ANNVILLE, Pa. – Over 50 Pennsylvania National Guardsmen have been placed on state active duty to provide assistance to state partner agencies in their response to COVID-19 as passengers from a Grand Princess Cruise returned home today.
According to Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the first two assigned missions were to provide multiple subject matter expert planners to assist the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and provide transportation Guardsmen to support 38 Pennsylvania residents, who had been quarantined at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.
Officials say the group was flown to the Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pa., and individually driven by Guardsmen to their homes throughout the commonwealth.
The residents, who were aboard the Grand Princess Cruise Ship prior to their quarantine have been determined to be asymptomatic but will remain in isolation until test results are returned.
“One of the most important National Guard missions is to support our own communities,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Adjutant General of Pennsylvania.
“Assisting and serving our fellow neighbors is a very personal effort as this is where we live. We are all in this together.”
