PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. -- Approximately 10 members of the 911th Airlift Wing with medical experience were mobilized to support COVID-19 efforts, April 5, 2020.
The Airmen departed for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, early this afternoon. There they will join members from more than 25 U.S. Air Force Reserve units to form a team of more than 125 Airmen, who will then transit to New York City to assist local medical teams and first responders.
Airmen were transported by a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 911th AW. The same aircraft, piloted by 911th AW Commander Col. John F. Robinson, will also pick up Airmen from other locations to join the team at JBMDL.
“The Air Force’s number one priority is to take care of Americans, Airmen, and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Robinson. “Our Steel Airmen are qualified and ready to assist our fellow Americans and to provide medical support to local authorities on the front lines.
This mobilization follows an executive order signed by President Donald J. Trump on March 27 that authorized the Secretary of Defense to call members of the Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve and National Guard to active duty.