Tennessee State, National Guards Helping Handle COVID-19 Vaccinations

 

For about a year now, both the Tennessee National Guard and Tennessee State Guard (TNSG) have been mobilized for COVID-19 efforts – which now includes vaccinations. The Tennessee National Guard began assisting with COVID-19 testing on April 1 following the tornado cleanup efforts, while TNSG joined in nearly a week later. Since December, both of the guards began transitioning to begin assistance with vaccine administration throughout the state.

Established by the General Assembly in 1887, The Tennessee National Guard differs from the TNSG in that the latter is composed of volunteers underneath the state. That means that TNSG answers to Governor Bill Lee. Unlike the Tennessee National Guard, TNSG can’t be federalized or deployed outside of the state. The Tennessee National Guard can because it’s part of the U.S. Army and National Guard. Both are branches of the Tennessee Military Department.

This was evidenced best when the Tennessee National Guard returned from its deployment to provide Inauguration Day security in Washington, D.C. in January, TNSG tested troops for the coronavirus. As reported by The Tennessee Star, the Tennessee National Guard returned from D.C. quickly along with other states’ troops following reports that the troops were forced to sleep in parking garages in freezing temperatures.

Certain National Guard troops still remain in D.C. – over two months since they were initially deployed ahead of the inauguration. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin overruled the memo of a commanding general requesting that the troops be pulled back. National Guard troops will remain in D.C. until May, as opposed to their original deadline which passed last week.

Earlier this month, TNSG shared an update on its continued assistance in administering COVID-19 vaccinations.

 

Monday, the state announced that all Tennessee adults will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine beginning in two weeks’ time: April 5.

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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or send tips to [email protected].