COVID-19
UPROXX, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul Is Deploying The National Guard To Fill In For Unvaxxed Hospital Workers, And The Right-Wing Can’t Handle It,Sept. 27, 2021
LOUDER WITH CROWDER.COM, Ny Gov Announces Massive Layoffs Of Unvaccinated Nurses, Hospital StaffSept. 27, 2021
DEMOCRACY NOW, New York National Guard May Fill Roles of Healthcare Workers Who Refuse Vaccinations,Sept. 28, 2021
WSYR, St. Joseph’s Hospital suspends 122 employees who failed to get vaccinated,Sept. 28,2021
NEW YORK TIMES, A Last-Minute Rush to Get Vaccinated,Sept. 29, 2021
NEW YORK TIMES, New York weighs using the National Guard to replace unvaccinated health care workers.Sept. 26, 2021,
THE HILL Hochul considering deployment of National Guard to address health worker shortage, , Sept. 25, 2021
THE GUARDIAN, New York may use national guard to replace unvaccinated health workers: governor Hochul outlines plans as mandate deadline looms, Sun 26 Sep 2021
ASSOCIATED PRESS, NY preps for staff shortage with health care vaccine mandate, Sept. 26, 2021
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, Gov. Hochul orders National Guard to fill any NY hospital shortages caused by unvaccinated staffers, Sept. 27, 2021
CNN,New York prepares to deploy National Guard to plug health care worker shortages as vaccine mandate begins,Sept. 27, 2021
WGRZ, Gov. Hochul's Suggestion for Outside Nurses Already In Use at Major Expense for Hospitals Travel or Contract Nurses Used Now to Plug Gaps with Higher Costs,September 27, 2021
SURVIVING THE NEWS.COM New unelected “governor” of New York replacing unvaccinated health care workers with National Guard soldiers, , Sept. 29, 2021
CHANNEL 34, (BINGHAMTON) New York health care worker vaccine mandate now in effect, next steps., Sept. 29, 2021,
FUNERAL HONORS
NATIONAL GUARD.MIL, New York National Guard funeral honors Korean War MIA,Sept. 28, 2021 ARMY.MIL, New York National Guard funeral honors Korean War MIA,Sept. 27,2021
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, New York Army National Guard promotions,Sept. 28,2021
AUBURN DAILY CITIZEN, Military Notes: Cayuga County National Guard members promoted. Sept. 26, 2021
TIMES UNION, Duty Calls: 2 Army National Guard leaders honored for decades of dutySept. 27, 2021
MONROE COUNTY POST, Army National Guard promotes local soldiers ,Sept. 29, 2021
AIR NATIONALGUARD
NYANG.MIL, NY Air National Guard gets historic HC-130 aircraft at its front gate, Sept. 24, 2021
NATIONAL GUARD.MIL, AND AF. MIL New York Air Guard's Skibirds wrap up 2021 Greenland mission; September 30, 2021
COVID-19
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul Is Deploying The National Guard To Fill In For Unvaxxed Hospital Workers, And The Right-Wing Can’t Handle It
UPROXX, Sept. 27, 2021
New York State offered health care workers a choice: Get vaccinated or lose their job. That day came on Monday, September 27, with tens of thousands of unvaxxed employees set to be fired, opening a potentially catastrophic hole in the state’s hospital system. But newish Governor Kathy Hochul had a plan that of course didn’t sit well with the right-wing: replace them with, among others, members of the National Guard.
As per The Daily Beast, Hochul’s plan will expand the qualifications for health care employees, including “workers from other countries, recent graduates, and retirees to practice in New York.” National Guard troops are also on there, long as they’re “medically trained.”
“We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal,” Hochul declared in a statement. “I commend all of the health care workers who have stepped up to get themselves vaccinated, and I urge all remaining health care workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care.”
According to state data, a whopping 84% of New York State health care workers are vaccinated. But that still means as many as 94,000 are unvaccinated. Of those who have refused to get dosed, many have argued that it violates their personal freedoms.
The news was net well met with the GOP and some libertarians.
Instead of bringing in the National Guard, why won’t New York let unvaccinated nurses and doctors treat unvaccinated patients?
— samanthamarika (@samanthamarika1) September 27, 2021
Gov. Hochul's vaccine mandate is throwing our healthcare system into chaos, ruthlessly firing frontline healthcare workers who sacrificed so much the past 18 months to fight COVID. Proud to join local healthcare workers in calling on the Governor to revoke this cruel order.
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) September 27, 2021
New York is set to fire 70,000 healthcare workers tomorrow during a public health crisis because they won’t vax.
Then they plan to declare an emergency so they can bring in the National Guard to fix the shortage THEY CREATED.
Absolutely unconscionable.
— I Am Leah (@Bossy_Leah) September 27, 2021
A government that fires its healthcare workforce (up to 16% in NY) in the midst of a self- proclaimed healthcare crisis loses the credibility to ask for sacrifices from the public to help strained hospitals. This is a political crisis, not a health crisis.https://t.co/pmEnS6ct3X
— Milhouse Van Houten (@Milhouse_Van_Ho) September 26, 2021
I love that New York’s plan is to replace their medical workers with the National Guard. I still remember our first IV class in the Marines. Looked like Texas Chainsaw Massacre in there. This should go well. pic.twitter.com/dgDW5NqMno
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) September 27, 2021
Will The National Guard Cook Our Meals To? Make My Coffee?
Will They Fix Our Roads? Will They Put Out The Fires?
Will They Stock The Shelves At The Store? https://t.co/lvnQSmNlp6 — Covid-1984 (@NeverSleever) September 26, 2021
But it also received praise.
BOOM: New York Governor to sign executive order to replace unvaccinated healthcare workers who have been fired, w/ National Guard personnel who are medically trained, to minimize hospital staffing shortages.
Raise your hand if you want to this in ALL 50 States ✋
— Nathan Mackenzie Brown (@NathanMackBrown) September 27, 2021
New York State’s health care employee mandate was going to coincide with one for educators, who were to have been vaccinated on the same date. However, federal judge temporarily blocked the move. It now goes to a three-judge Appeals Court. https://uproxx.com/viral/kathy-hochul-national-guard-hospital-workers-rightwing-media- reactions/
NY GOV ANNOUNCES MASSIVE LAYOFFS OF UNVACCINATED NURSES, HOSPITAL STAFF Louder with Crowder.com, Sept. 27, 2021 The year was 2020. The trend was annoying nurses dancing on TikTok. The narrative was how these nurses were heroes risking their lives to save people from the Chinese virus even though it was racist to call it the Chinese virus. But that was then. This is now. And now, if you're unwilling to get poked with the Fauci Ouchie, you're probably the grim reaper. Even if you work in healthcare as a nurse. New York Governor Hochul, who replaced sex pervert Andrew Cuomo, not to be confused with his dumber brother Chris, announced that effective tonight at midnight, if nurses and hospital staff were unvaccinated, they were out. Regardless if they starred in a TikTok dance this time last year.
She's using an executive order to address the shortages and will deploy the National Guard to hospitals. That's not scary at all. Also, remember all the memes and dedications to the front-line workers taking on the Corona?
