Pandemic. We are all concerned about the health and safety of our fellow americans and citizen soldiers and airmen. Six members of the National Guard have tested positive for covid19. And we measures in place will keep our National Guard members informed as the situation develops. We play an important part in ensuring the health and safety of communities and this is a responsibility we take their sleep. We are here to support each other and communities. I want to talk about what the National Guard is doing. It is unlike any event we have faced in recent years. When there is a hurricane, you can see it on a map and you have a sense on how hard it will hit. It is like we have 54 separate hurricanes in every state and territory. Some are category 5, summer category three and one. We dont no one this was going to dissipate. It demands a historic response and that is what the national. Uard is prepared to do the National Guard is a unique military component. We are part of the air force and army. If you were going to design an component, it would be the National Guard. Our 450 thousand strong. When disaster strikes, we dont have to mobilize. We pack a bunch and go to work because we are already in the community. We lived there. We can respond faster. We bring military training and equipment to help our a military and offer component to communities. Theyare the facts as stand. All 54 states and territories have declared a state of emergency. Governors and 27 states have activated part of the National Guard. 50 havethose states, 20 them brought on active duty. We anticipate that number will go up quickly. Doubling by this weekend. We expect the total will increase rapidly as test kits become available. And as the situation unfolds. We are ready to respond depending on the needs of the community and is ordered by the Response Network in every state. We are involved in a multitude of mission sets. We are providing medical testing assessments, facilities, ground transportation, logistics, planners, liaison officers, and unfolds. T as this we are making a difference in communities across the country. The new york National Guard have been helping distribute food to those who need it in the hard hit areas. The tennessee National Guard delivered swabs, half a million, to be added to test kits to memphis yesterday. In south florida, more than 500 soldiers are collecting samples for drive through testing. In maryland, the National Guard is supporting testing site operations. Wisconsin is supporting missions for the department of health services. Louisiana, our officers are assisting the office of Homeland Security and emergency preparedness. Arecivil support teams supporting the local department of health with drivethrough testing stations. Two weeks ago the california National Guard started this delivering test kits to the grand princess cruise ship. This is just a sample of the efforts we are supporting across the country. We expect the role of the National Guard will continue to grow to meet the needs during this pandemic. We remain flexible and committed to whatever mission we may be called to do. I want to thank all of the First Responders for their service during this difficult time. Everytinue to rise to challenge and work with our partners to keep our nation safe and remain true to our motto always ready. I look forward to your questions. Mentioned theu 2000 guard members who have been called up. Is there any discussion you are having other than the possibility of mobilizing the guard under federal authority . What is the advantage of that . The National Guard is a reserve component. That is to remain under the command and control of the networks in the state. Every state has a different way to deal with disasters. The National Guard is uniquely qualified to operate under the governors. If you are to federalize them, you would lose that ability. One unique attribute is that we can operate as Law Enforcement to assist the state and local Law Enforcement. If you were to federalize it, you would lose that ability. Certainly the president can mobilize the National Guard. It would be my advice, and there are no plans to take the National Guard and put them in a federal status. Much better used in a state status. Thank you. General, you talked about moving those halfmillion swabs to memphis. Fedex will distribute them. Walk us through what the role will be after that. Doer the tests are done, guard members get them from the lab . Tot do you expect your role be . That is a large volume. I think that the best determined by the situation and each state and the capacity from what they have in the civilian sector and Public Health sector in a variety. I know tennessee is planning to establish, drive sites. Medical capability to train members to administer the tests or support other civilian medical professionals. Involved inly be administering the test. Some states, colorado, new york, have used the National Guard to do that. Florida is expanding. We could be the transportation mechanism to deliver and equip the various drivethrough testing sites. Logistics command and control, planning, all of the functional messages i mentioned will be involved across the spectrum as states see fit. That is what is best about how it is now. These Mission Stats and requirements developed, the governors can bring, even though theres only 27 that have added is thinkingry state and planning about how best to integrate. They are integrating with the Public Health services. Available in a matter of hours. You said you have 2000 taking part. You said it will double by this weekend. Road, one month, what are you telling your guard members . It is hard to tell the exact requirement. Im expecting tens of thousands to be used inside the state. I think that states have a capacity and are planning to do those kinds of things. Calls with the generals, this could quickly blossom in the next couple of weeks as governors and states determine their needs and ways to use the National Guard. Thank you. General, you mentioned you also plan for hurricanes. Weve learned this could go into july and august. What planning are you doing right now for communities that may be in selfquarantine. You may be dealing with two disasters at once. There are many things the department of defense is going to have to do. We are still ongoing with our deployments around the world. States are still planning, particularly in the gulf coast for hurricanes that will come up. We are dealing with this issue right now. Hurricane were to come, the states will be prepared. Fema, the whole apparatus will be ready to deal with that. Planning are you doing already . If a hurricane comes, everyone has to evacuate. That is a good question. Right now we are in the midst of dealing with this pandemic. Every state plans to deal with evacuation procedures and policies. Those plans