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The US Air Force’s (USAF) official auxiliary Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is assisting response efforts of Michigan, US, to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
CAP’s Michigan Wing has collaborated with Michigan State Police, which is handling emergency management and leading the state emergency operations centre.
To date, CAP has supported four requests raised by the state of Michigan and approved by the US Department of Defense (DOD) through First Air Force.
The patrol transported supplies, including Covid-19 test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Currently, the wing has ten single-engine aircraft that are used for delivery purposes.
USAF Michigan Wing commander Colonel Rajesh Kothari said: “We were able to transport Covid test kits to the Upper Peninsula.
“Michigan Wing CAP aircrews delivered test kits to Sawyer International Airport (Michigan) last week. We picked up completed kits less than a week later to return them to the state laboratory in Lansing (Michigan) for testing.”
The mission marked the first delivery of live test kits to the state laboratory.
Michigan Wing CAP public affairs officer captain Christopher Jones said: “So far, we have flown over 400 test kits from various parts of the state to the laboratory for processing.”
In late March, CAP provided staff member for the TCF Regional Care Center in Detroit, a 1,000-bed field hospital erected in Michigan to treat Covid-19 patients.
Kothari added: “We have provided a demobilisation leader and check-in supervisor at the TCF.
“Beginning on 8 May, our volunteer airmen have been asked to take over staffing of the incident command post for the next two-week (IMT) cycle. To date, CAP has provided over 200 volunteer man-hours in support of these taskings.”
The Michigan Wing strengthens partnership with CAP and continues the aerial missions and TCF support missions.
