U.S. Air Force Reserve mobility Airmen from California answered an urgent request April 5, deploying medical personnel to the state of New York to help combat COVID-19.
Within a few hours of notification, an aircrew from March Air Reserve Base took to the sky in a C-17 Globemaster III bound for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
A crew from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing departed April 5 with Air Force Reserve medics from the 940th Air Refueling Wing, Beale AFB; 349th AMW; Travis AFB; and 452nd AMW, March ARB.
"It's important to get our reservists out the door quickly to help combat the spread of COVID-19 and take care of Americans," said Brig. Gen. Stacey Scarisbrick, Air Force Reserve Command Force Generation Center commander.
According to AFRC, the command mobilized more than 120 doctors and nurses, along with respiratory technicians, who departed their home stations for JBMDL for further in-processing with the U.S. Northern Command's Joint Forces Land Component Command, based out of New Jersey.
The medical professionals are slated for follow-on movement to New York City's Javits Center, a 2,910-bed field hospital, which is one of the largest in the United States.
"California is stepping up to help our fellow Americans in New York and across the country who are being impacted the hardest right now by the COVID-19 pandemic," said California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The governor announced April 6 the state would loan 500 state-owned ventilators to the states most impacted by COVID-19, starting with New York, which as of April 6, has more than 122,000 cases of the virus.
Chief Master Sgt. Derek Crowder, 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief, said the country must come together to fight COVID-19 and Travis AFB is ready to help the nation in any way.
"It doesn't matter if you're an active-duty Airman, civilian or a reservist, we are here to answer the call at a moment's notice," he said. "We are in this together, and we will get through this together."
Airmen assigned to the 60th Medical Group walk toward a medical bus at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., April 5, 2020. The Airmen assisted Air Force Reserve medics from Travis AFB, Beale AFB and March Air Reserve Base, Calif., as they boarded a C-17 Globemaster III bound for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., to support the fight against COVID-19. (Photo altered for security reasons) (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman)
Capt. Luke Vera, 60th Dental Squadron, exits a medical bus at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., April 5, 2020. Vera assisted Air Force Reserve medics from Travis AFB, Beale AFB and March Air Reserve Base, Calif., as they boarded a C-17 Globemaster III bound for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., to support the fight against COVID-19. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman)
Jack Inman, a transient alert aircraft servicer, marshals a C-17 Globemaster III before taking off at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., April 5, 2020. The aircraft arrived from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. to transport Air Force Reserve medics from Travis AFB, March AFB and Beale AFB, Calif., to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., to support the fight against COVID-19. Approximately 30 minutes after landing, the C-17 was back in the sky. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Hogman)
A C-17 Globemaster III takes off from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., April 5, 2020. The aircraft arrived from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., to transport U.S. Air Force Reserve medics from Travis AFB, March ARB and Beale AFB, Calif., to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., to support the fight against COVID-19. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Hogman)
