Army deploying 200 soldiers to support UC vaccination site

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates once referred to the Army’s 101st Airborne Division as “the tip of the spear” in Afghanistan.

But starting Friday, 200 soldiers from the light infantry division known commonly as the “Screaming Eagles” will be the tip of the syringe in Chicago’s fight against COVID-19.

The troops are being deployed to support the mass vaccination site at the United Center that’s expected to start administering shots Tuesday, according to a news release from the 101st Airborne Division. The soldiers, who are assigned to the 426th Brigade Support Battalion’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, are part of the Defense Departmen’s COVID-19 response operation.

The reinforcements were requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is managing the vaccination site with help from the Defense Department and state and local officials.