Here's the question I need you all to ask whenever vaccines are addressed: WHAT ABOUT NATURAL IMMUNITY FROM A PREVIOUS INFECTION? Because according to people who study (and lots of "the science" before then) natural immunity is kind of crucial to preventing the spread of a virus or lessening the damage a virus might cause. Media and the Democrats but I repeat myself, are out there trying to pedal this vaccine as the ONLY way to combat COVID-19. The more they focus on the vaccine and the vaccine alone, the less the gullible masses will consider previous infections. But we cannot just ignore a huge function of the human body: the FUCKING IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Asking about natural immunity exposes this entire scam for what it is. Because if these people actually gave two craps about stopping the spread, and not exposing people to COVID-19, they'd herald antibody testing and natural immunity. Instead: GET THE VACCINE OR ELSE. Draw the line in the sand here or there won't be any more lines to be drawn. This is it. https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/ny-gov-announces-massive-layoffs-of- unvaccinated-nurses-hospital-staff
New York National Guard May Fill Roles of Healthcare Workers Who Refuse Vaccinations Democracy Now, Sept. 28, 2021
Here in New York, thousands of hospital and nursing home workers rushed to get their first COVID-19 shots ahead of a vaccine mandate deadline of midnight on Monday. New York health officials say the late surge means at least 92% of healthcare workers have received at least one dose. Those who’ve refused face unpaid leaves of absence or termination. Governor Kathy Hochul said she’s prepared to deploy the National Guard to help fill any staffing shortages.
Gov. Kathy Hochul: “Today is a significant deadline. It reflects my priority to stop this virus dead in its tracks. We are over it. We are done. We want to move on. And the only way we can do that is to ensure that everyone is vaccinated, but particularly individuals who are taking care of the people who are sick.” On Monday, a three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled that New York City may proceed with a vaccine mandate for nearly all public school workers. https://www.democracynow.org/2021/9/28/headlines/new_york_national_guard_may_fill _roles_of_healthcare_workers_who_refuse_vaccinations National Guard could replace unvaccinated medics in NY RT.com, September 28, 2021 New York could be relying on National Guard personnel in its rush to replace healthcare workers who don’t comply with the state’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate, as the governor says those not getting inoculated aren’t listening to God. Critics got New York’s possible National Guard plan trending on Monday, highlighting a possibility floated in a recent statement about controversial and looming mandates in the state. According to the governor’s office, the administration is considering declaring a state of emergency to “allow qualified health care professionals in other states and countries” to more easily be licensed to work in the state. Another possibility to deal with the potential of some hospitals losing thousands of workers refusing to comply with the state mandate includes bringing in National Guard soldiers. Activists chanting ‘USA’ & ‘f**k Joe Biden’ storm vaccinated-only food court in Staten Island, NY in protest against mandates Hospital and nursing home employees in New York are required to get their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of Monday, September 27. Health care professionals working in home care, hospices, or other facilities have until October 7 to get inoculated. Though vaccine mandates have been promised by President Joe Biden, and other states like Maine and California are following New York’s lead, they have been incredibly controversial. A vaccine mandate in New York city for teachers and other public school employees was challenged by multiple lawsuits and recently given a temporary injunction while a three judge panel reviews its legality.
That mandate has also led to concerns about potential staffing shortages it will create in a field already dealing with staffing issues. The National Guard needing to be called in to deal with a staffing crisis that is itself a response to a vaccine mandate has added to the outrage of critics. Many have called the state’s staffing crisis an issue “they created.”
“The impending health care worker shortage is man-made and entirely avoidable,” physician and author Nicole Saphier tweeted. Some hospitals have already warned employees not to show up for work on Tuesday if they cannot prove on Monday that they have been vaccinated. Some facilities have also temporarily halted new admissions to deal with potential shortages, including the Van Duyn nursing home in Syracuse. While the majority of healthcare workers are vaccinated, according to state data, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has shown no sign of backing down off the mandates. She even argued over the weekend that those getting inoculated are following God’s wishes. Telling a congregation at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn on Sunday that she wears her “‘vaccinated’ necklace all the time saying I’m vaccinated,” Hochul claimed the “smart ones” are getting inoculated, but those still refusing to do so are ignoring God. “All of you, yes, I know you’re vaccinated, you’re the smart ones, but you know there’s people out there who aren’t listening to God and what God wants. You know who they are,” she said. https://www.rt.com/usa/535953-new-york-national-guard-vaccine/
St. Joseph’s Hospital suspends 122 employees who failed to get vaccinated WSYR, Sept. 28,2021 SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) –Over 120 employees of St. Joseph’s Hospital were given letters of suspension Tuesday after failing to meet the state’s requirement they get vaccinated against COVID-19. A spokesperson for the hospital says last-minute shots and last-minute proof of previous shots surged the staff’s participation rate to almost 97%. The 122 people put on suspension have until October 8 to change their minds and return to work if they get shots. Crouse Hospital got to a rate of 94% by Tuesday. A spokesperson says seven people decided to leave the facility. Central New York’s largest employer, Upstate University Hospital, did not release vaccine data on Tuesday. A spokesperson said the administration was still reviewing the numbers. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo enacted a vaccine mandate for all hospital workers, including hospitals and nursing home staffs. Governor Kathy Hochul stood by the deadline. To fill staffing shortages caused by the suspensions, Governor Hochul has signed an executive order allowing medical professionals licensed out-of-state and out-of-country to practice in New York. The order also makes available the New York National Guard. A spokesperson for the National Guard tells NewsChannel 9 that its use is only an option and has not yet been assigned. https://www.localsyr.com/health/coronavirus/st-josephs-hospital-suspends-122- employees-who-failed-to-get-vaccinated/ A Last-Minute Rush to Get Vaccinated New York Times, Sept. 29, 2021 It’s Wednesday. We’ll look at what unvaccinated health care workers in New York decided to do when faced with losing their jobs. We’ll also look at a man who is still on the lonely job he took early in the pandemic. Health care workers in New York have rushed to get vaccinated in the last few days, an indication that a state-mandated deadline had made the difference for thousands of holdouts whose resistance had threatened their jobs. By the time the rule went into effect just after midnight Tuesday, 92 percent of the state’s 600,000 hospital and nursing home workers had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, state officials reported. That left roughly 48,000 unvaccinated, about half as many as a week ago. Some hospitals and nursing homes remain concerned about potential staffing shortages. But officials said the last-minute inoculations had lessened the likelihood of worst-case scenarios that would prompt institutions to assign nurses to longer shifts or limit nonemergency care. “All of a sudden, there were consequences, and consequences make a difference,” said Dr. Sheldon Landesman, an infectious disease specialist and professor at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. “Losing your job, losing your paycheck, that’s a serious consequence.” The economic reality erased holdouts’ fears that the vaccines were not safe and resentment that they could be required to take them, he said. Opposition to the vaccine mandate persists, as it does in other states. At least eight lawsuits challenging it have been filed, some citing First Amendment objections and others claiming that the state should recognize immunity from prior infection as equivalent to vaccination. In several federal cases, health care workers demanding religious exemptions have won the right to keep working for now. Still, it was clear that once-reluctant health care workers had changed their minds as the deadline approached. In the New York City public hospital system, more than 8,000 workers were unvaccinated a week ago. By Monday, the number had dropped to about 5,000 — or just over 10 percent of the work force. City officials said they could manage the gaps and that the system would continue to function safely. The number of unvaccinated employees at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx had also plummeted in the last few days. Dr. Eric Appelbaum, the chief medical officer, said some employees — anxious about getting a shot, for whatever reasons — had apparently ignored the mandate when it was announced last month. But the deadline was impossible to ignore, he said. As recently as last Wednesday, more than 20 percent of the hospital’s roughly 3,000 staff members had yet to get their first dose. By Tuesday, just 3 percent remained unvaccinated. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Monday night that will allow her to dispatch the National Guard to cover staff shortages at hospital and nursing homes if needed. She has also waived licensing requirements so that out-of-state doctors and nurses could be hired in New York. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/29/nyregion/a-last-minute-rush-to-get-vaccinated.html
New York weighs using the National Guard to replace unvaccinated health care workers.
