Daniel Bradley, director of government and military relations for the International Association of Movers, said the announcement earlier this week that all permanent change of station moves would be postponed until at least mid-May was “not coordinated with the moving industry” and will have tremendous effects beyond the military community.

“This stop movement order comes at critical time and could result in a number of companies closing their doors, especially in more remote areas where businesses are specifically tied to supporting (military) installations and have very few opportunities to diversify their moving business with corporate, residential or even office moves,” he said.

“It’s hard to estimate the workers this will impact. Beyond (transportation service providers) and local moving agents involved in the program — which is in the tens of thousands — there are industry suppliers who also support these entities.”

Last week, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist announced a near total halt to official military moves and travel in response to the coronavirus outbreak, which has already resulted in 150 deaths across America.

As of Friday, 67 servicemembers, 26 dependents, 15 defense civilian workers, and 16 defense contractors had been confirmed to have the illness.

As a result of Norquist’s order, U.S. Transportation Command ordered moving companies “to take no action on scheduled pick-ups and pack-outs of household goods” and directed service members to work through their chain of command if they believe they should be eligible for a travel waiver.

Officials from IAM and the American Moving and Storage Association have already begun lobbying Congress for financial help as a result of the military’s move restrictions, saying their losses could top $200 million.

Bradley said his association is working with U.S. Transportation Command on response to the changes. But he also is warning that many companies will shut down before May if solutions aren’t found for their financial losses.

“Getting some infusion of cash to allow moving companies to keep their doors open now will help companies be ready to support DoD personnel moves once the stop movement order is lifted,” he said.

“Without it, some capacity may be lost forever, and what capacity is left will take more time to gear up to support a typical (military) peak season.”

The Defense Department is the single largest shipper of household goods in the world, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all business.

Congressional leaders are discussing a third emergency legislative package in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Senate Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled the outline of a $1 trillion deal which would include funding for industries and individuals to help offset losses from nationwide quarantine and isolation orders.

White House officials in private meetings have said that unemployment for the country could reach as high as 20 percent in coming months, according to various news sources.

“Inside the Army Reserve, we are stopping movement, unless it’s for essential purposes,” Luckey said in a video. “Battle assemblies across the Army Reserve, the default — that is the standard procedure right now — is no battle assemblies until further notice.”

“There may be certain units that we need to continue to allow to conduct certain activities, and we’ll decide that on a case-by-case basis,” Luckey added.

Previously, Army Times reported that active-duty soldiers in some units were to continue drilling while the status of National Guard drill remained up to the state governors.

“The soldiers out in the field conducting collective training is, one, critically important for readiness,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Winski, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, during a town hall event at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Army Times previously reported. “And, two, the way they’re arrayed and dispersed, they’re fundamentally at less risk than soldiers in garrison or who are traveling and in contact with a lot more people.”

“Training requirements are determined between, and conducted at the discretion of, each governor and adjutant general,” bureau spokesman Maj. Rob Perino said in an email to Army Times, referring to recently published comments by the National Guard Bureau chief.

Gen. Joseph Lengyel has been working with leaders from each state, territory and the District of Columbia to deal with Guard issues such as weekend training and duty status requirements, the bureau said in a press release Monday.

In the Facebook video, Luckey addressed concerns over readiness.

“We are not going to erode readiness while we’re doing this, but by the same token, we need to protect this force so we can project readiness into the future,” he said.

Luckey also encouraged social distancing, hand washing and limiting meeting sizes and duration.

The battle assembly suspension directive follows new travel restrictions for service members, DoD civilians, and their families assigned to DoD installations, facilities and surrounding areas from Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist on March 13.

According to the Defense Department, the U.S. Army Reserve is comprised of nearly 200,000 uniformed soldiers and 11,000 civilians across all 50 states and five U.S. territories.

This is a developing story.

Citing the advisory’s “devastating impact on the moving and storage industry,” the associations are seeking over $186 million in federal relief. The stop order remains in effect until May 11.

The amount — to be paid to currently approved DOD Personal Property Program (DP3) transportation service providers and approved non-temporary storage providers — constitutes 60 percent of total revenues obtained from their Defense Department contracts during the same period (March 16 through May 11) from last year, according to the IAM and AMSA.

If “relief is not granted, providers will suffer unprecedented economic losses due to the inability to service Department of Defense business,” the release said.

The U.S. Transportation Command advisory directed moving companies “to take no action on scheduled pick-ups and pack-outs of household goods,” while service members were instructed to work through their chain of command in seeking a waiver “to continue the relocation process.”

“There are typically 55,100 shipments moved from March through May. The average shipment count per week is roughly 6,000 shipments worldwide, this expands within peak season to an average of 9,500 shipments per week,” said John Becker, AMSA interim president, in an emailed statement. “If the stop movement stays in place, small companies that provide service at the curb could go out of business. This result would create a drastic capacity decrease for this summer and for the entire household goods (HHG) industry moving forward.”

“It is our hope that financial relief will be delivered very quickly, ensuring that small businesses stay in business supporting the DoD, the military and service members during the 2020 Peak Season Permanent Change of Station process,” Becker added.

“Household good providers have reserved their capacity in anticipation for these shipments and are now left with no business for the suspension period,” the release added. “It is likely and estimated that entities will go out of business or enact severe layoffs.”

IAM consists of over 2,000 member companies, and AMSA conducts lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill on behalf of the moving and logistics industry. According to the AMSA, nearly one-quarter of “of all interstate moves handled by professional movers each year” comes from the federal government — with the majority related to Defense Department personnel moves.

In a letter to House of Representatives leadership, the associations said “DoD’s Defense Personal Property Program (DP3) represent roughly 20 percent of all moves globally,” with the halt order having “a massive impact on the future financial viability, and structural capacity of the household goods moving industry.”

Officials from the associations noted that U.S. companies were “getting ready to enter ‘peak moving’ season, the timeframe when nearly 80 percent of all household goods moves occur.”

A companion letter was also sent to United States Senate leadership.

In the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Pentagon previously announced a total domestic travel ban for all troops, civilian personnel and their families until May 11. That announcement came just days after Pentagon officials announced severe restrictions on overseas travel for all defense employees, uniformed and civilians.

The new rules covered permanent change of station (PCS) moves and temporary duty (TDY) travel, suspending service members and their families in limbo.

Members of all four services found themselves relying on emergency relief funds and unit-by-unit authorizations of per diem to cover their costs while they wait, including troops and families who have packed up their lives, checked out of housing and were preparing to board planes to their new duty stations now suspended in place, Military Times previously reported.

