Exercise Northern Strike at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena, Mich., Aug. 5, 2024. Fast-roping is a technique for descending a thick rope, allowing troops to deploy from a helicopter in places where the aircraft cannot touch down.

NY National Guard Wraps up Federally Funded COVID-19 Mission
July 1, 2022 — LATHAM, N.Y. - More than 840 days after the first Soldiers and Airmen went on duty to stem an... MORE

New York Army National Guard Pvt. Joshua Morales, a member of the 133rd Combat Support Company, directs a COVID-19 vaccination registrant to The State University of New York, Stony Brook, vaccination site March 16th, 2021.

Vermont National Guard Concludes COVID-19 Missions
June 30, 2022 — COLCHESTER, Vt. – Vermont National Guard Soldiers and Airmen supporting Vermont’s COVID-19 response... MORE

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Nardo, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, injects James Bordeaux with a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Camp Johnson, Vermont, March 18, 2021.

Wisconsin National Guard wraps up nursing care support
April 29, 2022 — LA CROSSE, Wis. – After more than three months, Wisconsin National Guard members’ mission to help as... MORE

Brig. Gen. Tim Covington, the Wisconsin National Guard’s deputy adjutant general for civil support, presents a coin to 2nd Lt. Jonathon Jennings for his leadership as a platoon leader of Wisconsin National Guard nursing assistants supporting health care facilities during a ceremony at the Mayo Clinic in La Crosse April 26, 2022. The Wisconsin National Guard is winding down its nursing assistant support mission around the state.

New York National Guard supports nursing home
April 11, 2022 — SYRACUSE, N.Y. – When Senior Airman Taylor Dunham, an Air Force medical technician, joined the New... MORE

New York Air National Guard Senior Airman Skyler Suazo, a medical technician assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, Hancock Field Air National Guard, talks with a resident at Loretto Health and Rehab in Syracuse, New York. National Guard medics have been deployed in nursing homes to help alleviate staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Guard winds down COVID-19 support, remains ready
April 8, 2022 — ARLINGTON, Va. – With COVID-19 case counts and positivity rates decreasing, the Department of... MORE

Senior Airman Carmen Gerda, 162nd Medical Squadron, aerospace medical technician, administers the COVID-19 vaccine to a service member at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, May 6, 2021.

165th Airlift Wing Guardsmen wrap up COVID-19 response
March 28, 2022 — SAVANNAH, Ga.– More than 30 Airmen from the 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard,... MORE

Thirty 165th Airlift Wing Airmen demobilized March 18, 2022, after serving more than 60 days spread out across Georgia. These multi-capable Airmen, all from different career fields, served at 15 COVID testing sites and 11 hospitals.

Michigan Airman embraces nurse assistant program, service
March 24, 2022 — MIDLAND, Michigan - Senior Airman Tiffany McPherson knows exactly why she joined the Michigan Air... MORE

Senior Airman Tiffany McPherson, an aircrew flight equipment specialist assigned to the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan Air National Guard, at Primrose Retirement Community of Midland, Michigan, March 7, 2022. McPherson volunteered to train and serve as a certified nursing assistant to help ease staffing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pennsylvania National Guard ends COVID-19 response mission
March 23, 2022 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – After two years and hundreds of missions across the commonwealth, the... MORE

Spc. Gary Sowash, a combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2/112th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, administers a COVID-19 vaccine at Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 in Lancaster, March 12, 2021. After two years and hundreds of missions across the commonwealth, the Pennsylvania National Guard ended its COVID-19 response March 16, 2022.

New policy helps Guard members coming off COVID duty
March 21, 2022 — ARLINGTON, Va. – A new policy intended to help National Guard members who were activated to support... MORE

Washington Air National Guard Lt. Col. Robert Forbes, right, 194th Medical Group optometrist, tests Lt. Col. Erik Eliel, 194th Air Support Operations Group director of operations, vision during a 194th Medical Group periodic health assessment rodeo, Camp Murray, Wash., May 4, 2019. The PHA rodeo meets requirements to maintain an Airman’s deployable status by giving immunizations, blood lab draws, HIV screening, and health assessment questionnaires.

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Video by Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot

Iowa Guard KC-135 first of 15 headed to AMARG

185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard

March 10, 2022 | 2:49

An Iowa Air National Guard KC-135 with a giant bat tail flash is being retired after 65 years of service. Tail number 57-2606 nick named “Free Bird” took off this week for a one way trip to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group or AMARG at Davis-Monthon Air Force Base.

When 2606 first arrived in Sioux City, Air Guard crew chiefs named it “Free Bird” as a patriotic themed name borrowed from the 1970’s southern rock ballad by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Last year as the 185th celebrated their 75th anniversary, 2606 was chosen to be decorated with a retro gothic bat tail flash similar to what appeared on the unit’s F-16 fighter jets during the 1990’s.

The ripple effect of the new KC-46 coming on line has units around the Air Force shuffling legacy KC-135s around while others are being mothballed.

The main contributing factor to retiring a particular aircraft boils down to projected cost of maintenance. Due to its age and flight hours the 185th aircraft was selected to be the first of 15 Stratotankers to be pulled from the Air Force inventory during the current round of decommissioning.

The old aircraft was initially assigned to the 72nd Bomb Wing during 1950s and 60’s at the now defunct Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico. During the decade of the 70s the Statotanker was part of the 449th Bomb Wing at Kincheloe AFB in Michigan where it stood ready with the unit’s B-52s.

The globetrotting tanker had been captured by tail spotters around the world during its 15 year stint in Sioux City. Because of constant care and robust maintenance, when 2606 retires it will have flown over 25,000 hours and landed almost 10,000 times. Parts of 2606 will continue to live on as they are dispersed from the boneyard where they will help keep a shrinking KC-135 fleet aloft for years to come.