About 10 members of the 911th Airlift Wing with medical experience were mobilized Sunday from the U.S. Air Force Reserve Unit adjacent to Pittsburgh International Airport to support covid-19 efforts in New York City, the wing’s commander Col. John F. Robinson said.
The airmen left the Moon Township base Sunday afternoon for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, where they will join members from more than 25 other U.S. Air Force Reserve units.
The local members will form a team of more than 125 airmen, who will then travel to New York to assist local medical teams and first responders, Robinson said in a statement.
Airmen were transported by a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 911th. The same aircraft, piloted by Robinson, will also pick up airmen from other locations to join the teams in New Jersey.
“The Air Force’s number one priority is to take care of Americans, airmen, and their families during the covid-19 pandemic,” said Robinson.
“Our Steel Airmen are qualified and ready to assist our fellow Americans and to provide medical support to local authorities on the front lines,” he said.
The mobilization follows an executive order signed by President Donald J. Trump on March 27 that authorized the Secretary of Defense to call members of the Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve and National Guard to active duty.
Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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