The requested federal financial relief would be in additional to ongoing discussions between Congressional leadership and the Trump Administration regarding the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to AMSA’s website, their members may qualify for low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The Treasury Department said Wednesday it wants to dedicate $500 billion to start issuing direct payments to Americans by early next month as the centerpiece of a $1 trillion plan to stabilize the economy as the coronavirus epidemic threatens a body slam to taxpayers and businesses.

Wednesday’s legislation would speed the delivery of testing for the virus and provide paid sick leave to workers, but the focus in Washington has already moved to development of a far, far larger response bill that would inject hundreds of billions of dollars into the faltering economy, provide relief to shuttered businesses, and help keep airlines from going under.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.

There are now more than 11,400 Guard troops mobilized in the effort to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday afternoon.

Governors across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington D.C. have each mobilized components of their Army and Air National Guard to assist in their state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, eight states have now approved the use of Dual-Status Commanders, giving them the authority to command active and reserve component troops under control of a state’s governor. As a governors’ response to the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, so does the Guard response.

“Americans should know the National Guard has their backs throughout this crisis. We’re in this together, and we’ll get through this together,” said Gen. Joseph Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Sunday night, President Donald Trump ordered Guard troops in New York, California and Washington be placed under Title 32 status, meaning states maintain control, but the federal government picks up the tab.

Lengyel told reporters Sunday night that he expects more governors to seek that status, as it helps speed up the mobilization process and provides better benefits for the troops.

Current National Guard COVID-19 response missions include, but are not limited to:

Delivering food in hard-hit communities;

*Manning call centers to be a knowledgeable and calming voice;

*Providing critical Personal Protective Equipment training and sample collection to first responders and hospital personnel;

*Supporting local emergency management agencies with response planning and execution;

*Providing support to testing facilities;

*Serving as response liaisons and support to state Emergency Operations Centers;

*Proving transportation and assessment support to healthcare providers;

*Assisting with disinfecting/cleaning of common public spaces;

*Collecting and delivering samples.

In addition, Guard missions also include Weapons of Mass Destruction – Civil Support Teams (WMD-CSTs), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training and sample collection; response planners; support to medical testing facilities; response liaisons and support to state Emergency Operations Centers; support to healthcare professionals – assessments, transportation; logistics support; assisting with disinfecting/cleaning of common public spaces; providing transportation support for health care providers; collecting and delivering samples; and assisting with sample administration.

“We expect multiple states to use their WMD-CSTs to assist in sample collection, donning and doffing PPE techniques and decontamination techniques,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Cope, Chief, National Guard Bureau Weapons of Mass Destruction Program Office

The National Guard Bureau (NGB) on the federal level assists in “synchronization” and planning between the states, and their coordination center is a “24/7 operation working at increased capacity in anticipation of COVID-19 requirements,” the bureau said.

“This COVID-19 pandemic is a historic event and it requires a historic response from the National Guard,” said Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, National Guard Bureau chief. “My number one priority is taking care of our National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and their families. The readiness of our force will be critical to the success of this nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.”

Despite the growing number of activated Guard components, during a Tuesday press conference, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper did not commit to federalizing the Guardsmen, instead opting to support governors in their individual responses.

“As we get requests in, we will look at activating, if we need to, at the federal level or using the Reserves, whatever the case may be. We want to be very supportive with regard to our prioritization in terms of supporting the American people and the governors,” Esper said. “Right now, we are really focused on Guard and Reserve — in that order. There hasn’t been a need yet, a request, for active duty. So we will take these requests in due time.”

Here are the latest updates of National Guard activations across the United States:

Arkansas

As of Tuesday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has activated 20 National Guard personnel to state active-duty status to support the state’s emergency operations center. The mobilized guardsmen are medics from the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered at Camp Robinson.

There are currently 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

California

Late Tuesday night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom placed the California National Guard “on alert” in preparation for state-wide mobilization.

“The National Guard has been directed by the governor to be prepared to perform humanitarian missions across the state including food distribution, ensuring resiliency of supply lines as well as supporting public safety as required,” a press release stated.

“As Californians make sacrifices over the coming weeks to protect our shared health, we are all grateful for medical providers, first-responders and National Guard personnel who are assisting those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19,” Newsom said in the release.

Previously, the California Air National Guard activated a 10-person “medical augmentation team” from the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard “to provide emergency pre-hospital stabilization response for up to 24 patients per 24-hour operations,” according to the National Guard Bureau.

Currently, state health officials have confirmed 472 cases of COVID-19 with over 11,000 people self-monitoring.

In a Tuesday press conference, President Donald Trump mentioned the possibility of sending the Army Corps of Engineers to California to increase hospital bed capacities.

“The Army Corps of Engineers is ready, willing and able. We have to give them the go ahead if we find that it’s going to be necessary,” the president said. “We’re talking to California about different sites, but we can have a lot of units up fairly quickly if we need them.”

Colorado

Colorado has 50 guardsmen mobilized on state active-duty status, “assisting local and state agencies with medical support and logistics at drive-up COVID-19 testing centers in various communities throughout the state,” according to the National Guard Bureau.

In addition, 30 full-time Guard personnel are advising state and local partners across Colorado on “validated tactics, techniques and procedures for future screening missions in Colorado,” a release added.

Florida

The Florida National Guard has 1,493 Guard men and women activated in support of COVID19, according to 1st Lt. Tahisha Coleman. a spokeswoman.

They are supporting the State’s with Community Based Testing Sites (CBTS), augmentation to airport screening measures, statewide logistics support, coordination, planning and operational mission sets. To date, the FLNG has assisted in the testing of over 4,300 individuals for the COVID-19 virus. The FLNG augmented Orange County CBTS site will conduct limited sampling today and projected to go fully operational tomorrow.

The Florida National Guard has been asked to augment local law enforcement and airport authorities in application of the Governor’s order to conduct screening on passengers inbound from CA, WA, NY and NJ at major airports. These missions will support the governor’s recent travel ban guidance in an attempt to significantly reduce the number of infected individuals entering the State from areas with a high amount of community spread.

The Florida National Guard has activated its medical professionals, Army Combat Medic Specialists and Air Force Medical Technicians in support of the Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) Community Based Testing Sites. Our Guardsmen have reported in and formed Task Force Medical.

