Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has mobilized 10 Arkansas and Air National Guardsmen to the Arkansas Department of Health and various locations around the state to assist with Department of Health and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with assessing large facilities to determine if build outs for medical surge would be possible.
The engineers will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help assess potential facilities around the state.
The guard personnel selected for this mission possess engineering degrees in civil, mechanical or electrical specialties that can assess architectural, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical, communications, plumbing and fire protection to potential medical surge facilities.
The Army and Air National Guard Soldiers and Airmen selected for this mission are assigned to various units throughout Arkansas. The Arkansas Air National Guard Airmen include three from the 188th Wing, and two from the 189th Airlift Wing. Soldiers from the Arkansas Army National Guard include one from the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, two from the 77th Combat Aviation Brigade, one from Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center, and one assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters based at Camp Joseph T. Robinson Maneuver Training Center.
The total number of Soldiers and Airmen on state active duty on March 30 will be 63. There are an additional nine Soldiers serving in planning and liaison roles at ADH, ADEM, and the ARNG’s Joint Operations Center, whose statuses vary.
The Arkansas National Guard assumes support roles to augment civil authorities, where needed and directed by the Governor, to help in a crisis.
