The Hawai‘i National Guard’s Joint Task Force (HING JTF) has transitioned its remaining COVID-19 responsibilities including vaccinations, testing, COVID-19 mapping, and unemployment office temperature screenings back to the state as of March 15, 2022.
The HING JTF has been on orders assisting the state since April 6, 2020 when the organization was first activated and put on State Active Duty orders before transitioning to Title 32 U.S.C. 502 (f) duty, which provided federal funding that covered up to 100% of the cost activities associated with all mission assignments in response to COVID-19.
At its peak, the HING JTF held about 1,300 Soldiers and Airmen on COVID-19 status across the state. About 300 Guardsmen make up the current force that off-ramped on March 15. These Guardsmen will take mandatory leave and then officially come off orders on April 1, 2022, returning to their full-time jobs or school with additional skills and experiences.
The Hawai‘i National Guard’s COVID-19 assistance to federal, state, and local authorities has been the longest state activation/mission in its history. Past long-term activations include Hurricane Iniki in 1992, the Kīlauea eruption in 2018, the Kaua‘i floods and landslides in 2018, and security support for the United States Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. in 2021.
Below is a comprehensive list of the Hawaiʻi National Guard’s accomplishments since April 2020:
Other significant numbers include:
- 45,637 hours of site security at DLIR
- 10,862 hours of COVID-19 temperature screening at Lahaina and Lanai harbors
- 5,712 hours of public education
- 3,295+ Safe Travels applications processed
AP Photo