It has also has activated Guardsmen to augment the State Logistics Readiness Center (SLRC), the State’s Logistics Branch, as well as facilitate statewide logistics needs of the Florida National Guard formations on mission. The FLNG support to the SLRC remains at 24 hour a day operations. The Florida National Guard logistics professionals continue to support the State’s Logistics Branch in order to maintain visibility on both State and Federal commodities better enabling FLNG personnel to have required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sampling kits to conduct our mission support.

The Florida National Guard has activated Guardsmen to augment the State Emergency Operations Center and local emergency management offices across the state.

Iowa

Six guardsmen of the Iowa National Guard are serving as liaisons officers in the State Emergency Operations Center, while the Iowa Air National Guard is providing facilities and flight line support to the Iowa Department of Public Health, according to Col. Michael Wunn, Iowa National Guard director of public affairs.

There are 29 confirmed cases in Iowa with 199 persons being monitored, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois has recently mobilized 60 Army and Air National Guard personnel to state active-duty status, according to Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, public affairs director at the Illinois National Guard.

Forty-three of these guardsmen are from the 182nd Airlift Wing Medical Group out of Peoria, Illinois, who will assist state health officials, including with COVID-19 screening and testing.

Seventeen planning liaison officers are also assisting officials throughout the state with logistics and planning.

Illinois currently has 160 confirmed cases with one death, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Louisiana

Governor John Bel Edwards directed the Louisiana National Guard to activate over 238 soldiers and airmen so far, not including full-time Guardsmen, to assist with the COVID-19 response

And the number Guardsmen and equipment is anticipated to increase until the situation is stabilized.

More than 100 soldiers and airmen are stationed at three sites in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans to assist local agencies with COVID-19 testing. The drive-up testing stations have begun to take delivery of the necessary testing kits and protective equipment and are scheduled to become operational within the next few days.

Maryland

At the direction of Governor Hogan, the Maryland National Guard, Maryland Department of Health, and Prince George’s County Executive, Angela Alsobrooks, continue to work together for the establishment of a pilot health screening location at Fed-Ex field in Landover, Maryland, according to Kurt Rauschenberg, Maryland National Guard public affairs officer.

Last week, Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan activated around 400 guardsmen from the Maryland Army and Air National Guard over the weekend to augment the state’s capabilities.

In a press conference on Monday, Hogan said a total of 1,000 guardsmen will be activated by the day’s end with an additional 1,200 on “enhanced readiness” status, expected to be activated this week.

These guardsmen include two Area Support Medical Companies to assist state health officials in screening patients, transporting supplies and distributing food.

“One of things that the governor mentioned was the distribution of the Strategic National Stockpile mission, particularly personal protective equipment,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Gowen, Maryland adjutant general, in the press conference. “That’s always been a standing mission for us, and we are going to execute that in the coming days.”

New Jersey

On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy activated the New Jersey National Guard to assist in the state’s response.

“We will be working closely with the [New Jersey] Office of Emergency Management to assist fellow residents as we change from our civilian attire and put on our uniforms to serve this state…. Our most likely mission sets are focused on capability gaps.” said Brig. Gen. Jemal Beale, adjutant general of New Jersey. “They are things like advise and assist, logistics, transportation, traffic control, security or bringing in our engineers to maybe bring a facility back online that’s needed in some way, shape or form for COVID-19.”

Gov. Murphy said the role of the Guardsmen will likely focus on food delivery and manning drive-thru test locations in the intermediate — with the possibility of converting “a building for some self-quarantine reasons” if needed.

New York

The New York National Guard now has 2,100 personnel on mission across the state, according to Col. Richard Goldenberg, a spokesman.

This includes members of the New York Army and Air National Guard, the New York Guard (state defense force), and the New York Naval Militia.

Joint Task Forces are operating on Long Island, New York City, the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, Syracuse and Buffalo to support state and local government.

The New York National Guard is supporting the administration and setup of FEMA Field Hospitals in support of the State Department of Health and NYC officials at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.

Soldiers are assisting with the reception and setup of the infrastructure in the convention center’s 1.8 million square feet of space. Governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday that setting up the four 250-bed field hospitals at the site would take about a week to 10 days. The National Guard Soldiers will be supporting the 320 federal staff arriving to operate the site.

The New York National Guard continues to support six drive-through testing sites today on Long Island, Staten Island, and the Bronx and in Rockland and Westchester Counties. Testing is done arrange reservations made through the Department of Health based on physician orders.

New York National Guard personnel are continuing to support food packaging and in New Rochelle. Also in New Rochelle, Soldiers are continuing to clean places of worship in support of the city’s cleaning of public spaces. On March 25, they are expected to clean the Beth El Synagogue

New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are conducting logistics missions in support of the state response at warehouse locations. Hand sanitizer warehousing and deliveries continue across the lower Hudson Valley.

New York National Guard also continues to provide support the New York State Coronavirus Hotline by working in a call center in Rotterdam, N.Y. to offer updated information to the public. Other Soldiers support a call center mission in New York City.

North Carolina:

The North Carolina National Guard is currently working on the front lines of this pandemic with our department of public safety team and other state agencies. There are currently 61 North Carolina Army and Air Guardsmen supporting the COVID19 response with 17 vehicles in the following areas: Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, and Mocksville. The 17 vehicles supporting these force packages are: cargo trucks (MTVs) and Humvees. Their missions are to support warehouse and commodity management and distribution in the RaleighDurham area and Charlotte area.

These experienced guardsmen and women have executed this exact mission (warehouse operations and commodities distribution) with emergency management during recent Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The North Carolina National Guard is ready to respond with additional resources and capabilities depending on the needs of the state, and as ordered by the governor.

Oregon

The Oregon National Guard is also providing support and on Thursday announced that approximately 25 Citizen-Soldiers are assisting the Oregon Health Authority with the setup of a medical facility in Salem, Oregon.

Officials say the assistance ranges from Military Department Civilians providing maintenance and mechanical support, to uniformed personnel setting up facilities for civilian medical personnel.

Guardsmen have coordinated with Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Military Department, Department of Homeland Security, Oregon Department of Transportation, Department of Corrections and other state local and non-governmental agencies.

Pennsylvania

Gov. Tom Wolf has activated 50 National Guard personnel to serve as “subject matter expert planners to assist the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency,” the National Guard Bureau said.

“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.”

Guardsmen will also be supporting dozens of Pennsylvania residents who had previously been quarantined at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia, after departing from the Grand Princess cruise ship.

Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico National Guard has been activated by Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced to screen passengers arriving on the island via the airport and cruise ship ports. This mobilization follows extended missions to respond to multiple hurricanes and earthquakes.

