Stitt activated 175 members of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard last week, to help support the state response to COVID-19.

The newly activated service members will perform several missions in support of the 11 identified COVID-19 regional health administration locations in the state. The guardsmen will not be performing the testing at the state-run testing sites, but rather, will provide and restock personal protective equipment and tests, as well as act as couriers for completed test kits.

“We also have 35 soldiers working at the Strategic National Stockpile, where we’ll be ensuring that those personal protective items are available as needed throughout the state,” Oklahoma Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Tommy Mancino, commander of the Governor’s Solution Task Force said.

Oklahoma Army National Guard Col. Robert Henry Walter Jr., Oklahoma Joint Task Force commander, said soldiers at the Strategic National Stockpile are serving as additional manning for the center and will assist with collecting orders for personal protective equipment (or PPE) from the 11 health administration locations and other facilities, packaging the orders for shipment, and arranging transportation.

“So that’s an around-the-clock operation we’re assisting with right now — to make sure that there’s PPE going to everybody that needs it,” said Walter. “Because we have a lot of PPE, it’s just [a matter of] getting it out there. Making sure everyone has it is the number one focus.”

The soldiers and airmen will be activated for at least 31 days and will be more visible to the citizens of Oklahoma as the response to COVID-19 progresses.