New York Times, Sept. 26, 2021,
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is considering calling in the National Guard and recruiting medical professionals from other states to cover looming staff shortages at hospitals and other facilities as the likelihood grows that tens of thousands of health care workers will not meet the state’s deadlines for mandated vaccinations.
In a statement released on Saturday, the governor’s office said Ms. Hochul was laying plans for an executive order to declare a state of emergency that would “allow qualified health care professionals licensed in other states or countries, recent graduates, retired and formerly practicing health care professionals to practice in New York State.”
Other options, the statement said, included calling in medically trained National Guard members to deliver care and to work with the federal government to deploy Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, which are operated by the Department for Health and Human Services.
New York State is one of the first major testing grounds for stronger vaccination edicts rolling in across the country in the health care sector. California and Maine have also set deadlines for health care workers to be vaccinated. President Biden has said his administration will issue a national vaccination mandate expected to ultimately affect some 17 million health care workers at hospitals and other institutions that accept Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.
Hospital and nursing home employees in New York are required to receive a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by 11:59 p.m. on Monday night, while workers working in home care, hospices and other adult care facilities must do so by Oct. 7, according to state regulations and a mandate issued on Aug. 16 by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
State vaccination figures show that, as of Wednesday, 16 percent of the state’s roughly 450,000 hospital workers, or about 70,000, were not fully vaccinated. The data show that 15 percent of staff at skilled nursing facilities and 14 percent of workers at adult care facilities are also not fully vaccinated, representing another 25,000 or so workers.
Eileen Toback, executive director of the New York Professional Nurses Union, which represents 1,500 nurses in Manhattan and supported the vaccine mandate, said she appreciated that Ms. Hochul was trying to address possible staffing shortages. But Ms. Toback criticized the state for issuing the plan only 48 hours before thousands of health care workers could lose their jobs.
“That could be devastating, particularly when hospitals staff only the exact numbers they need,” Ms. Toback said. “There’s no fat on that bone.”
Ms. Toback said about 5 percent of her union’s members have not been vaccinated. “I believe a lot of unvaccinated employees, not just nurses, are banking on the fact that they are so necessary that they won’t be terminated, and they are holding out,” she said.
The governor’s office said workers terminated because they refuse to be vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance unless they provide a doctor-approved request for a medical accommodation.
In announcing New York’s determination to enforce its deadline, Ms. Hochul said, “We are still in a battle against Covid to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal.” She also commended the vast majority of state health care workers for getting vaccinated and urged “all remaining health care workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care.”
The Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents about 140 health systems and 55 nursing homes, had not issued a response to the governor’s plan but has supported the deadline for health care workers’ vaccinations, signaling that staffing shortages can be managed. Vaccine rules. On Aug. 23, the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and up, paving the way for an increase in mandates in both the public and private sectors. Private companies have been increasingly mandating vaccines for employees. Such mandates are legally allowed and have been upheld in court challenges.
Mask rules. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July recommended that all Americans, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in indoor public places within areas experiencing outbreaks, a reversal of the guidance it offered in May. See where the C.D.C. guidance would apply, and where states have instituted their own mask policies. The battle over masks has become contentious in some states, with some local leaders defying state bans.
College and universities. More than 400 colleges and universities are requiring students to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Almost all are in states that voted for President Biden.
Schools. Both California and New York City have introduced vaccine mandates for education staff. A survey released in August found that many American parents of school-age children are opposed to mandated vaccines for students, but were more supportive of mask mandates for students, teachers and staff members who do not have their shots.
Hospitals and medical centers. Many hospitals and major health systems are requiring employees to get a Covid-19 vaccine, citing rising caseloads fueled by the Delta variant and stubbornly low vaccination rates in their communities, even within their work force.
New York City. Proof of vaccination is required of workers and customers for indoor dining, gyms, performances and other indoor situations, although enforcement does not begin until Sept. 13. Teachers and other education workers in the city’s vast school system will need to have at least one vaccine dose by Sept. 27, without the option of weekly testing. City hospital workers must also get a vaccine or be subjected to weekly testing. Similar rules are in place for New York State employees.
At the federal level. The Pentagon announced that it would seek to make coronavirus vaccinations mandatory for the country’s 1.3 million active-duty troops “no later” than the middle of September. President Biden announced that all civilian federal employees would have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or submit to regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and restrictions on most travel.
Michael A.L. Balboni, executive director of the Greater New York Health Care Facilities Association that represents about 80 nursing homes in the metropolitan area, applauded the governor’s effort to get more “This is a paradox, in that in trying to protect the residents and staff you don’t have enough people to provide the services and you could put people in jeopardy,” Mr. Balboni said.
Ms. Toback said retirees and others could play a role in helping to alleviate shortages, as they did early in the pandemic. But she said replacement workers were no substitute for experienced nurses who have worked at the same hospital for “13 shifts a month, every month, for years.”
“Nurses have been through a great deal — they’re burned out — and although we appreciate the need for what we need to get through this pandemic, this is just hitting people when they’re down,” Ms. Toback said.
Northwell Health, which operates 19 hospitals in the state, said in a statement that it “wants to reassure the public that patient care will not be affected” by the mandate and that it was working on contingency plans to meet staffing needs.
Unvaccinated employees at Northwell Health have been notified that they could be terminated if they do not receive at least their first dose of the vaccine by the deadline, the statement said.
“We are optimistic that we will soon be able to provide a fully vaccinated staff to our patients and the communities we serve,” the statement said. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/25/world/americas/health-workers-ny-vaccine.html
Hochul considering deployment of National Guard to address health worker shortage
The Hill, Sept. 25, 2021
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is considering deploying the medically trained members of the National Guard ahead of an anticipated shortage of health care workers.
Hochul released a comprehensive plan to address staff shortages in New York facilities Saturday, amid concerns that a large number of health care employees will not meet Monday's vaccine deadline.
"We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal," Hochul said, according to a release on the state website. "I am monitoring the staffing situation closely, and we have a plan to increase our health care workforce and help alleviate the burdens on our hospitals and other health care facilities.
The plan, announced by the state government lays out several options in the event of a staff shortage.
First the governor said that she would sign an executive order declaring a state of emergency to route additional workforce supply into New York. This includes allowing qualified healthcare workers licensed in other states to practice in New York.
Other options, according to the statement, included deploying medically trained professionals of the National Guard, partnering with the federal government to deploy Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and working with the federal government to expedite visa requests for medical professionals.
In Saturday's statement, Hochul also advised all healthcare workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
"I commend all of the health care workers who have stepped up to get themselves vaccinated, and I urge all remaining health care workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care," she said.
By 11:59 p.m. Monday, all healthcare workers must have the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while staff at other facilities, including home care, hospice, and adult care facilities, must be vaccinated by Oct. 7.
Workers terminated because they refuse to be vaccinated are also not eligible for unemployment insurance unless they provide a medical accommodation from a doctor, the statement noted.
As of Wednesday, 84 percent of healthcare workers in New York are fully vaccinated, according to state data. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/573957-ny-governor-considering-deployment- of-national-guard-to-address-health
New York may use national guard to replace unvaccinated health workers: governor Hochul outlines plans as mandate deadline looms
The Guardian, Sun 26 Sep 2021
The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, is considering using the national guard and out-of-state medical workers to fill hospital staffing shortages, as tens of thousands of workers are unlikely to meet a Monday deadline for mandated Covid-19 vaccination.
The plan, outlined in a statement, would allow the governor to declare a state of emergency and thereby increase the supply of healthcare workers to include licensed professionals from other states and countries as well as retired nurses.
Hochul said the state was also looking at using national guard officers with medical training to keep hospitals and other medical facilities adequately staffed.
Some 16% of the state’s 450,000 hospital staff, or roughly 70,000 workers, have not been fully vaccinated, the governor’s office said.
The plan comes amid a broader battle between state and federal government leaders pushing for vaccine mandates to help counter the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus and workers who are against inoculation requirements, some on religious grounds.
“We are still in a battle against Covid to protect our loved ones,” Hochul said.
“I commend all of the healthcare workers who have stepped up to get themselves vaccinated, and I urge all remaining healthcare workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care.“
Healthcare workers who are fired for refusing to get vaccinated will not be eligible for unemployment insurance unless they are able to provide a valid doctor-approved request for medical accommodation, Hochul’s office said.
It was not immediately clear how pending legal cases concerning religious exemptions would apply to the state’s plan to move ahead and fire unvaccinated healthcare workers. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/26/new-york-national-guard- unvaccinated-health-workers-governor-kathy-hochul
NY preps for staff shortage with health care vaccine mandate Associated Press, Sept. 26, 2021
ALBANY (AP) — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday she is prepared to call in medically trained National Guard members, retirees and workers outside New York to address potential staffing shortages caused by an approaching vaccine mandate for health care workers.
If necessary, Hochul said, she will declare a state of emergency through an executive order designed to address staffing shortages in hospitals and nursing homes once the mandate takes effect Monday.
Many health care workers have still not yet received a required first shot of the COVID- 19 vaccine days before the deadline, leaving the prospect of potentially thousands of health care workers being forced off the job next week.
The order would allow health care professionals who are licensed in other states or countries, are recent graduates, or are formerly practicing health care professionals to practice in New York, Hochul said, noting she is exploring ways to expedite visa requests for medical professionals.
The governor said she also has the option of deploying National Guard members and partnering with the federal government to deploy Disaster Medical Assistance Teams.
“I am monitoring the staffing situation closely, and we have a plan to increase our health care workforce and help alleviate the burdens on our hospitals and other health care facilities," she said in a prepared release.
As the state made its preparations, New York City officials were temporarily blocked from enforcing a similar vaccine mandate for its teachers and other school workers. The city mandate was set to go into effect Monday, but a federal appeals judge granted a temporary injunction Friday and referred the case to a three-judge panel an an expedited basis.
Hospitals around the state have been preparing contingency plans that included cutting back on elective surgeries. Many nursing homes were limiting admissions.
“We’re roughly about 84% statewide vaccinated right now, so any initiatives that the governor could advance to increase the workforce is welcome and needed,” said Stephen Hanse, who represents nursing homes statewide as president of the New York State Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living.
Hochul, a Democrat, has resisted calls to delay the mandate, and her 11th-hour announcement could ratchet up pressure on vaccine holdouts. She said workers terminated because of refusal to be vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance without a doctor-approved request for medical accommodation.
Also Saturday, Hochul announced in a tweet that booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine were now available in New York for those who received Pfizer as their primary vaccine and are 65 years and older or 50 years and older with underlying medical conditions. Recipients must have had their second dose at least six months ago.
We want to make it as seamless as possible for New Yorkers to receive a booster dose and we’ll provide more guidance & details in the coming days,” she tweeted. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-new-york-kathy- hochul-915e63da5287207bac44be6e683754cd
Gov. Hochul orders National Guard to fill any NY hospital shortages caused by unvaccinated staffers
New York Daily News, Sept. 27, 2021
NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul took executive action Monday to allow medically trained National Guard troops to fill in for hospital workers who are refusing to get their COVID-19 shots despite the state’s vaccine mandate in health care settings.
The mandate requires doctors, nurses and other health care workers statewide to show proof of receiving at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine by midnight Monday in order to continue working.
Hochul said Monday morning she didn’t know how many health care employees in New York won’t be able to work once the mandate takes effect and that she signed an executive order out of precaution to be able to call in the National Guard to fill any staff shortages.
“We’re taking all the steps preemptively in anticipation of what I call a preventable staffing shortage,” Hochul said at a press conference in the Bronx. “I don’t have to do this if people will get vaccinated, there’s plenty of hours left in the day, but I also know I need to be prepared.” In addition to National Guard troops, Hochul’s order allows the state to tap retired health care workers as well as hospital workers from out-of-state in the event of vaccine- related staffing shortages.
Even though coronavirus shots have been available for nearly a year, about 16% of New York’s 450,000 health care workers were not fully vaccinated as of this past weekend, according to Hochul’s office.
Vaccine hesitancy has remained persistent despite the highly contagious variant of COVID-19 driving a spike in infections, hospitalizations and deaths across the country. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-covid- hochul-orders-national-guard-to-fill-hospital-shortages-20210927- eqm7blbxxfd7fhcigsnd7f5rga-story.html
New York prepares to deploy National Guard to plug health care worker shortages as vaccine mandate begins,
CNN, Sept. 27, 2021
New York (CNN)New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she plans to sign an executive order to give herself the power to address any health care worker shortages when the state's health care vaccine mandate goes into effect overnight Monday into Tuesday.
"Today is a significant deadline. It reflects my priority to stop this virus dead in its tracks," Hochul said Monday. It is a "basic right" for people to know they will be safe when entering a health care facility, the governor added.
Last month, the New York State Department of Health issued an order that all health care workers in the state would be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by September 27. States have long required hospital employees to be vaccinated against other diseases to better protect staff and patients from outbreaks.
The vast majority of health care workers have been vaccinated against Covid-19, but the requirement could still lead to a significant number of workers unable to work -- shortages that could, ironically, lead to worse medical care for patients with the illness. New York is facing similar potential worker shortages because of its vaccine mandates in schools and courts.
Hochul said that while she would prefer all of the state's health care workers be vaccinated by the end of the day, she is prepared to use emergency powers to deploy medically trained National Guard officers and bring qualified, retired health care workers back into service, even if their medical licenses have lapsed.
New York faces a showdown this week over vaccine mandates in schools, courts and health care
New York faces a showdown this week over vaccine mandates in schools, courts and health care
The governor also said her office will establish an operations center that will be in touch with health care facilities across the state Monday night and Tuesday to determine where the state's resources are, as well as where employee shortages are occurring and how to properly staff them.
It's possible that some health care workers may be asked to serve in different parts of the state where the vaccination rate is lower, Hochul said.
"It's not going to be a perfect situation, but again, it's preventable," Hochul said.
Hochul asked remaining unvaccinated health care workers to "please do the right thing," calling getting vaccinated "simple common sense."
"I'm sick and tired of talking about Covid. I want to talk about the rebirth of communities," Hochul said. "We've been fighting this long and hard. ... There is an end in sight."
Where New York's hospitals stand
At New York City's 11 public hospitals, about 5,000 of the 43,000 employees, or about 12%, were not vaccinated as of Monday morning, Health + Hospitals CEO Dr. Mitch Katz said Monday.
"Over 95% of my nurses are vaccinated today ... close to 98-99% of my doctors have agreed (and been vaccinated) and all our facilities are open and fully functional," Katz said when asked whether he was aware of any staffing shortages. "I have not heard of any negative reports from the private hospital system."
Unvaccinated employees at the 11 public hospitals will be put on unpaid leave but may return if they get vaccinated, according to NYC Health + Hospitals spokesperson Stephanie M. Guzmán. Any employee of a state-run health care facility who does not receive at least one vaccination dose by the end of the day Monday, barring approved exemptions, "will be immediately suspended," according to the New York State Department of Health.
The vaccination rate among health care workers varies by region and type of health care center. As of last Wednesday, 84% of hospital workers, 81% of staff at all adult care facilities and 77% of all staff at nursing home facilities were fully vaccinated in the state, according to the governor's office.