“We are currently structuring this new mission to support the mitigation and control efforts of state and federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 emergency,” said Brig. Gen. Miguel Méndez, commanding officer of Task Force-Puerto Rico, in a press release. “Our staff is being evaluated and trained for this new contingency and is being deployed at Luis Muñoz Marín Airport to carry out the assigned functions.”

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has also activated a handful of National Guard personnel to State Active Duty Status. Currently, around ten Guardsmen are “providing response planners, liaisons and support to the state Emergency Operations Center, and logistics support,” according to officials.

The state has confirmed 23 positive cases with over 300 pending results, according to state health officials.

National Guard activation powers

A state’s governor may activate the National Guard under “State Active Duty” status “in response to natural or man-made disasters or Homeland Defense missions.” In this capacity, guardsmen remain “command and control” of the governor and are sourced and paid for by the state, according to the National Guard Bureau.

Across 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia, there are approximately 450,000 Air and Army National Guard personnel who “frequently train side-by-side with state and local emergency responders” in domestic operations, the National Guard Bureau noted.

A governor may also activate the guardsmen to support other states through assistance agreements in a multi-state response to an emergency, although the funding comes from the federal government under Title 32 U.S.C. status. No states have sent personnel to neighboring states thus far.

“The National Guard has unique capabilities such as its Civil Support Teams and [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Packages (CERFPs)] that could provide local first responders with additional resources to combat COVID-19,” the previous release added.

“20 National Guard Civil Support Teams (CSTs) have provided COVID-19 response support by conducting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training for first responders at the request of civilian agencies,” a National Guard Bureau press release stated. “CST professionals’ HAZMAT and biohazard expertise make them well-suited for training how to properly don and maintain PPE.”

The defense secretary retains the authority to order National Guard forces to active duty under Title 10U.S.C. when “necessary to maintain the national health, safety, or interest,” according to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Response Framework.

As of Tuesday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper did not allude to plans to federalize National Guard components.

This story will continue to be updated as the National Guard Bureau releases daily reports on National Guard activities nationwide. If you or someone you know has been called up to State Active Duty status, please contact Military Times managing editor Howard Altman, haltman@militarytimes.com, if you are interested in sharing about your experience.

The governors of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado and West Virginia are the latest state executives to increase the involvement of the National Guard.

“The National Guard is fully involved at the local, state, and federal level in the planning and execution of the nation’s response to COVID-19,” a National Guard Bureau press release stated. “In times of emergency, the National Guard Bureau serves as a federal coordinating agency should a state require assistance from the National Guard of another state.”

In a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said over 1,500 Guardsmen are now activated in 18 states across the country.

The secretary did not commit to federalizing the National Guard components.

“As we get requests in, we will look at activating, if we need to, at the federal level or using the Reserves, whatever the case may be. We want to be very supportive with regard to our prioritization in terms of supporting the American people and the governors,” Esper said. “Right now, we are really focused on Guard and Reserve — in that order. There hasn’t been a need yet, a request, for Active Duty. So we will take these requests in due time.”

“The Guard is already available to the governors. They know that…. So, it’s a resource available at their fingertips,” Esper added. “What we want to do is make sure they understand all the capabilities of the Guard, how it may best be used.”

All 50 states have issued emergency declarations, a critical step before mobilizing National Guard resources.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has specifically called for an increased role for the National Guard and for involvement from the Army Corps of Engineers in combating COVID-19.

Cuomo, in a press conference Monday, has now called on the New York National Guard to assist state officials in expanding in-patient hospital capabilities in anticipation of a spike in positive novel coronavirus cases requiring hospitalization.

“We are going to organize the National Guard to work with the building unions and work with private developers to find existing facilities that could most easily be adapted to medical facilities,” Cuomo said in the press conference. “Meaning dormitories, meaning former nursing homes: facilities that have that basic configuration that could be retrofitted.”

Currently, the New York National Guard has about 500 personnel activated to assist in the state’s response, a state official said. These numbers may increase given the potential for an expanded role.

The governor called on local governments to “identify” possible locations for new beds, and he cited an additional 5,000 beds in New York City as a target figure.

Cuomo was the first governor to activate the National Guard to assist in the state’s response in New Rochelle, New York, a suburb of New York City, where a “cluster” of cases were confirmed.

Guardsmen continue to assist with food delivery, logistics and cleaning services in the previously identified “containment area.”

In addition, guardsmen, including Army National Guard combat medic specialists and Air National Guard medical technicians, are “assisting state officials with the collection of samples” at drive-thru testing locations, the official added.

Additional drive-thru testing locations are coming online throughout the state including on Staten Island, Cuomo noted.

In the press conference, Cuomo also called for the federal government to deploy the Army Corps of Engineers to increase the hospital beds available for potential patients in New York state.

“The federal government has tremendous capacity: deploy the Army Corps of Engineers to come work with states to build temporary medical facilities,” Cuomo said. “We don’t have the billions of dollars you would need to implement an immediate, emergency hospital construction program. This state can’t do it; no state can do it.”

Cuomo’s desires for increased federal involvement coincides with those from some lawmakers for greater participation of U.S. military Reserves units in the nationwide COVID-19 response.

“The federal government operates and maintains a medical emergency stock, where they have stocked medical equipment for domestic issues or for wartime,” Cuomo added. “We will continue to do everything we can, but we need federal assets and we need federal assistance.”

On his call for the Army Corps of Engineers, Cuomo said there have been “ongoing conversations, none of which have been conclusive.”

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence addressed questions about the deployment of the Army Corps of Engineers at a press conference Tuesday.

“As governors make these requests, we will process them, bring them to the president. There are two different lanes that [the Defense Department] can provide in addition to many medical supplies to augment our national reserves,” Pence said. “[T]he president has tasked us to evaluate, make available and consider every request from governors for either field hospitals, expanding facilities or the Army Corps of Engineers that could retrofit existing buildings.”

“The Army Corps of Engineers is ready, willing and able. We have to give them the go ahead if we find that it’s going to be necessary,” Trump said. “I think we had quite a few units up very rapidly. I am going to work with Gov. Cuomo. I am going to work with a number of the governors.”

On the question of mobilizing Defense Department resources, Esper addressed the potential for greater involvement at the federal level.

“My view is, I am more than willing to send the Army Corps of Engineers out to work with states and to see what we can provide, what we can offer,” Esper said in the press conference. “As you know the Corps of Engineers is a contracting body that does program oversight and work. If we can be useful, we can help, certainly willing to provide that service.”

