Military Response to Omicron and COVID-19: Federal Armed Forces and National Guard

Military Response to Omicron and COVID-19: Federal Armed Forces and National Guard

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INSIGHTi

Military Response to Omicron and COVID-19:
Federal Armed Forces and National Guard
Updated March 28, 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 Federal Armed Forces for Hospital Support
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. Since August 2021,
“approximately 1,275 military medical personnel from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy are
continuing to work alongside civilian healthcare providers in civilian hospitals, helping treat COVID-19
patients in a total of 30 states and the Navajo Nation.” Figure 1 shows U.S. Army North’s COVID-19
deployments for hospital support starting January 1, 2022.
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Figure 1. U.S. Army North COVID-19 Hospital Support
Deployments (i.e., number of military medical personnel) with Scheduled Start Dates
from January 1 to March 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,” March 1, 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.
Figure 2 and Table 1 provide the number of National Guard personnel by state from January 7, 2022, to
February 24, 2022, activated in support of steady-state COVID-19 operations. According to the National
Guard Bureau, 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.”

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Figure 2. National Guard Personnel Activated by State to Support Steady-State
COVID-19 Operations
January 7, 2022, to February 24, 2022

Source: CRS using data from National Guard Bureau, January-February, 2022.
Note: 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. Data received on a weekly basis.
Table 1. National Guard Personnel Activated by State to Support Steady-State
COVID-19 Operations
January 7, 2022, to February 24, 2022
State
1/7/22
1/14/22
1/21/22
1/28/22
2/4/22
2/11/22
2/18/22
2/24/22
AK
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
AL
15
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
AR
24
78
82
82
79
47
21
9
AZ
491
35
35
35
35
35
35
35
CA
282
429
602
596
599
599
599
599
CO
266
266
300
291
300
300
170
144
CT
131
214
87
227
230
228
223
217
DC
0
90
88
88
85
82
82
82
DE
210
288
294
427
425
420
386
366
FL
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

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State
1/7/22
1/14/22
1/21/22
1/28/22
2/4/22
2/11/22
2/18/22
2/24/22
GA
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
GU
206
125
125
184
181
181
181
181
HI
306
306
306
306
306
306
306
306
IA
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
ID
0
0
0
0
46
52
64
64
IL
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
IN
540
532
870
1,092
1,063
1,068
1,060
1,051
KS
0
0
0
79
79
79
79
0
KY
244
445
560
556
565
576
593
566
LA
849
916
973
973
996
963
952
952
MA
423
557
557
1,176
1,018
1,048
1,040
1,037
MD
143
147
1,486
811
818
822
827
855
ME
207
206
208
374
367
362
357
357
MI
152
152
152
152
152
152
152
152
MN
669
664
649
604
604
545
520
488
MO
38
38
38
38
38
0
0
0
MS
3
3
3
3
0
0
0
0
MT
105
105
105
105
105
105
105
105
NC
186
189
194
200
212
232
232
231
ND
59
58
55
57
57
54
52
53
NE
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NH
104
177
177
246
246
240
237
239
NJ
436
648
662
673
670
665
664
520
NM
94
94
100
103
104
102
100
100
NV
130
130
92
142
146
144
144
143
NY
1,394
1,429
1,575
1,804
1,959
1,978
1,967
1,934
OH
2,499
2,425
2,366
2,446
2,220
1,920
1,505
759
OK
5
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
OR
29
64
64
1,224
1,226
1,224
1,223
1,223
PA
117
114
120
191
193
188
187
185
PR
609
613
658
674
669
659
653
577
RI
28
213
217
214
213
208
198
192
SC
111
111
41
41
41
41
41
41
SD
0
5
5
7
7
4
1
0
TN
398
398
37
37
37
37
38
38
TX
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
1,292
UT
95
95
95
190
190
190
190
190

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VA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
VI
109
109
109
109
109
108
106
106
VT
110
120
117
128
128
129
128
128
WA
5
5
5
111
117
117
121
121
WI
538
533
523
519
580
573
555
555
WV
513
513
513
513
513
513
513
513
WY
23
156
24
24
22
22
22
22
Grand Total 14,700
15,604
17,073
19,656
19,554
19,122
18,433
17,240
Source: CRS using data from National Guard Bureau, January-February, 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. Data received on a weekly basis.

Author Information

Hannah Fischer

Information Research Specialist

Disclaimer
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IN11867 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED