Kan. Members Transporting Supplies Statewide for COVID-19 Response

1st Lt. Cole Oakland
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
Kansas Wing

Volunteer airmen with the Kansas Wing continue to provide manpower and assets to the Kansas Division of Emergency Management during the agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, totaling 10,000 miles on the ground this weekend to transport materials from the state's Strategic National Stockpile allocations to 105 counties.

On April 4 and 5, Kansas Wing volunteers, acting as the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, joined with Kansas National Guard soldiers and airmen to transport the supplies statewide.

“Our members are traveling throughout the state, touching all four corners to deliver supplies to the counties,” said Lt. Col. Doug Dutton, the wing’s transportation incident commander.

Supporting this effort were 32 Civil Air Patrol volunteers and all 15 wing vehicles from across the state. “We have members from every Kansas squadron supporting COVID relief-related missions,” Dutton said.

Since March 12, about 47 CAP volunteers have assisted in either the State Emergency Operations Center or with transportation, with many performing both missions.

“Seeing our volunteers coming together to serve their communities has been phenomenal,” said Col. Linette Lahan, Kansas Wing commander. “Members from across the state have answered the call to serve, and our wing stands ready to support.”

Across the nation, numerous CAP wings are also assisting with COVID-19 responses in their states. Twenty states and over 900 members have assisted in their states' emergency operations centers, transported personal protection equipment (PPE), lab supplies and test samples and provided other assistance.