“A historic event demands a historic response,” the chief of the National Guard Bureau said, adding that the Guard is the ideal force to help communities respond to the coronavirus threat.
The National Guard is preparing to respond to the coronavirus pandemic as if the nation were facing “54 separate hurricanes in every state, territory and the District of Columbia,” Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Thursday.
“A historic event demands a historic response,” Lengyel said, adding that the Guard is spread across “nearly every ZIP code in the country” and is the ideal force to help communities respond to the coronavirus threat. “When disaster strikes we don’t have to mobilize from some base; we pack a lunch, we go to work, because we are already there in the communities where these events are taking place,” he said. “We live there. We can respond faster.
Story continuesIn New Rochelle, the epicenter of the outbreak in New York, Guard members are distributing food, while in South Florida, more than 500 Army National Guard soldiers are helping to collect samples for drive-through coronavirus testing in Broward County, Lengyel said, adding that Guard units across the country are conducting similar missions. “We could be the transportation mechanism that actually delivers and equips the various drive-through test sites that are out there,” he said.
Guard forces under state authority might also assist state and local law enforcement organizations, something that active-duty forces under the Defense Department usually lack the legal authority to do, according to Lengyel. This might occur if those police forces need manpower to backfill personnel who have fallen sick, he added. “Anything that law enforcement naturally does, they can be augmented with National Guard troops,” he said.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Police Guard Kentucky Man With Coronavirus Who Refuses To Self-QuarantineDon't be like this guy.
Leer más »
State governors taking lead on coronavirus precautions as federal government works to define planHealth experts have said that governors' actions, such as shutting down business and calling for self-isolation, have proved crucial at helping contain the outbreak.
Leer más »
Aid workers disinfect camps in Syria's northern IdlibAlongside the perils of the war in Syria and living in displaced camps, the spectre of coronavirus is ever present for Syrians.
Leer más »
Why these volunteers chose to participate in a coronavirus vaccine trialNeal Browning is one of 45 healthy individuals who has volunteered for a coronavirus vaccine trial in Washington state. 'If I'm healthy enough to be able to contribute research and hoping you find a vaccine sooner than later, why wouldn't I?'
Leer más »
Coronavirus trial vaccine participant says he wants to help the worldNeal Browning is one of 45 healthy individuals who has volunteered for a coronavirus vaccine trial in Washington state. 'If I'm healthy enough to be able to contribute research and hoping you find a vaccine sooner than later, why wouldn't I?'
Leer más »
Coronavirus Retail Closures Could Take $60B From California EconomyRetail is one of the biggest sectors of California’s economy and the state is poised to take a major financial hit.
Leer más »