New York governor anticipates possible health care staff shortages due to vaccine mandate non-compliance
New York governor anticipates possible health care staff shortages due to vaccine mandate non-compliance
"I do expect that some places where more health care workers remain to be vaccinated may have to make some operational adjustments particularly to ensure that staffing is most important, that ICU or operating rooms are adequately staffed," New York City Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said. "But I do believe that hospitals will be prepared to get through this without major impact to patient care."
The vast majority of employees at Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals in New York City have complied with the state's vaccine mandate, according to spokespeople from both health institutions.
Mount Sinai expects less than 1% of its staff to be cut due to failure to fulfill the vaccine mandate, a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, NewYork-Presbyterian set its own vaccination deadline last week, the hospital said in a statement. More than 99% of the hospital's 48,000 staff members are fully vaccinated, said spokesperson Suzanne Halpin, adding that fewer than 250 employees chose not to comply with the mandate.
"We will continue to provide exceptional care at all of our hospitals, without interruption," she said.
However, that's not the case at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) in Buffalo, which expects 10% of its staff -- about 400 workers -- not to be vaccinated by Monday, spokesperson Peter Cutler said in a statement. About 85% of all staff are already vaccinated, he said.
ECMC suspended elective inpatient surgeries and will temporarily stop accepting ICU transfers from other health care facilities ahead of Monday's vaccine mandate deadline, the medical center said in a statement. ECMC has also curtailed hours at outpatient clinics as well as reduced units at one of its long-term care facilities. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/us/ny-health-care-vaccine-mandate/index.html
Gov. Hochul's Suggestion for Outside Nurses Already In Use at Major Expense for Hospitals Travel or Contract Nurses Used Now to Plug Gaps with Higher Costs
WGRZ, September 27, 2021
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — While Governor Hochul again on Monday suggested outside help to plug any holes for staffing to help keep hospitals operating, 2 On Your Side found out that's exactly what's already being done at many facilities here locally.
We spoke with one local hospital chief who says that process can indeed be very expensive.
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center President Joseph Ruffolo bluntly says "The supply of nurses - again it's demand and supply - the demand is far, far outpacing the supply."
So even with a 93 percent vaccine compliance rate for his staffers, Ruffolo still sees intense competition period to hire for those open health care positions.
The Falls medical center like most hospitals uses outside nurses under temporary contracts for key specialty areas if need be. That is sometimes at significant expense. And Ruffolo says the firms providing those trained temps know the market. He compares it PPE supply prices which soared last year.
He says "Maybe six months ago we were paying a travel agency $60 dollars an hour for a nurse, Now it's $100 dollars. Or depending on the specialty it could be $130 dollars an hour."
And while local hospital systems including Catholic Health say that they're actively trying to recruit more nursing staff, they're also running into competition from contract or travel nurse staffing agencies which are offering great pay and the chance for a single nurse to travel the country if he or she wants to do so." Ruffolo notes that "Right now travel agencies are recruiting local nurses and they're exporting them to Florida and to Arizona where you know they can - they're getting $4,500 dollars a week for a nurse."
The Governor also suggested other countries as a source like the foreign nurses in New York City last year. And as we reported previously, trained lab techs from the Phillipines out in the Pacific were indeed successfully brought in to the hospital in the Falls. However as Ruffolo adds "It's a timely process in terms of getting them through all of the hurdles with working VISAs and getting all the necessary regulatory approvals. That doesn't take place overnight."
Hochul has also suggested using National Guard troops with medical training or appealing to the federal government for assistance in the form of specially designated medical teams which are used to help in disaster areas of the country.
The state has limited National Guard medical personnel in the Albany area but many of them are also practicing as doctors or nurses in their civilian professions. And there are limited disaster team members at the federal level.
There are other medical staff serving as reservists at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station here in Western New York. But they would have to be activated by officials in Washington and then also be taken away from their regular medical positions at hospitals. https://www.wgrz.com/article/money/gov-hochuls-suggestion-for-outside-nurses- already-in-use-at-major-expense-for-hospitals/71-117dd46d-7ebc-4d3b-bf96- 64737614ae3e
FUNERAL HONORS
New York National Guard funeral honors Korean War MIA National Guard.mil, By Sgt. Andrew Valenza, New York National Guard, Sept. 28, 2021
SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. – Maj. Gen. Michel Natali, the assistant adjutant general of New York, joined New York Army National Guard Soldiers Sept. 20 to salute a Korean War Soldier whose remains were laid to rest 71 years after he fell in combat. An Army National Guard Military Forces Honor Guard provided funeral honors and a firing party for the interment of Army Cpl. Walter Smead at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville.
Smead, who grew up in Hadley, went missing in December 1950 near Hagaru-ri, North Korea, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
He served in Alpha Battery of the 57th Field Artillery Battalion, part of the Army's 7th Infantry Division.
His remains were among those handed over to the United States by the North Korean government in 2018.
Walter Smead had already served during World War II with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy. The Smead family has had military connections in every generation, said cousin Stuart Smead, a retired Army lieutenant colonel.
"The Smead family has fought in almost every war," Stuart Smead said.
During the last month of 1950, Smead's battalion occupied the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, securing the flanks of the advancing 7th and 5th Marine Corps Regiments and the main supply route before attacking north toward the Manchurian border.
From Nov. 27 to Dec. 13, 1950, some 30,000 troops were attacked by 120,000 Chinese forces. Smead was reported missing in action Dec. 6 and, in 1953, presumed dead.
Smead's remains were confirmed March 16, 2021, by the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. So far, 76 Soldiers have been identified from the 55 boxes of remains turned over to the United States.
During funeral honors, Honor Guard Soldiers folded the flag from the casket and presented it to Smead's oldest living relative, his younger brother, Douglas, 85.
"It was great that we were able to bring some closure back to the Smead family," Natali said, "particularly after 71 years. Such a large turnout really means something to the Smead family and their descendants that Cpl. Smead's service stood for something."
Douglas Smead's niece, Bonnie Wolff, expressed thanks for the military honors and turnout of the community.
"It's really important for Walter to be home. It gives the family closure," Wolff said. After an initial defensive fight, Smead battled with the remnants of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, known as Task Force Faith, for its commander, Lt. Col. Don Faith, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. Faith led the force after the original commander was killed in action.
The task force fought off the Chinese 80th and 81st divisions before breaking out from its defensive positions Dec. 1. Smead was reported missing during that evacuation.
Of the 31st Regimental Combat's 1,777 Soldiers, 1,392 were declared missing in action, unrecovered killed or prisoners of war.
A detachment of Korean War veterans joined the military forces honor guard in rendering final honors, with remarks from Paul O'Keefe, commander of the Korean War Veterans Association, Adirondack Chapter 60, and New York State chaplain for the veterans association.
O'Keefe brought together veterans associations to pay their final respects.
"I called every commander of our 24 state chapters and told them about our fallen brother … who was reported MIA," O'Keefe said. "I condensed all their messages to offer our sincere condolences to every member of Cpl. Smead's family and friends."
In addition to the Army National Guard and Korean War veterans, dozens of fellow veterans, including the department commanders for the New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, and Patriot Guard Riders escorted Smead's remains to the national cemetery.
"The fact that there's such a large presence here today from Smead's hometown and across the region means that our community hasn't forgotten him," Natali said.
"The service today was impressive," O'Keefe said. "This man sacrificed his life for the freedom we all enjoy. He deserves every minute of every kind of appreciation that's given to him. He was a very special man."
The funeral gave proper respect and closure to the memory of Cpl. Smead, Stuart Smead said.
"My family has been waiting for this day for decades," he said. The turnout and final honors after 71 years left an impression on the Smead family, Wolff said.