“With regard to New York, I am hoping to have a call with [Gov. Cuomo] sometimes soon…find out what his needs are,” Esper added. “As I speak to governors and others, I tell them, ‘Tell us what your needs are,’ and we’ll figure out the best way to meet them — whether it’s logistics, planning, medical.”

According to the New York Department of Health, New York as of Tuesday has 1,374 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 730 of which are outside New York City.

On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy activated the New Jersey National Guard to assist in the state’s response.

“We will be working closely with the [New Jersey] Office of Emergency Management to assist fellow residents as we change from our civilian attire and put on our uniforms to serve this state…. Our most likely mission sets are focused on capability gaps.” said Brig. Gen. Jemal Beale, adjutant general of New Jersey. “They are things like advise and assist, logistics, transportation, traffic control, security or bringing in our engineers to maybe bring a facility back online that’s needed in some way, shape or form for COVID-19.”

Gov. Murphy said the role of the Guardsmen will likely focus on food delivery and manning drive-thru test locations in the intermediate — with the possibility of converting “a building for some self-quarantine reasons” if needed.

“We will simultaneously be supporting the veterans in our long-term care facilities as well as the veterans’ community across the state,” Beale added.

Murphy echoed New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desires to ready the Army Corps of Engineers on the federal level to assist state Guardsmen to retrofit or build temporary hospitals if the state health care system becomes overwhelmed.

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan activated around 400 guardsmen from the Maryland Army and Air National Guard over the weekend to augment the state’s capabilities.

In a press conference Monday, Hogan said a total of 1,000 guardsmen will be activated by the day’s end with an additional 1,200 on “enhanced readiness” status, expected to be activated this week.

“Decision-makers at the federal, state, and local level are going to take drastic actions right now that may seem scary, that may sound extreme,” Hogan said. “They will be terribly disruptive, but they will be absolutely necessary to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans.”

These guardsmen include two Area Support Medical Companies to assist state health officials in screening patients, transporting supplies and distributing food.

“One of things that the governor mentioned was the distribution of the Strategic National Stockpile mission, particularly personal protective equipment,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Gowen, Maryland adjutant general, in the press conference. “That’s always been a standing mission for us, and we are going to execute that in the coming days.”

Gov. Hogan also ordered the Maryland Department of Health to identify and “open closed hospitals” to increase bed capacity. The state has 57 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

In Colorado, 145 guardsmen have been mobilized to assist state officials in COVID-19 response and mitigation efforts, including manning drive-thru screening areas.

“These National Guard members are the state’s resident trained and equipped experts in biological hazards,” the press release stated. “[The guardsmen] are assisting with testing and testing support and advising Colorado local and state partners with validated tactics, techniques and procedures for future screening missions in Colorado.”

Colorado reported 160 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

In West Virginia, National Guard personnel provided local first responders from West Virginia and Kentucky with specialized training.

“Participants learned best practices to mitigate responder and employee exposure to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as other radiological, biological and chemical (CBRNE) responses, and how to enhance personal protective actions and protocols during daily operations,” the release stated.

As of Monday, several other states have continued utilizing components of their National Guard to assist in response and mitigation efforts, although in a lower volume that New York’s response.

A small contingency of Iowa National Guard liaisons officers are assisting in the State Emergency Operations Center, the Iowa Air National Guard is providing facilities and flight line support to the Iowa Department of Public Health, according to Col. Michael Wunn, Iowa National Guard director of public affairs.

The Florida National Guard activated additional personnel over the weekend, bringing a total to 300 Guardsmen, assisting with planning functions in the State Emergency Operations Center and logistics in the State Logistics Readiness Center. A medical task force is also being stood up in Broward County, state officials said.

On Friday, the California Air National Guard activated a 10-person “medical augmentation team” from the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard “to provide emergency pre-hospital stabilization response for up to 24 patients per 24-hour operations,” according to a press release.

In Louisiana, 29 guardsmen are now assisting New Orleans and state officials as parish liaison officers, logistics planners and engineers. The state’s “full time force is quite engaged and leaning forward in a preparedness mode…anticipating any possible future mission requests,” an official said.

The Puerto Rico National Guard has been activated to screen passengers arriving on the island via the airport and cruise ship ports. This mobilization follows extended missions to respond to multiple hurricanes and earthquakes.

“We are currently structuring this new mission to support the mitigation and control efforts of state and federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 emergency,” said Brig. Gen. Miguel Méndez, commanding officer of Task Force-Puerto Rico, in a press release. “Our staff is being evaluated and trained for this new contingency and is being deployed at Luis Muñoz Marín Airport to carry out the assigned functions.”

At the federal level, the National Guard Bureau is working with interagency partners as part of the nationwide response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the bureau serves “as a federal coordinating agency should a state require assistance from the National Guard of another state.”

“Bottom line, our force must remain flexible, innovative and ready to help America mitigate the impacts of this virus,” said Gen. Joseph Lengyel, National Guard Bureau chief, in the release. “I trust the Adjutants General in the 50 states, three territories and District of Columbia will continue to make decisions at their level to ensure our force of 450,000 people will be ready when their governors’ call.”

Leo Shane III contributed to this story.

Around 400 National Guard personnel have been activated across six states to support operations to stem the spread of novel coronavirus, the National Guard Bureau said in a press release.

The governors of Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, New York, Rhode Island and Washington have all activated components of their Army and Air National Guard. Guardsmen in California and Maryland are also expected to join their states’ efforts today.

“The National Guard is fully involved at the local, state, and federal level in the planning and execution of the nation’s response to COVID-19,” a National Guard Bureau spokesperson said in the release. “In times of emergency, the National Guard Bureau serves as a federal coordinating agency should a state require assistance from the National Guard of another state.”

“At the national level, Guard members are training personnel on COVID-19 response, identifying and preparing National Guard facilities for use as isolation housing, and compiling state medical supply inventories,” the release continued. “National Guard personnel will provide assistance to the states that include logistical support, disinfection/cleaning, activate/conduct transportation of medical personnel, call center support, and meal delivery.”

While the number currently stands at under 500, the National Guard Bureau said those numbers “will rapidly change,” as the agency “expect[s] that number to approach 1,000” by the end of the day.

Currently, 33 states have declared states of emergencies to mobilize greater resources and streamline responses to the new coronavirus outbreak, the bureau noted.

Individual state responses

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order to grant greater authorities to state officials.

Three guardsmen are currently providing support at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida, and on Sunday, an additional 20 service members will be activated to operate the State Logistics Readiness Center, according to an official with the Florida Army National Guard.

