{"id":16138,"date":"2020-12-03T23:23:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T23:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:21:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:21:53","slug":"this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/11\/10\/ellsworth-minneapolis-st-paul-among-9-red-air-force-bases-worldwide-as-covid-19-cases-rise\/\" target=_blank>the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those airmen, like registered nurse Capt. Michael Robbins, it means lengthy, 12-hour-plus shifts in full protective equipment. It means caring for patients \u2015 mostly elderly \u2014 by providing everything from baths to oral care to clearing their airways. And it means dropping into an entirely new workplace, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/11\/05\/first-airman-a-texas-air-guardsman-dies-of-covid-19\/\" target=_blank>life-or-death stakes<\/a>, and quickly becoming part of an already established team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But while it\u2019s hard work, Robbins feels privileged to be able to care for these patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re just so proud and honored to be here, locked arm-in-arm with the North Dakota health care team,\u201d Robbins said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/02\/army-guard-task-force-and-air-force-medical-personnel-are-on-the-frontlines-of-the-covid-fight\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/North-Dakota-covid.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Army Guard task force and Air Force medical personnel are on the frontlines of the COVID fight<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Task Force 46 has been deployed since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, as the latest, devastating wave of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, the military deployed roughly 120 Air Force medical personnel \u2014 primarily nurses \u2014 to hot spots at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Nov. 6, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2020\/10\/17\/dods-historic-covid-response-has-pulled-from-every-branch-active-reserve-and-guard\/\" target=_blank>U.S. Army North announced<\/a> that three Air Force Medical Specialty Teams had begun deploying that day to El Paso to support three hospitals there: the University Medical Center of El Paso, the Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus, and the Las Palmas Del Sol Medical Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each team consists of 20 medical providers and a handful of administrative personnel from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, and elsewhere, ARNORTH said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1199\" height=\"629\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse1.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse1.jpg.jpg 1199w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse1.jpg.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse1.jpg.jpg?resize=768,403 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse1.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,537 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Air Force Capt. Kimberly Warstler, R.N., stationed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., dons proper personal protective equipment to enter a room with a COVID-19 positive patient at the Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, Nov. 13, 2020. Warstler is a Lone Star State native, having received her nursing degree from Texas Tech University, and says she\u2019s proud to return to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. She, along with approximately 60 service members, are working jointly with the civilian hospitals to assist in the mitigation of the virus and help citizens in need. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in support of the whole-of-America COVID-19 response. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Samantha Hall)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly two weeks later, on Nov. 19, ARNORTH said the medical operation had expanded to four cities in North Dakota. Another 60 medical personnel \u2014 critical care nurses and medical-surgical nurses \u2014 were sent to the Essentia Health-Fargo and Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, the CHI St. Alexius Health Medical Center and Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck, Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, and Trinity Hospital-St. Joseph\u2019s in Minot. Some of those personnel also came from Lackland, Eglin, Keesler and Andrews, though others also came from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robbins, a critical care nurse who is part of the 96th Medical Group at Eglin, has been working in the critical care unit at St. Alexius in Bismarck about a week and a half ago, along with about 11 other Air Force nurses. When the call came to the 96th, looking for members to come to North Dakota and help with the coronavirus fight, Robbins stepped forward. It is his first deployment to assist with the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Treating COVID was a fairly new experience for Robbins. He recently finished a 12-month critical care training program in which he learned how to provide care for COVID patients. And about a month before he deployed, he got the opportunity to treat coronavirus patients firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the three night shifts he worked during his first week-and-a-half in Bismarck \u2014 he was about to begin his fourth shift when he spoke with Air Force Times \u2014 Robbins said he\u2019s seen a lot of patients with respiratory issues. Some of them have experienced such serious decline that they\u2019re on ventilators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the patients he\u2019s seen with less-serious cases of COVID have improved to the point that they\u2019ve been able to leave the hospital, Robbins said, and fortunately, he hasn\u2019t lost any patients. But so far, the hospital\u2019s doctors are being particularly cautious with ventilated patients and haven\u2019t felt it\u2019s safe enough yet to take any of the patients he\u2019s treated off the ventilators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1199\" height=\"629\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse2.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse2.jpg.jpg 1199w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse2.jpg.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse2.jpg.jpg?resize=768,403 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nurse2.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,537 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Kathleen Alejandro, a member of 96th Medical Group, based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., has a \u201cfit test\u201d for her N95 during orientation at the North Dakota Department of Health, Bismarck, N.D., Nov. 22, 2020. A \u201cfit test\u201d tests the seal between the respirator\u2019s face piece and the wearer\u2019s face. After completing the \u201cfit test\u201d and receiving all of the proper protective gear, the U.S. Air Force nurses will integrate into the North Dakota hospitals as part of the Department of Defense\u2019s ongoing joint service virus response efforts. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in support of the whole-of-America COVID-19 response. (U.S. Army Photo by Master Sgt. Helen Miller)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shifts are pretty standard for nurses \u2014 12 hours, plus another 30 to 45 minutes beforehand to get \u201cthe lay of the land\u201d and background on the two patients he\u2019ll be responsible for that day, he said. That\u2019s how many patients critical care nurses typically are responsible for, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes at the beginning of his shifts, the nurse coming off-duty will take him by a patient\u2019s bedside if there\u2019s something he needs to see in person. Then, Robbins dives into the patients\u2019 charts to see what medications they\u2019re on and what time those meds are due, to plan out his day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then he does an assessment of his patients, to check their vital signs and make sure there are no changes that doctors need to know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nurses also usually bathe patients during the night shift, Robbins said \u2014 not only to prevent infection, but also to help them feel cared for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis gives the patient a sense, even though they\u2019re intubated and sedated, they do get a sense of feeling like they\u2019re human, even though they\u2019re not fully awake,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robbins praised the staff at St. Alexius for making it easy for the Air Force nurses to join their team right away, and said they work well together. The previous night, he said, the nurses went room-to-room as a team and knocked out all the patients\u2019 baths together in about two hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe teams work like a pit crew,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone I\u2019ve met there is just so thankful that we\u2019re here to help support the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201cbundles\u201d of various treatments used to help COVID-19 patients have changed over the past few months, as the science behind the disease has become better known, Robbins said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, \u201cmeticulous\u201d oral care is important to cut down on a ventilated patient\u2019s chances of developing pneumonia, Robbins said. The nurses use specialized toothbrushes and specialized oral solutions that has an anti-microbial effect to reduce cases of pneumonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nurses also make sure to turn the patients side-to-side, so they don\u2019t lay in one position for too long. Not only does that reduce the chances of bedsores that can become infected, Robbins said, it also helps clear the lungs out and move around anything that may linger there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nurses also check to make sure the ventilator settings are correct and all the tubes are in the right place and secure, so they don\u2019t accidentally fall out. And if the nurses know a patient has something in their airways, they suction it out to clear the way for as much oxygen as they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nurses also work hand-in-hand with respiratory therapists, and call them in if they need specialized help with a patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After his shift, Robbins typically sticks around another half-hour or more to bring the oncoming nurse up to speed, and ensure his patients receive consistent care, ending his shift at least 13 hours after he first arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he\u2019s so far cared for six COVID patients, most of whom were older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ensuring the health and safety of the medical personnel is a top priority for the hospital\u2019s leadership, Robbins said. So at all times in the COVID unit the nurses suit up with protective equipment, including N95 face masks with a surgical mask over it, eye protection such as goggles or face shields, a \u201cbouffant\u201d skull cap that covers their hair, gown, gloves and shoe coverings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it\u2019s time for breaks, they remove all that equipment with care, sanitize themselves, and put on a fresh surgical mask. They\u2019re allowed to take a few short breaks throughout their shift, Robbins said \u2014 though to avoid going through the process of taking off and then putting back on all that gear several times, some nurses skip breaks and take a single, long lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bismarck community has been supportive. The local hotel housing Robbins and other nurses gave them care packages to show their appreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while there hasn\u2019t been a lot of socializing, he said, sometimes the hospital staff takes the Air Force nurses out for a socially distanced meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey take us out just to get to know us and, again, to welcome us as part of their own effort \u2014 especially after a long shift, arm-in-arm and side-by-side,\u201d Robbins said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":34693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,23,24,88,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3320],"class_list":["post-16138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"7IVRYBHRV5G6FPRMUHFG7T7RGU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19 - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-03T23:23:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T20:21:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-12-03T23:23:28+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T20:21:53+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1602,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Disaster | Advertiser Safety\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Left Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Your Air Force\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19 - Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-12-03T23:23:28+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T20:21:53+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/03\\\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Air Force\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-air-force\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Air Force TImes\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19 - Air Force TImes","description":"The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19","og_description":"The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/","og_site_name":"Air Force TImes","article_published_time":"2020-12-03T23:23:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T20:21:53+00:00","author":"Stephen Losey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Stephen Losey","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19","datePublished":"2020-12-03T23:23:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T20:21:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/"},"wordCount":1602,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Disaster | Advertiser Safety","Home","Left Column","News","Newsletters","Your Air Force"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/","name":"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19 - Air Force TImes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-03T23:23:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T20:21:53+00:00","description":"The Air Force has deployed dozens of nurses to hospitals throughout North Dakota and El Paso, Texas, to ease the strain on local medical personnel trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/12\/03\/this-is-what-its-like-for-air-force-nurses-deployed-to-fight-covid-19\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Air Force","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/","ad_zone":"your-air-force"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"This is what it\u2019s like for Air Force nurses deployed to fight COVID-19"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","name":"Air Force TImes","description":"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization","name":"Air Force TImes","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","caption":"Air Force TImes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Air Force TImes","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/COVID-nurse.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16138"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85695,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16138\/revisions\/85695"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16138"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=16138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}