"This is better than I was hoping, all the people who have come out," she said.
"I'm very proud to be a part of this," O'Keefe said. "Coming down in the procession, the whole road, tractors, cars, trailers pulled over for us. People waved, some blew their horns. It was incredible; he deserved it. He was a true hero. A young kid that never had a chance to be a father or get married and have a life. He died too young, for our freedom.
"Rest in peace now, our brother, here on these hallowed grounds," he said. https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/2790677/new-york-national-guard-funeral- honors-korean-war-mia/
New York National Guard funeral honors Korean War MIA Army.mil, Sept. 27,2021 SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. – Maj. Gen. Michel Natali, the assistant adjutant general of New York, joined New York Army National Guard Soldiers Sept. 20 to salute a Korean War Soldier whose remains were laid to rest 71 years after he fell in combat. An Army National Guard Military Forces Honor Guard provided funeral honors and a firing party for the interment of Army Cpl. Walter Smead at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville. Smead, who grew up in Hadley, went missing in December 1950 near Hagaru-ri, North Korea, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. He served in Alpha Battery of the 57th Field Artillery Battalion, part of the Army's 7th Infantry Division. His remains were among those handed over to the United States by the North Korean government in 2018. Walter Smead had already served during World War II with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy. The Smead family has had military connections in every generation, said cousin Stuart Smead, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "The Smead family has fought in almost every war," Stuart Smead said. During the last month of 1950, Smead's battalion occupied the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, securing the flanks of the advancing 7th and 5th Marine Corps Regiments and the main supply route before attacking north toward the Manchurian border. From Nov. 27 to Dec. 13, 1950, some 30,000 troops were attacked by 120,000 Chinese forces. Smead was reported missing in action Dec. 6 and, in 1953, presumed dead.
Smead's remains were confirmed March 16, 2021, by the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. So far, 76 Soldiers have been identified from the 55 boxes of remains turned over to the United States. During funeral honors, Honor Guard Soldiers folded the flag from the casket and presented it to Smead's oldest living relative, his younger brother, Douglas, 85. "It was great that we were able to bring some closure back to the Smead family," Natali said, "particularly after 71 years. Such a large turnout really means something to the Smead family and their descendants that Cpl. Smead's service stood for something." Douglas Smead's niece, Bonnie Wolff, expressed thanks for the military honors and turnout of the community. "It's really important for Walter to be home. It gives the family closure," Wolff said. After an initial defensive fight, Smead battled with the remnants of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, known as Task Force Faith, for its commander, Lt. Col. Don Faith, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. Faith led the force after the original commander was killed in action. The task force fought off the Chinese 80th and 81st divisions before breaking out from its defensive positions Dec. 1. Smead was reported missing during that evacuation. Of the 31st Regimental Combat's 1,777 Soldiers, 1,392 were declared missing in action, unrecovered killed or prisoners of war. A detachment of Korean War veterans joined the military forces honor guard in rendering final honors, with remarks from Paul O'Keefe, commander of the Korean War Veterans Association, Adirondack Chapter 60, and New York State chaplain for the veterans association. O'Keefe brought together veterans associations to pay their final respects. "I called every commander of our 24 state chapters and told them about our fallen brother … who was reported MIA," O'Keefe said. "I condensed all their messages to offer our sincere condolences to every member of Cpl. Smead's family and friends." In addition to the Army National Guard and Korean War veterans, dozens of fellow veterans, including the department commanders for the New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, and Patriot Guard Riders escorted Smead's remains to the national cemetery. "The fact that there's such a large presence here today from Smead's hometown and across the region means that our community hasn't forgotten him," Natali said. "The service today was impressive," O'Keefe said. "This man sacrificed his life for the freedom we all enjoy. He deserves every minute of every kind of appreciation that's given to him. He was a very special man." The funeral gave proper respect and closure to the memory of Cpl. Smead, Stuart Smead said.
"My family has been waiting for this day for decades," he said. The turnout and final honors after 71 years left an impression on the Smead family, Wolff said. "This is better than I was hoping, all the people who have come out," she said. "I'm very proud to be a part of this," O'Keefe said. "Coming down in the procession, the whole road, tractors, cars, trailers pulled over for us. People waved, some blew their horns. It was incredible; he deserved it. He was a true hero. A young kid that never had a chance to be a father or get married and have a life. He died too young, for our freedom. "Rest in peace now, our brother, here on these hallowed grounds," he said. https://www.army.mil/article/250687/new_york_national_guard_funeral_honors_korean_ war_mia
New unelected “governor” of New York replacing unvaccinated health care workers with National Guard soldiers
Surviving the News.com, Sept. 29, 2021
Fascism is really heating up in New York as the National Guard is now being deployed to replace all of the hospital and nursing home workers who refuse to get “vaccinated” for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).
Fill-in Gov. Kathy Hochul – Hochul was appointed, not elected, to the position of “governor” after sexual predator Andrew Cuomo was ousted – announced on Monday that New York National Guard troops are being sent to every facility across the state where health care employees are refusing the “Operation Warp Speed” injections, no matter their reason.
Since there are suddenly no longer enough doctors, nurses and other medical staff to care for patients, Hochul’s solution is to fill that void with National Guard troops – because why not?
Hochul invoked what she claims are legitimate emergency powers that allow her to hire government agents to take the place of actual medical professionals who know what they are doing in a health care setting. What this means is soldiers in fatigues will now be practicing medicine without a license in order to keep people “safe” against the “unvaccinated” health care workers they are replacing.
During her press conference, Hochul patted herself on the back for the move by claiming that it is “nation-leading.” She is quite proud of herself, in other words, for militarizing New York’s health care infrastructure under the guise of fighting a “pandemic.”
Nearly 100,000 health care workers in New York face getting fired by Hochul for refusing the jab
Of the state’s 450,000 hospital personnel, upwards of 70,000 of them have chosen not to take the shots. Another 25,000 or so nursing home and adult care facility employees are doing the same.
This means that nearly 100,000 health care workers in New York are being fired by Hochul and replaced with National Guard troops who will soon be occupying health care facilities across the Empire State.
Hochul denies that she wanted things to be this way, claiming it was “not my first position.” Her “desire,” she says, is “to have the people who’ve been out there continue to work in their jobs, work in them safely.”
“And to all the other health care workers who are vaccinated, they also deserve to know that the people they’re working with will not get them sick.”
This latter statement suggests that the so-called “vaccines” do not actually work, otherwise it would not be a risk to the “fully vaccinated” to have them working alongside the “unvaccinated.”
Plainly stated, the jabs do not provide any protection whatsoever and the government is now fully admitting this. And in New York, preference is being given to those who took the jabs rather than those who made the wise decision to leave their immune systems and DNA alone.
Hochul claims that she had no choice but to ruin the lives of nearly 100,000 New Yorkers who were diligently doing their jobs before she interfered and told them they needed to be fired for refusing the Operation Warp Speed shots.
“The biggest crisis New York has is its so-called ‘leadership,’ which created the declared crisis,” wrote one Natural News commenter about how Hochul has hit the ground running with a fresh wave of tyranny.
“This new governor is an even worse communist than the last,” wrote another about how Hochul is already much worse than Cuomo. “I would rather quit my job than be forced to take the jab. Not to mention her trying to twist the word of God to get people to comply. I’m not sure what god she is praying to, but it’s not the One True God. He will provide.”
This latter comment references bizarre statements Hochul recently made about how “god” wants people to get vaccinated for Chinese Germs.
