Air Force update for COVID-19

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published May 29, 2020

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made:

May 29, 2020
NOTE: Starting June 1^st, we will only send out this update on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Since its formation on March 27, 2020, the U.S. Transportation Command's Repatriation Coordination Cell organized the stateside return of more than 3,900 Americans stranded abroad due to tightened COVID-19 travel limitations imposed by numerous countries. Supporting the Department of State's efforts to bring American citizens home as the pandemic spread across the globe, the USTRANSCOM unit, which stood down in mid-May, contracted 14 separate commercial charter airlift missions, transporting many thousands back to the U.S. from five different African and Asian nations.

Eighty-two days into the COVID-19 pandemic response mission, New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have helped test 285,659 New Yorkers for COVID-19, delivered 16,643,740 meals, and assembled 1,399,580 COVID-19 test kits. State officials are currently focused on "reopening" more businesses and other activities on a regional basis across New York.

A half of dozen Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 315th Aerospace Medicine Squadron from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., returned to a heartfelt "welcome home" from family and fellow team members Thursday, after responding to the call for medical personnel in New York City to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard are supporting the Oklahoma State Department of Health in fulfilling Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt's continued efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 throughout the State. In this latest push, Oklahoma Guardsmen, like so many other Guardsmen throughout the U.S., help with contact tracing, which is the process of tracing and monitoring the contacts of infected people within the State, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Members of the Iowa Air and Army National Guard, working with the Iowa Department of Public Health helped set up a new COVID-19 test site this week in the Northwest Iowa hamlet of Sioux Center. The Sioux Center site is one of a number of "TestIowa" COVID-19 test sites to be in operation since mid-April. A key concern for the TestIowa initiative includes communities that have meat processing plants in the state whose economy is largely dependent on agriculture or Ag related business.

Michigan National Guard's Civil Support Team (CST) has faced a trilogy of events in the recent weeks as they expanded their resources to respond to simultaneous mission demands. From COVID-19, to floods, to a presidential visit, the 51st Civil Support Team has answered the state's call. The 22-person team, made up of Michigan Army and Air National Guard members, provide initial assessments of incidents and assist the state emergency management office, the state's Joint Forces Headquarters, and other key officials including representatives of federal agencies when requested.

Read more about their efforts here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/370926/michigan-cst-responds-floods-potus-visit-and-covid-19

Fresh off three recent deployment cycles, the 150th Security Forces Squadron has been busy responding to the New Mexico National Guard Joint Task Force COVID-19 response effort.

Essential missions throughout the Air Force still continue even during this pandemic. Below are some links to stories on how these units have adapted to make sure they can continue to execute these missions despite COVID-19.

VCSAF and former 14th FTW commander congratulate SUPT Class 20-14/15 graduates - https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/2200597/vcsaf-and-former-14th-ftw-commander-congratulate-supt-class-20-1415-graduates/

Team Hickam supports NASA's Human Space Flight program - https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2200719/team-hickam-supports-nasas-human-space-flight-program/

Air Force Global Strike Command's innovation hub 'STRIKEWERX' now open for business - https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2200536/air-force-global-strike-commands-innovation-hub-strikewerx-now-open-for-business/

Military Medical Experts Explore Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 - https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2201490/military-medical-experts-explore-psychological-impacts-of-covid-19/

Puerto Rico Airmen conduct a virtual drill during COVID-19 pandemic - https://www.dvidshub.net/news/370921/puerto-rico-airmen-conduct-virtual-drill-during-covid-19-pandemic

Finding new ways to recruit amid the COVID-19 pandemic - https://www.dvidshub.net/news/370948/finding-new-ways-recruit-amid-covid-19-pandemic

Warhorses gallop steadfast through COVID-19 - https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2201360/warhorses-gallop-steadfast-through-covid-19/

Intel analysis cells continue worldwide support amid COVID-19 - https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2201463/intel-analysis-cells-continue-worldwide-support-amid-covid-19/

Delivering pilots despite global pandemic, face masks - https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/2200893/delivering-pilots-despite-global-pandemic-face-masks/

Air Force Totals of COVID-19 Positive Cases as of 9 p.m., May 28, 2020.

	CASES	HOSPITALIZED	RECOVERED	DEATHS
Military	504(+17)	7	267 (+20)	0
Civilian	221 (+3)	6	117 (-1)*	1
Dependents	261 (+1)	6	129	1
Contractors	120 (+4)	7	40 (+1)	2
Total	1,106	26	553	4

*Corrects previous reports

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Air Force update for COVID-19