EDINBURGH, Ind. — More than 400 members of the Indiana National Guard trained Friday at Camp Atterbury for a mission none of them ever expected. The soldiers have been called to duty in the battle against the coronavirus at nursing homes across the state.
The soldiers sat socially distanced in Army fatigues in a huge warehouse learning how to face an invisible enemy on an unusual battlefield.
"How to protect themselves, how to protect others, and generally just how to help,” said Brig. Gen. Dale Lyles, Indiana National Guard Adjutant General. “How do we help this fatigued staff stop the spread of the infectious virus inside of these facilities, because this is our most vulnerable population."
Friday’s training represented the first wave of soldiers who will work in 133 long-term care facilities that the State Department of Health identified in need of the most critical help.
"We're going to be kind of just more manpower,” said Raymond Bazan, Indiana National Guard soldier from Bloomington. “We're going to be conducting temperature checks for visitors, ensuring that we have proper protection here for everybody. And just whatever that care facility needs, we're going to be helping with."
The soldiers will not provide resident care but will relieve other duties so the staff can focus on care. Many of the young soldiers are being activated for their very first mission, certainly not a typical mission.
"I'm infantry,” said Andrew Schuler. “I'm a mortarman. So, I was kind of expecting some more action. But this is a still good way to serve the community."
Schuler is a full-time student from Muncie. He passed his first COVID-19 test a couple days ago.
"When I go to school at Ball State, our temperatures aren't taken,” said Schuler. “We're not required to get a COVID test or anything, so I kind of feel safer doing this than going to school."
Residents at long-term care facilities account for 57 percent of Indiana's 4,050 COVID-19 deaths. Deaths in nursing homes from COVID-19 are on the rise again over the past two months.
"It's crazy right now,” said Jensen Clement, a soldier from Plainfield. “But keeping people safe from it is a big priority right now. So, I'm very honored to be a part of it and to help out any way I can."
The first group of soldiers start their mission Monday. Two more waves of Indiana National Guard members will be deployed to additional long-term care facilities over the next three weeks. A total of 1,300 soldiers are preparing to serve at all of the 534 long-term care facilities across the state.