The latest news stories about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) tyranny can be found at Fascism.news. https://www.survivethenews.com/new-unelected-governor-of-new-york-replacing- unvaccinated-health-care-workers-with-national-guard-soldiers/
New York health care worker vaccine mandate now in effect, next steps
Channel 34, (Binghamton) , Sept. 29, 2021
ALBANY, NY -New York State’s health care worker vaccine mandate is now in effect.
And, while the Governor has a plan to mitigate staffing shortages, some say it will not immediately remedy the situation.
NewsChannel 34’s Corina Cappabianca has more on the push for the mandate to be delayed.
((Kathy Hochul, Governor)) People have known for quite some time that this was a requirement and I’ve made it loud and clear over my four weeks in office that I was not going to change my position because I’m charged with protecting the health of all New Yorkers.
Governor Kathy Hocul has signed off on an executive order that permits medically trained National Guard members, retired health care workers, recent grads, and those licensed in other states and countries to step in over the health care worker vaccine mandate.
She’s also working with the federal government to try to “expedite visa requests” for medical workers as well.
But, members of the Assembly GOP say the plan doesn’t cut it.
They’ve signed onto a letter to the Governor asking her to delay the mandate deadline.
((Ed Ra, NYS Assemblyman)) With the Governor now having put forth emergency plans, emergency orders, talking about deploying the National Guard I think that preparation had to go on weeks before this mandate went into effect, not right before it went into effect.
Assemblyman Ed Ra says the mandate and plan should be re-thought.
((Ed Ra, NYS Assemblyman)) I think we need to remember these were the individuals that while many of us were working from home were in our hospitals, in our nursing homes with inadequate PPE and to see them pushed out of their jobs without considering other alternatives like a testing option, I think is really a shame.
There is a temporary restraining order on the health care worker mandate for those claiming a religious exemption, but the state is fighting that. https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/new-york-health-care-worker-vaccine- mandate-now-in-effect-next-steps/
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
New York Army National Guard promotions
Watertown Daily Times, Sept. 28,2021 LATHAM - Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announced the promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership.
Xavier Stoutenger from Fulton, and assigned to the Headquarters and Support Company, 642nd Aviation Support Battalion received a promotion to the rank of private 1st class on August 25, 2021. Logan Engle from Oswego, and assigned to the Company C, 427th Brigade Support Battalion received a promotion to the rank of private 1st class on July 27. Nathanial Cleveland from Phoenix, and assigned to the 204th Engineer Platoon received a promotion to the rank of private 1st class on July 30.
Nathaniel Ouellette from Pulaski, and assigned to the Company B, 427th Brigade Support Battalion received a promotion to the rank of private 1st class on Aug. 5.
Army National Guard promotions are based on overall performance, attitude, leadership ability, and development potential.
These promotions additionally recognize the best qualified soldiers and attract and retain the highest caliber citizen soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard.
For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov or www.1800goguard.com
The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state’s executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York’s Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard. https://www.nny360.com/communitynews/achievers/new-york-army-national-guard- promotions/article_d5ced451-bf5c-52ff-aa3d-5b787ad49a8d.html
Military Notes: Cayuga County National Guard members promoted
Auburn Daily Citizen, Sept. 26, 2021
LATHAM — Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general for the state of New York, announces the recent promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard and Air National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership:
• Jason Teeter, from Auburn, and assigned to the 102nd Military Police Battalion, received a promotion to the rank of staff sergeant on Aug. 23.
• Christopher Goodrow, from Port Byron, and assigned to the Headquarters and Support Company, 642nd Aviation Support Battalion, received a promotion to the rank of private 1st class on July 29.
• Douglas Whaley, from Union Springs, and assigned to the 102nd Military Police Battalion, received a promotion to the rank of staff sergeant on July 1.
For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit dmna.ny.gov or 1800goguard.com. https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/military-notes-cayuga-county-national-guard-members- promoted/article_bc6bd2ea-7cf0-5603-b97b-54180274ffc9.html
Duty Calls: 2 Army National Guard leaders honored for decades of duty
Times Union, Sept. 27, 2021
Two field grade officers, who as civilians are former law enforcement officers, have retired from the military.
Army National Guard Col. Patrick Macklin, an Iraq War veteran with more than 30 years of military service, retired from service during a ceremony held at the National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Latham
Macklin of Wantagh, Nassau County, a former New York City police officer received a Legion of Merit, a New York State Conspicuous Service Cross, and a Long & Faithful Service Award from Maj. Gen. Michel Natalia, the assistant state adjutant general.
In 2019, he assumed responsibilities as the deputy division chief for the National Guard Bureau's Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Division, leading his element through its response and support for the National Guard through the COVID-19 response. In 2021, he became acting division chief for the element. New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Monique Foster of Schenectady has retired during a ceremony at Fort Drum after a career that began with her graduation from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1984.
After leaving the Coast Guard, Foster worked as a deputy sheriff in Portland, Org. for a time before she joined the New York Army National Guard in 2002. Her last assignment was as commander lo the 102nd Military Police Battalion in Auburn.
Macklin was commissioned as an officer upon graduation from the New York National Guard Empire State Military Academy in 1991. Following initial infantry officer training, he spent more than a decade with the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, based in New York City. He led soldiers in command and staff positions, including as a rifle platoon leader, a mortar platoon leader, an air defense platoon leader, a company executive officer, a rifle company commander, a battalion logistics officer and battalion operations officer.
He deployed in 2004 after assignment to the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters staff, serving as the deputy operations officer for the division tactical command post in Tikrit, Iraq, as part of Task Force Liberty. Macklin continued his career in the division headquarters in Troy for a decade, serving as the officer in charge of a division tactical command post, assistant chief of staff for plans and led the division's domestic all-hazards response team and National Guard Bureau's domestic coordination cell to prepare the National Guard for civil support operations in times of disaster.
In 2016, he was selected for command of the 53rd Digital Liaison Detachment, based in New York City, leading an element of senior officers and noncommissioned officers to provide liaison between U.S. and joint or multinational partners.
Macklin is a graduate of the Command and Staff General College and earned a bachelor of arts in communications from the New York Institute of Technology. He has also earned sixth Meritorious Service Medals, a Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, an Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, and an Army Meritorious Unit Award. His state awards include the Military Commendation Medal, Defense of Liberty Service Medal with World Trade Center Device, Humane Service Medal with Silver Shield.
Foster, a veteran of the Iraq War, also served as the Equal Opportunity Officer for the New York Army National Guard while commanding the 102nd. After earning her commission as an ensign in the Coast Guard, Foster served as ship's navigator and operations officer servicing Aids to Navigation in the Great Lakes. She also completed a deployment to the Caribbean conducting Drug Interdiction Patrols. From 1986 to 1987, Foster served as the commander of the LORAN navigation station on Attu Island in Alaska. She was the first woman to command the location during a 12- month isolated duty tour. She finished her Coast Guard service as a marine inspector in Seattle. She joined the New York Army National Guard as a platoon leader in the 105th Military Police Company in 2003. She deployed to Iraq in 2006, serving as the executive officer of the Puerto Rico National Guard's 240th MP Company, conducting police partnerships with Iraqi Forces.
In 2008 she took command of the 222nd Military Police Company in Rochester and served in that role until 2012. Foster has also served as the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team rear detachment logistics commander, the 42nd Infantry Division force protection planner, and the 104th Military Police Battalion operations and executive officer, and the 42nd Infantry Division provost marshal.
She has earned a Bronze Star, a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, a Coast Guard Achievement Medal, a Coast Guard Unit Commendation, an Army Meritorious Unit Citation, Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon, and a German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency.
World War II veteran honored
Ralph Fabozzi of Amsterdam, an Army Air Forces veteran of World War II, has been honored by Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara as part of the veteran’s 100th birthday celebration. Santabarbara presented a citation to Fabozzi as a tribute for his military service. https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Duty-Calls-2-Army-National-Guard-leaders- honored-16486887.php
Army National Guard promotes local soldiers
Monroe County Post, Sept. 29, 2021
The New York Army National Guard recently promoted Ezequiel Bermudez Reyes, Peter Fillion and John Kanu, of Rochester, to new ranks.
Bermudez Reyes and Fillion were promoted to the rank of private. Both are assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Target Acquisition), with Bermudez Reyes serving in the B Troop and Fillion in the C Troop. Kanu, who was promoted to private first class, serves with the Company D, 427th Brigade Support Battalion.
Army National Guard promotions are based on overall performance, attitude, leadership ability and development potential. https://www.monroecopost.com/story/business/names-faces/2021/09/29/notable- names/5786889001/
AIR NATIONAL GUARD
NY Air National Guard gets historic HC-130 aircraft at its front gate
NYANG.mil, Sept. 24, 2021
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. – The New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing has a new “gate guardian” at the entrance to F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base.
An HC-130 Hercules search and rescue aircraft, tail number 0222, was placed at the front gate on Old Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach, on August 17, alongside an HH-3E “Jolly Green Giant” rescue helicopter.
Gate guardians are decommissioned aircraft or equipment which tell the story of that unit or that base.
Fifteen Airmen from the Air Guard and the Active-Duty Air Force moved number 0222-- better known as "Triple Deuce" and also named “The Spirit of Long Island” -- from the flight line to its static display site.
The decorative history of Triple Deuce, the conflicts and the different missions it's been on and for it to be coined ‘The Spirit of Long Island,’ there's no better place for it to be but on Long Island at the 106th Rescue Wing,” said Master Sgt. Jonathan Mazura, 106th HC-130 flight chief.
Mazura, whose name is on the aircraft, was the dedicated Triple Deuce crew chief from 2015 to its decommissioning in 2019.
Triple Deuce, a legacy model HC-130, was in service from 1966 until decommissioning in 2019. It was assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing in 1997, and was used in rescues at home and overseas.
The historic aircraft played a significant role in troop and cargo movement in the Vietnam War and was one of four aircraft that survived an attack in Vietnam, Mazura explained.
The process of making the aircraft a static display required approvals from the Air Force Museum, National Guard Bureau, and other federal agencies. Chief Master Sgt. Edward Rittberg, the 106th Maintenance Group superintendent, said his team worked on this process for two years.
"Master Sgt. Mazura, Master Sgt. Andrew Duerwald and I worked on this for two years to get Triple Deuce decommissioned and to the front gate," Rittberg said. “I went to an Air Force Museum course and worked with the museum and other agencies to start the demilitarization process.”
The National Guard Bureau brought in a Crash Damaged Disabled Aircraft Recovery team, known as CDDAR for short, to help transition the aircraft, he explained.
CDDAR experts are trained to use special equipment to disassemble, move and reassemble aircraft, including setting up static displays.
According to Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Bennett, who headed the CDDAR team brought Airmen from four different Air Guard bases and Active-Duty Air Force to help move Triple Deuce.
“Fifteen Airmen completed the move within eight days; they took off the wings and engines, towed the aircraft across the base, and put it all back together, and here it sits today,” Bennett said.
The most challenging part of the move was teetering the aircraft throughout the base, Bennett said.
“We had to take down pieces of the fences and maneuver between light posts to get the plane to its final resting place,” Rittberg explained. “The 106th Civil Engineering Squadron members cleared a path which included creating ramps, the tie-down points, removing gates, and just assisting us overall.”
Keeping Triple Deuce in service for 50 years was an impressive accomplishment, Mazura said.
A long line of maintainers and crew chiefs that put their hands on it, and all other active units on the flight line throughout the aircraft’s life have played an essential role in its longevity, he added.
“What we see now is phenomenal,” Bennett said about the wing’s new gate guardian.
. “I’ve driven into this base several times, and to see this big aircraft out front is awesome,” he said. https://www.ang.af.mil/Media/Article-Display/Article/2787417/ny-air-national-guard-gets- historic-hc-130-aircraft-at-its-front-gate/
OLD HC-130 GETS NEW JOB AS GATE GUARD (photographs and video)
Blind Bat News, Sept. 25, 2021 ( Photos by Mark Getman)
The Spirit of Long Island (#0222, aka Triple Deuce) served in the New York Air National Guard from 1966 until 2019. On 18AUG2021, after several days of moving and assembly, Triple Deuce began a new job as gate guardian for F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base.
The 106th Maintenance Group spent two years going through red tape, and Air Force Museum demilitarization training, to get the HC-130 rescue Hercules qualified as a gate guard.
Photo Caption New York National Guard ‘engine mount’ video by Warrant Officer-1 Edward Shevlin:
Photo Caption: New York National Guard ‘end result’ video by Warrant Officer-1 Edward Shevlin: http://www.blindbatnews.com/2021/09/old-hc-130-gets-new-job-as-gate- guard/85345http://www.blindbatnews.com/2021/09/old-hc-130-gets-new-job-as-gate- guard/85345
New York Air Guard's Skibirds wrap up 2021 Greenland mission National Guard.mil, and AF. MIL, By Jaclyn Lyons, New York National Guard / Published September 30, 2021 STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. (AFNS) --The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing has wrapped up its annual support to the National Science Foundation in Greenland as Airmen and LC-130 “Skibirds” returned to Stratton Air National Guard Base Sept. 22. The unit supplied 1.3 million pounds of cargo, 32,000 gallons of fuel and delivered 910 passengers. The Airmen flew a total of 678 hours. The wing conducted an extended season, starting in March and running through September, providing support to National Science Foundation research sites on the ice cap in Greenland. The season this year was two months longer than typical seasons in past years. The wing added a month in March for additional training at the beginning. Starting the missions a month early allowed the wing to conduct more training at Raven Camp, the Greenland training location the 109th AW uses to train on snow and ice landings and arctic operations. “Going up in March was beneficial to get the initial put in of Raven Camp,” said Maj. Jacob Papp, 109th AW chief of Arctic operations. “This allowed us to keep a cadre of instructors and evaluators current to then provide instruction for the following on flight period,” Papp said. An additional 8-day flight period was added to the end of the season to fulfill a National Science Foundation requirement to retrieve a construction team from Summit Station, the year-round staffed research station near the apex of the Greenland ice sheet. While more than 30 people usually work at the research station during the summer months, only a small crew of five people remain on duty over the winter months. Along with the weather, and flying long distances to austere locations, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic still raised challenges for the New York National Guard Airmen, according to Papp. But the unit, National Science Foundation and Danish Government were able to communicate and formulate a plan of action to avoid infections, he said. In 2020, concerns about COVID-19 infections, prior to any vaccinations against it, resulted in cutbacks to polar research and the 109th conducted only a very few critical missions over the course of three weeks.
During the 2020 season the 109th AW delivered 30,000 pounds of cargo and nearly 40,000 gallons of fuel to Summit Camp. The summer missions in Greenland are critical for providing aircrews with experience in operating in polar regions. The 109th AW also provides critical airlift for National Science Foundation Missions in Antarctica as part of Operation Deep Freeze, the Department of Defense support for Antarctic research. The 109th AW’s Airmen will immediately begin preparing to deploy for Operation Deep Freeze in October. The unique capabilities of the ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft make it the only one of its kind in the U.S. military, able to land on snow and ice. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2793895/new-york-air-guards-skibirds- wrap-up-2021-greenland-mission/ https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/2793699/new-york-air-guards-skibirds-wrap- up-2021-greenland-mission/