Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, R-New Windsor, who is a corporal in the Army National Guard, was deployed on Saturday, April 5 to support the Guard’s COVID-19 response efforts in Orange County.
As of April 5, Orange County has close to 3,400 confirmed cases of the virus.
“I am forever grateful to the brave men and women who have been on the frontlines working to save lives and keep our communities healthy,” Schmitt said Saturday. “They are heroes and I will work however long it is necessary to provide assistance to them in my military role.”
New York state has called on National Guard personnel to assist in handling the COVID-19 outbreak by working to increase hospital capacity, manning call centers, delivering critical supplies and providing transportation to health care workers.
As of April 3, 2,850 personnel had been deployed in New York state, including 2,350 members of the Army National Guard.
Schmitt, who serves in the 1569th Transportation Company, has been a member of the Guard for five years, and was deployed in relief efforts for hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
Schmitt says his Assembly Office will continue to be fully operational while he is deployed and services for constituents will not be interrupted.