As of Friday, there were 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with two confirmed deaths 147 pending test results in Florida, according to the state’s health department.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo also signed an emergency declaration on Monday, authorizing Maj. Gen. Christopher P. Callahan, the state’s adjutant general, to order the Rhode Island National Guard to active duty status.

“I want every tool at my disposal in order to be able to protect Rhode Island,” Raimondo said at a Monday press conference, as reported by NBC 10 Boston.

Around 10 guardsmen are currently supporting state health officials in Rhode Island, where five cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, as of Thursday, with 29 pending test results.

In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency on Monday to streamline response and assistance procedures. Some personnel of the Iowa National Guard have been activated under State Active Duty status to assist in the state’s joint Emergency Operations Center, a state official said.

Currently, the National Guard’s presence constitutes a “very small footprint,” serving primarily as liaisons for logistics and planning, the official added.

As of Thursday, Iowa has 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 29 cases pending and 128 people being monitored, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Most of the cases stem from travel, including a cruise in Egypt, the governor’s office said.

In Louisiana, three guardsmen are assisting with planning in the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, according to the release.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a public health emergency on Wednesday. The state does not yet have any confirmed cases, but there are 33 presumptive cases as of Friday.

On March 5, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency, mobilizing a statewide response to the outbreak. The state currently has confirmed 17 cases of COVID-19, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Components of the Maryland National Guard have been activated by the governor, but their role is “to be determined” at this time, according to the National Guard Bureau.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is activating personnel, utilizing a 10-person “medical augmentation team” from the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard “to provide emergency pre-hospital stabilization response for up to 24 patients per 24-hour operations,” the release stated.

The state has 174 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with an additional 11,000 people “self-monitoring,” according to the California Department of Public Health.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who issued an emergency proclamation on Feb. 29, has also activated personnel from the Washington National Guard. These Guardsmen “are supporting planning efforts within the Washington State Emergency Management Division for up to 45 days,” according to the release.

There are currently 31 deaths of COVID-19 in the state, according to state health officials.

The developments in these states follow New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision earlier this week to activate guardsmen to assist in cleaning and food deliveries and Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced’s decision on Thursday to activate the Puerto Rico National Guard to screen passengers at the island’s airport and cruise ship ports.

The New York National Guard has responded to New Rochelle, New York, where a “cluster” of COVID-19 cases has been identified.

New York now has 378 guardsmen “assisting with disinfecting and cleaning of common public spaces…and providing transportation support for nurses and health care providers,” the release said.

National Guard activation status

A state’s governor may activate the National Guard under “State Active Duty” status “in response to natural or man-made disasters or Homeland Defense missions.” In this capacity, guardsmen remain “command and control” of the governor and are sourced and paid for by the state, according to the National Guard Bureau.

Across 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia, there are approximately 450,000 Air and Army National Guard personnel who “frequently train side-by-side with state and local emergency responders” in domestic operations, the National Guard Bureau noted.

A governor may also activate the guardsmen to support other states through assistance agreements in a multi-state response to an emergency, although the funding comes from the federal government under Title 32 U.S.C. status. No states have sent personnel to neighboring states thus far.

“The National Guard has unique capabilities such as its Civil Support Teams and [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Packages (CERFPs)] that could provide local first responders with additional resources to combat COVID-19,” the release added.

The defense secretary retains the authority to order National Guard forces to active duty under Title 10 U.S.C. when “necessary to maintain the national health, safety, or interest,” according to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Response Framework.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the lead federal agency tasked with combating the spread of COVID-19.

As of Friday, the CDC has reported over 1,600 cases with 41 deaths, although widespread testing has yet to be implemented nationwide.

Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced made the emergency declaration in a Thursday press conference to utilize the National Guard’s resources to combat the spread of the new coronavirus on the island.

National Guard personnel will be stationed at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in San Juan — as well as the cruise ship port area — to screen all arriving passengers for symptoms, as the activation is “not a standard emergency response mission,” a defense official said.

The governor also voiced frustrations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over delayed results of tests for a handful of patients under observation.

The declaration also contains an order to postpone or cancel all mass gathering events until the end of the month.

Currently, Puerto Rico does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19, but the governor said the steps being taken are preventative measures, aimed to stem the spread of the disease. According to the Puerto Rico Department of Health, there are five cases under investigation as of March 10.

“The CDC told us that it received the tests on Tuesday morning, and they began to process them, so today the 48 hours [for results] are met,” Rafael Rodriguez, Puerto Rico’s health secretary, said at the press conference, according to Caribbean Business. “[The CDC] promised that the results will be available tonight or tomorrow.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the CDC will provide state and local jurisdictions increased resources to combat the growing numbers of cases.

The total appropriations package contains $8.3 billion in relief with $560 million going to “states, localities, territories, and tribes,” a press release stated.

“Our state, local, tribal and territorial public health partners are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director, in the release. “The action we are taking today will continue to support their efforts to increase public health capacity where it’s needed most.”

Puerto Rico will receive $5.8 million in federal aid, according to the CDC.

“State and local health departments are on the frontlines of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, and we are deeply grateful for their work,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar in the release.

On Feb. 29, 2020, Gov. Vázquez Garced established a coronavirus task force to examine potential cases.

Puerto Rico is now the second state or territory to activate its National Guard components, following New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision earlier this week to activate Guardsmen. Cuomo’s decision centered around a “cluster” of COVID-19 cases in New Rochelle, New York.

Several other governors have signed emergency declarations, an important step in ensuring rapid activation and deployment of National Guard units, if needed.

National Guard units fall under the control of each state’s governor, while the National Guard Bureau is assisting the CDC-led, interagency effort to combat the outbreak at the federal level.

Earlier this year, the governor activated the Puerto Rico National Guard in response to a series of earthquakes off the coast of the island, which caused widespread damage, power outages and water insecurity.

The governors of Washington, California, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut have all declared individual emergencies.

As of Wednesday afternoon, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo remains the only state executive to activate the National Guard following an earlier disaster emergency declaration thus far.

Emergency declarations carry “additional powers and resources” that “vary from state to state,” including the activation of emergency operations centers and response plans and the “deployment of state personnel, equipment, supplies, and emergency stockpiles,” according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed an executive order to streamline the state’s response to the virus and grant greater authorities to state officials, including the option to activate the Florida National Guard “as needed.”

