Georgia Army National Guard helps most vulnerable during pandemic

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Georgia Army National Guard is making their way around Middle Georgia assisting the most vulnerable during the pandemic.

Currently, the local branch is conducting three missions including disinfecting nursing homes, helping with patient check-ins at hospitals, and assisting with the food bank.

“We have a team of soldiers putting these boxes together with food and loading them on trucks that get distributed to other areas — they are doing that daily,” said Captain Michael Sherwood.

Sargent Terika Redding — a member of the guard’s Infection Control Team — says that so far they have decontaminated nearly 30 nursing homes in the area. Redding says before each cleaning, all residents of the facility are escorted to a safe area while the soldiers get to work.

“We go in and make sure we are well suited up. We use our disinfectant cleaners and wipe down all the pieces of the equipment, the walls, [and] cleaning the floors,” explained Redding.

The national guard has a team of about 15 soldiers helping with patients at Navicent Health in both Milledgeville and Macon.

“[We are] testing people as they come in, checking temperature, and seeing what the issues are. So they can better push them in the right direction of the hospital,” shared Captain Sherwood.

Emergency room doctors are also receiving help.

“These soldiers have been able to help with castings, working directly with the doctors there, IVs things like that,” added the Captain.

Sargent Redding says if a nursing home needs a deep cleaning, contact the Georgia Army National Guard at (478) 751-6242.