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INSIGHTi
National Guard and Military Response to
Omicron and COVID-19
February 25, 2022
On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization designated the Omicron mutation of the SARS-
CoV-2 virus a “variant of concern.” Since then, Omicron has become the dominant strain of Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. After a case surge from December 2021 through mid-
January 2022, COVID-19 cases in the United States have dropped, with hospitalizations and deaths
following the same trend after a short delay. The deployment of military and National Guard personnel
remains an issue for Congress given the role they both played in responding to the Omicron COVID-19
surge and the role that they might play in the event of a future surge of a new variant.
Deployments of Military Personnel for Hospital Support
In response to the Omicron COVID-19 surge, the Biden Administration announced new deployments of
military personnel. These deployments initial y included six emergency response teams with more than
100 clinical personnel and paramedics to six states, but have since expanded. The U.S. Army North, U.S.
Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command, manages the Department of Defense’s
COVID-19 response operation in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the
Department of Health and Human Services. Figure 1 shows U.S. Army North’s COVID-19 deployments
for hospital support starting December 1, 2021.
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Figure 1. U.S. Army North COVID-19 Hospital Support
Deployments with Scheduled Start Dates from December 1, 2021, to February 1, 2022

Source: CRS using data from U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), “Fact Sheet: U.S. Army North COVID-19 Hospital Support
Beginning August 2021,” January 21, 2022.
Notes: Any possible ongoing deployments, in these or other states, have not been depicted. CRS cannot confirm whether
they occurred as planned.
Deployments of the National Guard
On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed the “Memorandum to Extend Federal Support to Governors’
Use of the National Guard to Respond to COVID-⁠19 and to Increase Reimbursement and Other
Assistance Provided to States.” It approved 100% federal cost sharing for full-time National Guard duty;
the funding status was later extended through April 1, 2022. For more information on National Guard
funding as a response to the pandemic, see CRS In Focus IF11483, The National Guard and the COVID-
19 Pandemic Response, by Alan Ott.
Table 1 and Figure 2 provide the number of National Guard personnel by state from December 3, 2021,
to January 28, 2022, activated in support of steady-state COVID-19 operations. According to the NGB,
steady-state COVID-19 operations include “ongoing operations, security cooperation, and other shaping
or preventive activities. It should include measurable and achievable objectives that contribute to the
strategic end states.”
Table 1. National Guard Personnel Activated by State to Support Steady-State COVID-19
Operations
(December 3, 2021, to January 28, 2022)
State
12/3/21 12/10/21
12/17/21
12/24/21
12/31/21
1/7/22
1/14/22 1/21/22
1/28/22
AK
19
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
AL
15
15
15
15
15
15
—
—
—
AR
7
7
7
7
7
24
78
82
82

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State
12/3/21 12/10/21
12/17/21
12/24/21
12/31/21
1/7/22
1/14/22 1/21/22
1/28/22
AZ
491
491
491
491
491
491
35
35
35
CA
459
459
318
318
318
282
429
602
596
CO
98
99
109
109
109
266
266
300
291
CT
34
34
34
20
100
131
214
87
227
DC
—
—
—
—
90
—
90
88
88
DE
140
141
142
140
139
210
288
294
427
FL
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
GA
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
GU
206
206
206
206
206
206
125
125
184
HI
657
657
657
657
566
306
306
306
306
IA
—
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
ID
104
104
104
104
104
—
—
—
—
IL
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
IN
601
589
576
565
554
540
532
870
1,092
KS
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
79
KY
258
261
269
258
363
244
445
560
556
LA
834
834
837
839
833
849
916
973
973
MA
105
105
105
458
458
423
557
557
1,176
MD
123
123
129
133
133
143
147
1,486
811
ME
100
107
190
194
196
207
206
208
374
MI
152
152
152
152
152
152
152
152
152
MN
565
725
716
671
668
669
664
649
604
MO
53
60
63
63
63
38
38
38
38
MS
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
MT
111
75
107
105
105
105
105
105
105
NC
206
199
206
205
203
186
189
194
200
ND
73
73
68
67
64
59
58
55
57
NE
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
NH
22
19
104
101
107
104
177
177
246
NJ
186
396
400
400
396
436
648
662
673
NM
94
95
95
100
98
94
94
100
103
NV
130
130
130
130
125
130
130
92
142
NY
1,005
1,102
1,138
1,144
1,244
1,394
1,429
1,575
1,804
OH
82
81
81
918
1,210
2,499
2,425
2,366
2,446
OK
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
—
—
OR
526
517
514
514
514
29
64
64
1,224

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State
12/3/21 12/10/21
12/17/21
12/24/21
12/31/21
1/7/22
1/14/22 1/21/22
1/28/22
PA
69
68
68
117
118
117
114
120
191
PR
459
453
454
439
613
609
613
658
674
RI
47
—
—
20
20
28
213
217
214
SC
111
111
111
111
111
111
111
41
41
SD
—
—
—
—
—
—
5
5
7
TN
433
403
408
398
398
398
398
37
37
TX
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
UT
95
95
95
95
95
95
95
95
190
VA
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
VI
116
116
113
109
108
109
109
109
109
VT
113
116
117
114
116
110
120
117
128
WA
2
2
2
2
2
5
5
5
111
WI
499
504
492
491
487
538
533
523
519
WV
513
513
513
513
513
513
513
513
513
WY
106
106
103
95
91
23
156
24
24
Grand Total 11,812
12,155
12,251
13,400
14,115
14,700
15,604
17,073
19,656
Source: National Guard Bureau, December 2021 – January 2022.
Notes: Each week’s number gives a snapshot of the National Guard activated in that state or territory at that time.
Includes DC and several U.S. territories. CRS cannot confirm the presence or absence of active National Guard in any
territory not included.



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Figure 2. National Guard Personnel Activated by State to Support Steady-State COVID-19
Operations
December 3, 2021, to January 28, 2022

Source: National Guard Bureau, December 2021 – January 2022.
Note: Data received on a weekly basis. Several territories not shown due to space constraints.








Author Information

Hannah Fischer

Information Research Specialist



Congressional Research Service
6


Disclaimer
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to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United
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