“The Florida National Guard is not currently tasked with any active operational type missions in the field, but we are augmenting the state’s planning and logistics efforts,” Maj. M. Caitlin Brown, director of public affairs at the Florida National Guard, told Military Times. “It’s obviously a rapidly evolving situation, and so we are leaning forward in preparation for potential future missions.”

The declaration also enables state officials to establish field hospitals should the health care system become overwhelmed, among other measures.

“[Gov. DeSantis] and the [Florida] Department of Health’s highest priority at this time is to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring anyone who is potentially infected is appropriately identified, cared for and isolated,” Ryan Ash, deputy press secretary for Gov. DeSantis, told Military Times. “The Florida National Guard, led by Maj. Gen. James O. Eifert, Adjutant General of Florida, stands ready to be deployed in order to accomplish this mission.”

Florida has 21 positive cases of COVID-19 with two reported deaths, as well as 155 pending test results and over 1,000 people monitored as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Florida Department of Health.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency Tuesday, instructing state agencies to cancel all conferences and large gatherings and activating the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to coordinate “health, human services, public safety” measures.

The order allows state officials wider authorities to obtain resources and deploy federal and state resources.

“The Massachusetts National Guard has not been activated at this time,” Don Veitch, director of public affairs at the Guard, told Military Times. “The Massachusetts National Guard is a diverse and highly trained force capable of assisting in a number of critical roles including; medical, transportation, biological response, decontamination and logistics… [and] is always ready to assist our interagency partners in support the commonwealth when called upon.”

As of Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported a single confirmed case with 91 “presumptive cases” of the new coronavirus.

A state’s governor may activate the National Guard under “State Active Duty” status “in response to natural or man-made disasters or Homeland Defense missions.” In this capacity, Guardsmen remain “command and control” of the governor and are sourced and paid for by the state, according to the National Guard Bureau.

A governor may also activate the Guardsmen to support other states through assistance agreements in a multi-state response to an emergency, although the funding comes from the federal government under Title 32 U.S.C. status.

“In times of emergency, the National Guard Bureau serves as a federal coordinating agency should a state require help from the National Guard of another state,” Master Sgt. W. Michael Houk, National Guard Bureau spokesman, previously told Military Times. “The National Guard Bureau’s operation center is operating with increased staffing and hours and is prepared to coordinate support between the states and our mission partners in any whole of government response.”

Currently, the National Guard Bureau is serving in an advisory and support role, providing guidance and information to local governments, the Guardsmen and their families, a defense official said.

The Defense Department and the National Guard Bureau are working through the interagency process, “synchronizing” but “not actually directing traffic,” the official said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the lead federal agency tasked with combating the spread of COVID-19.

Cuomo’s declaration included a “containment area” within the city of New Rochelle, New York, where public health officials have identified a “cluster” of COVID-19 cases.

There, the Guardsmen were “mobiliz[ed] to deliver food to homes and help with cleaning public spaces in the containment area,” Military Times previously reported.

The defense secretary retains the authority to order National Guard forces to active duty under Title 10 U.S.C. when “necessary to maintain the national health, safety, or interest,” according to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Response Framework.

“I want every tool at my disposal in order to be able to protect Rhode Island,” Gov. Gina Raimondo said at a Monday press conference, as reported by NBC 10 Boston. Authorities there have confirmed five cases.

Lawmakers in Connecticut signed off Wednesday on Gov. Ned Lamont’s emergency declaration, which could have been vetoed by a special legislative committee. The state has confirmed two patients as of Tuesday.

Just as Massachusetts and Florida have not activated the National Guard, there are currently no plans for Washington, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut to activate their Guard troops.

There are now over 1,000 confirmed cases in the United States with 31 confirmed deaths, according to CDC Director Robert Redfield.

The World Health Organization declared the global coronavirus outbreak to be a “pandemic” as confirmed cases worldwide topped 113,000 Wednesday with over 4,000 deaths.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.

Within the containment area, “schools, houses of worship and other large gathering facilities within a one-mile radius” of the outbreak’s epicenter will be closed for 14 days until March 25, according to a press release.

The National Guard will assist state health officials in New Rochelle, “mobilizing to deliver food to homes and help with cleaning public spaces in the containment area,” the release added.

People who aren’t personally quarantined will be able to leave their homes and go to work. Local businesses can remain open. Residents or visitors are free to walk the sidewalks. The area includes three public schools.

The Westchester outbreak began to emerge after a 50-year-old lawyer was hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Some of his relatives and friends later tested positive.

Many members of a New Rochelle synagogue where he had attended events were asked to quarantine themselves. Its rabbi also tested positive.

As of Tuesday, there were 108 reported cases in Westchester County, where New Rochelle is located, and 36 cases in New York City, according to the governor’s office and the New York State Department of Health. A total of 173 positive cases are reported statewide.

In the last 24 hours, Westchester County added 10 new cases, and New York City added 17 new cases, the release stated.

A state’s governor may activate the National Guard under “State Active Duty” status “in response to natural or man-made disasters or Homeland Defense missions.” In this capacity, Guardsmen remain “command and control” of the governor and are sourced and paid for by the state, according to the National Guard Bureau.

“In times of emergency, the National Guard Bureau serves as a federal coordinating agency should a state require help from the National Guard of another state,” Master Sgt. W. Michael Houk, National Guard Bureau spokesman, told Military Times. “The National Guard Bureau’s operation center is operating with increased staffing and hours and is prepared to coordinate support between the states and our mission partners in any whole of government response.”

“Though we are monitoring closely, National Guard Bureau is not currently tasked to support any state-to-state requests for assistance regarding COVID-19,” Houk added.

A governor may also activate the Guardsmen to support other states through assistance agreements in a multi-state response to an emergency, although the funding comes from the federal government under Title 32 U.S.C. status.

The activation of the National Guard comes after the Dr. Howard Zucker, state health commissioner for New York, designated the cases in New Rochelle as a “cluster.”

“We are moving from containment to mitigation, and because much of the transmission of this disease tends to happen on a geographic basis, we are attacking this hotspot at the source,” Cuomo said in the press conference. “As the number of positive cases rises, I am urging all New Yorkers to remember the bottom line: we talk about all this stuff to keep the public informed — not to incite fear — and if you are not a member of the vulnerable population then there is no reason for excess anxiety.”

“As we see the number of cases continue to rise based upon close contacts with persons who are positive for COVID-19, there is a particular need to reduce the opportunity for further close contacts,” Zucker said in the release. “These opportunities include schools, churches, synagogues, and other event spaces where large numbers of people gather and remain together for extended periods of time.

