Neighbors,
Hope all are doing well as many self quarantine.
As you watch the news this week and see the USNS Comfort, a 600 bed hospital ship now turned into 1000 beds departing Norfolk and the rise of a 1000 bed disaster hospital in NYCs Javits Center, which may soon turn into a 4000 bed disaster hospital.
Many will never know that the leading agency behind the scenes is actually from JBLE (Ft Eustis).
The media is reflecting National Guard support but few know that DoD and FEMA are the lead agency.
Our command, Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTF-CS) spends much of our times throughout the year exercising for situation such as this.
JTF-CS is the nation's only standing CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) joint task force. It is comprised of active and reserve component service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The headquarters also includes Department of the Air Force civilians and contract personnel assigned through U.S. Northern Command and conducts CBRN response operations planning and preparedness to maximize mission readiness and capability. The commander of U.S. Army North has operational control of JTF-CS during disasters.
You can watch our build up and response this Sunday on 60 Minutes (or so they said this was the release date).
For those northerners, know that the next point of effort will be Boston and the northern states which I am currently liaison for.
There are other efforts going on throughout the country by other task forces but I wanted to provide an update of local effort.
Hope everyone has a great weekend and can get out and breath some clean air if you have been cooped up but also please continue to practice social distancing. We don稚 need anyone in the neighborhood falling out.
NYC pics included.
Stay safe,
Kevin
