PHOENIX — More than 25 citizen-soldiers responded to a request from the Navajo Nation yesterday to establish a medical care facility in Chinle and to augment healthcare planning needs.

This effort is a pivot from the initial response of the Arizona National Guard’s stand up of troops in response to the COVID19 threat and expands the organization’s use of capabilities into the medical realm.

“This pivot into the medical realm demonstrates the depth and breadth of the skill sets that the Arizona National Guard brings to emergency response,” said Maj. Gen. Michael T. McGuire, Arizona’s adjutant general and director of the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. “We will adapt as needed to defeat this pandemic and we will be always ready, always there for the citizens of this great state.”

A team of eight medical professionals travelling by UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter arrived in Tuba City yesterday afternoon to assess the medical situation and provide consultation on how remaining medical professionals can make the most of their medical resources.

“The demand for medical resources outweighs what they have to fight this pandemic,” said U.S. Army Col. Tom Leaper, Arizona National Guard State surgeon. “Our specialty is providing organizational models and resource management in times of crisis, so our role here is to increase capacity of the health care system. We are assisting with the development of a sustainable approach utilizing civilian partners and stakeholder integration.”

In addition, a team of 19 citizen-soldiers logisticians left yesterday afternoon and worked over night to set-up Federal Medical Station in Chinle. This station houses approximately 50 beds to support anticipated hospital overflow.

The Arizona National Guard is a force of more than 7,600 citizen-soldiers and airmen with more than 12,000 individual deployments since Sept. 11, 2001. More than 1,000 Arizona Guard members have stood up in response to the COVID19 threat.

Information provided by the Arizona National Guard