are on the shelf. We may have to adapt how we do it, if people are quarantined. Augustly by july and when the hurricanes hit, with the traditional size, perhaps it can be mitigated. For everybody on the phones, i would like to remind the media to mute your phones. We are getting a lot of feedback. Is there any thought as this that at somerates point this could be your priority, the National Mission could be the priority . Is there any thought about reconfiguring how the guard does business . The National Guard is a combat reserve. We play ase role part of the army and air force will continue. To bring people home from the current mission, if you bring people home from doing mission overseas, there are National Security implications. We would have to replace them. The way the department of defense is built, it doesnt do any mission around the World Without using the reserve component. Toont think there are plans retreat missions that have been mobilized. We will be part of those deployments going forward. Are there any Guard Overseas that have tested positive . Are you concerned they are getting tested enough and they are being turned around fast enough . The think they are part of army and air force and if they need testing, they are getting testing. Im not aware of any member that has tested positive. If there is, they will be treated like any other soldier. General, just a followup, are there tests for National Guardsmen overseas . Tests . Have the National Guard . Wherever they are located, are people getting tested . Do we not know they have it because they have not been tested . The military apparatus has some testing. Is in place for any military member that might need to test. I am trying to understand the downside of mobilizing the National Guard with the federal order. If you could explain that for the audience more clearly. What would they not be able to do in terms of Law Enforcement if they are mobilized at the federal level . Using the title x military members in a Law Enforcement capacity is prohibited. We want to keep that is title forces. Eduty military if you keep the National Guard under the command and control of 32, theynors in title have additional authorities to this Law Enforcement. To assist Law Enforcement it makes it the more efficient response. That is the reason we want to keep them in a state status. You see a role for the National Guard in Law Enforcement . Could be when there is pressure put on, people get sick, they need more Law Enforcement out there. The National Guard could be used in that capacity. Do i see it happening now . I dont see any demand to use it in that kind of scenario. But they could. Governors could. They could use the National Guard. Can you give us a couple of examples . For, ifcould be used they wanted to assist trolls, if they wanted to just do general Law Enforcement to make sure people are following the laws, anything the Law Enforcement capacity normally does, they could be augmented with the National Guard. Law could be out there with enforcement. Generally they are with civilians when they do it. They could be used in any number of capacities. We are going to the phones. Ok. Phones. K to the what sort of preparations are you doing if the guard is used to help construct or man field hospitals . The guard has a capacity to have engineer units. They can build things, i have not heard of plans to build field hospitals using the National Guard. We have the ability to use National Guard manpower and equipment to do whatever it is the state apparatus needs to do. To follow up on that, on the field hospitals, there are guard units that are combat support units. Have they been activated . Or will they be . Medical have been some capability used. New york has 50 medics on board. Are medicalmber technicians. As far as bringing on field capacity has not been activated in the National Guard. Im not sure we have field hospitals. That is more army reserve. We do have medical technicians and battalions. Medical technicians and the like. If the governors want to mobilize them and use them, they can do that. The issue is, as we have talked about, if you were to activate the reserve component and bring them on duty, you are taking them out of the civilian system. There is a zerosum game with medical personnel. About the need for hospitals. I dont think we have field hospitals in the guard. I could be wrong. Thanks for doing this. I have a question go back to keeping it under state control. If colorado needs more national cases,o test potential when they have to go through you guys . If they had extra capacity, how would that work . Mytraditionally if you use hurricane example, we have the National Guard share compact state to state. There are various capabilities. They can make those deals from one state to another. They dont have to come through us. We generally find another state with unused capacity they may be agreement withan another state, so if colorado wanted to find help, they could come to us to do that. After this we are going to try the phones again. Please mute your phone. We have a lot of feedback going on. Back to the issue of federal lysing the guard . There is something i dont understand. You, byu explain, if not federalize the guard, if you do not do that, are there any capabilities separate from Law Enforcement you are forgoing by the guard . Izing and if you did, is there some automatic, they have the authority, wouldnt there be additional steps . Wouldnt there be additional steps before they can engage . Themit automatically give Law Enforcement authority . . Hat would you be forgoing you actually take them out from under the command and control and give them to a federal title x military structure. It is a much more efficient system to leave the guard in a state status. They have all the equipment and people, the governor can access every component of the system. It also provides more of a flexible option. I will give you an example, if you needed to use some piece of a National Guard and you said if i take all of that, i am going to take all of the officers out of the civilian community, the local commander can say lets not use those, lets leave the police in the civilian jobs. Once you start federal lysing the guard, you make it a less flexible system. Up, does federal lysing the guard automatically convey Law Enforcement authority . Weve gotten a number of briefings on coronavirus response. You can find all of our coverage at cspan. Org. We are going to leave the last few minutes of the National Guard and take you to a briefing by georges governor brian kemp. Gov. Kemp our hearts are broken for these families and friends and certainly our prayers go out in the days and weeks ahead. I would ask all georgians to pray for these families and those in the local communities that have been affected by these tragic events that we are all