Up to 1,200 Oregon National Guard deployed for hospital relief, 41 due in C. Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With the surge of COVID-19 cases, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has ordered an increase of National Guard service members for their second hospital relief mission, with up to 1,200 citizen-soldiers and airmen mobilized Wednesday, more than 40 of whom will be working at three Central Oregon hospitals.

This new activation of the Oregon National Guard is an increased from 500 to over 1,200 service members in 40 hospitals across the state. National Guard members will provide much-needed support for understaffed hospitals during this deployment, which will begin no later than Tuesday, Jan. 18. 

St. Charles Public Information Officer Lisa Goodman said 31 of the Guard members will be stationed at St. Charles Bend, five in Prineville and five in Redmond. They expect them to arrive Saturday, though that had not been confirmed by the Oregon Health Authority, she said.

The soldiers and airmen will serve in non-clinical support roles as material handlers, equipment runners, in addition to COVID testing support, laundry, custodial services, ensure hospital operations and other services in support of healthcare systems. The mission's planning is ongoing, with Guard members placed on orders and assigned to hospitals.

This activation follows a prior deployment of over 1,500 Oregon National Guardsmen that provided the same non-clinical support rolls in Oregon hospitals that began last August and ended in December. 

The Oregon National Guard comprises over 8,000 citizen-soldiers and airmen, dedicated to serving the communities they live in and maintaining the ability to serve the nation in times of war.

The organization has the motto "Always Ready, Always There" and is the largest part-time employer in the state. Its members, on average, serve one weekend a month with an additional two-week period a year while maintaining civilian employment.  

The governor's office shared this list of hospitals due to receive Guard members but indicated it could shift in coming days: