‘IT’S LIKE A FAMILY’
Pa. National Guard is ready for anything, anywhere
When Keith Hickox was first approached about joining the National Guard, he had a fuzzy understanding of what it actually does.
“I remember wondering, ‘Is that like being in the Coast Guard?’ ” he said.
Now, 23 years later, he’s a lieutenant colonel and the state public affairs officer for the Pennsylvania National Guard. He has been on multiple deployments to the Middle East. He has seen guardsmen mobilize in the U.S. during hurricanes and snowstorms. He has witnessed them assisting with traffic control during a visit from the pope in Philadelphia. And, most recently, he’s been collecting the stories of the guard’s response to COVID-19.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf declared COVID-19 a disaster emergency on March 6 and activated members of the state National Guard. Its members have since provided safe transport to quarantined residents, established coronavirus testing sites and medical stations, staffed supply warehouses, distributed more than 500,000 meals, assisted in the transportation of remains, and deployed to the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, where guardsmen helped clean
and provide support to staff, providing services ranging from serving meals to helping with residents. It was one of 10 Pennsylvania nursing homes where the Guard has served to date.
“This has been ... pretty unique,” said Ray Hyland, a colonel and vice wing commander of the 171st Air Refueling Wing. “I’m a pilot and a mechanic. We hadn’t talked much about how to handle global pandemics before this.”
On May 19, members of the 171st and the 193rd Special Operations Wing flew over major hospitals in the Pittsburgh area in a show of support for medical professionals at no cost to the taxpayer, according to a statement.
The Pennsylvania National Guard has roots going back to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin organized artillery and infantry units to defend Philadelphia against French and Spanish privateers. The volunteer militia gained official status in 1755.
Now, the Pennsylvania National Guard comprises roughly 18,000 members, with about two-thirds in the Army and one-third in the Air Force. Roughly 1,200 are deployed in COVID-19 efforts, and 500 are currently deployed in the Middle East. About 1,000 more are set to deploy this summer.
National Guard deployments are typically shorter than Army deployments, usually lasting six to nine months. Lt. Col. Hickox, originally from northeastern Pennsylvania, said some overseas Guardsmen have been delayed in returning home due to the pandemic.
“We’re expected to maintain the same standard as the military, but we tend to have civilian backgrounds as well,” he said.
This versatility comes in handy, he said, recalling how guardsmen who had worked as electricians were able to fix issues that arose on bases. Those with police training were able to help train Iraqi police officers. While serving, Lt. Col. Hickox spent 12 years working at a local television station. His current role with the Guard is a full-time commitment.
During the pandemic, Guardsmen have continued to train, emphasizing virtual training to maintain safety.
“I just did my first virtual training session,” Col. Hyland said. “It was weird, but it works. Pilots use simulators to train anyway.”
Enlisting in the National Guard is similar to joining the Army or Air Force Reserve, but there’s a key difference: The Guard answers to the authority of both federal and state governments. Joining the active Army is a full-time commitment; joining the National Guard is more like signing on with the Army Reserve. Enlistment periods start at eight years in the Army Guard, six for Air Guard, but active commitments can be as little as three years with the remainder spent as Individual Ready Reserve.
Col. Hyland, originally from New York City, was working as a plumber with his father before he decided to enlist and go to college. “I was cleaning out a blocked line, and I just had a moment. I looked my dad in the eye and told him I was going to college.”
He received his commission from the Air Force in 1989 and joined the National Guard in 1999. He said it’s rare for the guard to deploy as law enforcement, although it does happen.
“We mostly do the unarmed smiling faces kind of thing,” he said, adding that the 171st Air Refueling Wing has a standing mission, Operation Noble Eagle, that launched after the 9/11 terror attacks. The 171st constantly keeps a tanker on alert to provide fueling capability for fighter planes on the East Coast.
He said he has stayed because he enjoys his work in the Guard, where he’s found all the “weird aunts and uncles” he didn’t know he had, and he praised Pennsylvania’s leaders for passing the Military Family Education Program in July 2019. It provides financial assistance for spouses or children of Guardsmen who commit to additional years of service.
“It’s like a family, and it works like a family,” he said. “I love it.”