The announcement also stated the state is partnering with local health partners to set up a “satellite testing facility” in the area, the release added.

On March 7, Cuomo declared a state of emergency to streamline the state’s response to the virus’ spread.

“As we continue to provide essential updates and encourage people to act upon the facts on coronavirus instead of the hype, I have officially done a declaration of emergency which gives us certain powers to help local health departments that are very stressed,” Cuomo said at the time. “As the local health departments continue to monitor and quarantine people, we have a more expedited purchasing protocol to get them all the tools they need to contain the virus spread.

The state of emergency declaration affords greater powers to the governor to implement a comprehensive emergency management plan and introduce emergency sanitary regulations, among other measures.

Cuomo’s office didn’t immediately have a number of how many troops are being deployed but said some have already arrived.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 647 reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States, resulting in 25 deaths thus far.

The Wall Street Journal first reported this story.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.

Cathay Williams

Pvt. Cathay Williams began her journey with the U.S. military in a support role during the Civil War, forced to serve due to her status as a captured slave, the National Park Service noted. After the war, Williams became the first Black woman to enlist when she joined the Army under a male pseudonym, William Cathay, in 1866, the Army noted.

“A young, female, unmarried former slave,” Williams joined the Army without a full medical examination, and she was assigned to the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment – which would become part of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, according to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Suffering from smallpox, Williams was discovered to be a woman while undergoing treatment and honorably discharged in 1868. She continued in her work as a military cook at Fort Union, New Mexico. Her story was documented in the St. Louis Daily Times in 1876.

Williams was the first Black woman to enlist in the U.S. Army and the only known female Buffalo Soldier.

Dr. Mary E. Walker

In 1861, 29-year-old Dr. Mary Walker applied to become a surgeon with the Union Army, as she had been one of the few female physicians in the country prior to the start of the Civil War. She was rejected but remained on as a volunteer, leveraging her skills to treat the wounded, AUSA noted.

Two years later, Walker finally received an appointment to serve an assistant surgeon in the Army, after spending additional time as a field surgeon in Virginia, according to an Army story. In the latter years of the war, Walker was captured by Confederate forces, held in squalid conditions as a prisoner of war, yet another in a long line of abuses due to her status as a woman.

She lobbied for women’s causes and for her service during the war, she was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865. The award was later rescinded in 1917 due to her status as a civilian, but President Jimmy Carter restored the award in 1977, the Army noted.

Dr. Mary Walker remains the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor in U.S. history.

Harriet Tubman

Beyond being the legendary “conductor” of the Underground Railroad, shepherding enslaved persons to freedom, Harriet Tubman also aided the Union’s military effort in the Civil War. Early in the war, Tubman served as a nurse for Union regiments before moving on to a larger role as spymaster and military scout.

Under the direction of War Secretary Edwin Stanton, Tubman recruited locals throughout conquered areas in the South to pass information along to Union commanders and assist in assault preparations. Her group’s work led to a successful assault on Jacksonville, Florida, and the Combahee River Raid in June 1863, as Military Times previously reported.

Decades later, Tubman finally received recognition — to a degree — for her military service during the Civil War, as she had been kept out of official military documents. In 1899, Tubman was granted a pension, officially validating her widely known contributions to the Union cause.

Mary A. Hallaren

Col. Mary Hallaren became a member of the first training class of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (later, Women’s Army Corps, or WAC) in 1942 before commanding the largest all-female unit to serve overseas. In 1948, while serving as WAC’s director, Hallaren “was instrumental” in advocating for women to be fully integrated as “permanent regular members” of the military beyond just wartime, according to the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Hallaren, who had originally enlisted in the military following the Pearl Harbor attack, later became the first commissioned officer in the Regular Army, not a medical role, in 1948, according to the Army’s Center of Military History.

“To me there was no question that women should serve,” Hallaren said, as reported by the New York Times.

Marcella Hayes Ng

Marcella Hayes, who began her military career as an ROTC cadet at the University of Wisconsin, became the first Black female pilot in the U.S. military in 1979. She graduated Army Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, earning her paratrooper badge during her training as a helicopter pilot, the Army Women’s Foundation reported.

Hayes became the 55th woman to earn her pilot wings, before being assigned to the 394th Transportation Battalion in Germany, the unit’s first black soldier and first woman leader. She went on to marry Dennis Ng, also in the Army, retiring in 2000 as a lieutenant colonel.

Linda Bray

Capt. Linda Bray was one of over 700 women to participate in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, as she led the 988th Military Police Company, according to the Army. There, she became the first woman to command American soldiers in battle, a trailblazing role that launched a reflection about women in the military.

“I joined the Army for the excitement, the challenge, the experience and loyalty to my country,” Bray said at the time, according to the New York Times. “I haven’t been let down a day.”

Bray’s role in combat forced the U.S. military to reevaluate their prohibition on women in the role, which ultimately culminated in an end to the ban by then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in 2013, the Seattle Times noted.

Kristen Griest & Shaye Haver

Capt. Kristen M. Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye L. Haver became the first two women to complete Army Ranger School and earn their Ranger tabs in 2015. Both graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, the two soldiers became the first females of over 77,000 tabbed soldiers since the Ranger School’s inception in 1950, according to an Army story.

Griest was a military police platoon leader, and Haver was an AH-64 Apache pilot, who both looked at Ranger School as the highest challenge to prepare them to lead soldiers.

“The reasons I chose to come were the same as the men here: to get the experience of the elite leadership school and to give me the opportunity to lead my Soldiers the best that I can,” Haver told the Army at the time. “I think if females continue to come to this course, they can be encouraged by what we have accomplished, but hopefully they’re encouraged by the legacy that the Ranger community has left.”

Since Griest and Haver shattered this barrier, over 30 female soldiers have earned Ranger tabs, including enlisted soldiers and National Guardsmen, Army Times reported.

Ann E. Dunwoody

Retired Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody became the first woman to reach a four-star officer rank in the history of the United States military in 2008. Dunwoody, who led Army Materiel Command before her retirement in 2012, remained a pioneer throughout her decades-long service. In 1992, she became the first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division during the First Gulf War, according to the Purple Heart Foundation.

“I have never considered myself anything but a soldier. I recognize that with this selection, some will view me as a trailblazer,” Dunwoody said on her promotion at the time. “But it’s important that we remember the generations of women, whose dedication, commitment and quality of service helped open the doors of opportunity for us today.”

Dunwoody was a fourth-generation Army officer, and she released a book on leadership in 2015.