‘True guardians’: NC National Guard to wind down pandemic relief efforts

The NCNG helped Emergency Management with warehouse management and logistics distribution of PPE, and they supported the state’s food bank networks and Food Shuttle operations.

Each day, guardsmen handed out prepared breakfast and lunch meals, as well as essential grocery items like eggs, potatoes, fruits, and canned goods to individuals and families considered at risk of being food insecure. They passed out over 300,000 school lunches as well.

“NCDHHS is incredibly grateful for the tireless work our National Guard colleagues have performed day after day across the state throughout this pandemic,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen. “Their dedication and energy have been mission-critical in our efforts to ensure all North Carolinians remained as safe and healthy as possible during these challenging times.”

The NC Guard will still have about 250 guardsmen on standby if the state requests additional relief efforts.

“The men and women of our North Carolina National Guard represent the very best in public service,” said Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks. “Time and time again, they continue to answer the call as true guardians for our state and nation. This unprecedented State of Emergency created by the Covid-19 pandemic has challenged us on many fronts and I am extremely grateful for the outstanding service of our soldiers and airmen in our time of need.”

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The NC Emergency Management director Mike Sprayberry expressed his appreciation for the NC Guard as well.

“We thank the men and women of the National Guard, and we thank their families and their employers for sharing them with us during this pandemic,” said Sprayberry. “The National Guard team has provided vital services to our state and we salute them for a mission well done.”

Guardsmen worked in warehouses in central and western North Carolina helping organize, track, and distribute more than 4.3 million masks, 1.6 million bottles of hand sanitizers, 7.9 million gloves, 766 thousand face shields, 234 thousand gowns, 706 thousand shoe covers, and 21 thousand thermometers. NCNG trucks drove over 166 thousand miles delivering food and PPE across the state.

The COVID-19 pandemic created needs that the state of North Carolina did not have previously, so the NCNG stepped into unique roles.

The NC Guard’s Cyber Security Response Team helped protect state networks by thwarting malicious attacks, phishing emails, and other threats, and led virtual seminars on cyber training and best practices for state and business partners.

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NC Army and Air Guard personnel made over 2,000 masks to help protect their fellow guardsmen on COVID duty. Spanish-speaking guardsmen assisted in interpreting and translating instructions to help food bank families register, and the Guard’s 42nd Civil Support Team COVID tested 380 poultry plant workers and more than 7,100 inmates across the state.

“In our 357-year history, we have never been mobilized for a pandemic even though we have planned for something like this,” said Col. Wes Morrison, NCNG Army chief-of-staff. “I am so proud of the teamwork displayed by our Soldiers and Airmen as they worked directly with NCDHHS, DPS, NCEM, non-profit food banks and county school systems to assist with planning, logistics, distribution, engineering support, COVID testing, and medical contingency planning and support.”

All NC guardsmen coming off COVID-19 duty are medically screened for the virus and depending on the results, will be released from duty no later than Aug. 7, 2020.

For the remainder of the summer and into the fall, the NC Guard will pivot their efforts and focus on disaster response plans for the upcoming height of hurricane season.