News from the Oklahoma National Guard

Oklahoma National Guard delivers first COVID-19 vaccines

By Anthony Jones | Dec. 15, 2020

Photos
  • 1 of 9
Oklahoma National Guardsmen load boxes of COVID-19 vaccinations into vehicles they will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Oklahoma National Guardsmen load boxes of COVID-19 vaccinations into vehicles they will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Oklahoma National Guardsmen prepare to load boxes of COVID-19 vaccinations into vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Oklahoma National Guardsmen prepare to load boxes of COVID-19 vaccinations into vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Spc. Martin Gamarra (right) and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owens (left) load a box containing COVID-19 vaccinations into the vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. On December 15, Guardsmen are transporting the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Spc. Martin Gamarra (right) and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owens (left) load a box containing COVID-19 vaccinations into the vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. On December 15, Guardsmen are transporting the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Shane Edmonson, executive director of pharmacy services, unseals the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines delivered by Oklahoma National Guardsmen at the Mercy Hospital in Northwest Oklahoma City, Dec. 15, 2020. The vaccines were delivered by Spc. Martin Gamarra and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owens. Gamarra and Owen are part of a larger team of Guardsmen who are delivering vaccines from from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Shane Edmonson, executive director of pharmacy services, unseals the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines delivered by Oklahoma National Guardsmen at the Mercy Hospital in Northwest Oklahoma City, Dec. 15, 2020. The vaccines were delivered by Spc. Martin Gamarra and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owens. Gamarra and Owen are part of a larger team of Guardsmen who are delivering vaccines from from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Spc. Martin Gamarra (left) and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owen (right) carry a box containing COVID-19 vaccinations after making their first delivery at a hospital in Oklahoma City, Dec. 15, 2020. Gamarra and Owen are part of a larger team of Guardsmen who are delivering vaccines from from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Spc. Martin Gamarra (left) and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owen (right) carry a box containing COVID-19 vaccinations after making their first delivery at a hospital in Oklahoma City, Dec. 15, 2020. Gamarra and Owen are part of a larger team of Guardsmen who are delivering vaccines from from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Jessica Benson, Oklahoma State Department of Health, leads Oklahoma National Guardsmen carrying boxes containing COVID-19 vaccinations to vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Jessica Benson, Oklahoma State Department of Health, leads Oklahoma National Guardsmen carrying boxes containing COVID-19 vaccinations to vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Cpl. Danielle O'Connor and Spc. Ryan Tate (right) quickly move boxes containing COVID-19 vaccinations to vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Cpl. Danielle O'Connor and Spc. Ryan Tate (right) quickly move boxes containing COVID-19 vaccinations to vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Oklahoma National Guardsmen quickly move boxes containing COVID-19 vaccinations to vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Oklahoma National Guardsmen quickly move boxes containing COVID-19 vaccinations to vehicles the Guard members will use to transport the vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. These are the first two boxes of vaccines to be distributed from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
Spc. Martin Gamarra (far right) and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owen (center right) accompany medical professionals who will remove their allotment of COVID-19 vaccinations from their ultra-cold shipping container before resealing the container so the Guardsmen can continue their mission of delivering vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. Gamarra and Owen are part of a larger team of Guardsmen who are delivering vaccines from from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Spc. Martin Gamarra (far right) and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owen (center right) accompany medical professionals who will remove their allotment of COVID-19 vaccinations from their ultra-cold shipping container before resealing the container so the Guardsmen can continue their mission of delivering vaccines to sites across the state, Dec. 15, 2020. Gamarra and Owen are part of a larger team of Guardsmen who are delivering vaccines from from one of five centralized hubs supporting 11 satellite locations across Oklahoma. The Guardsmen will be using Oklahoma State Department of Health vehicles to transport the vaccines to the satellite locations with an escort from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones) (Photo by Anthony Jones)

Photo Details | Download
OKLAHOMA CITY — OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma National Guard, in cooperation with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, successfully delivered the first COVID-19 vaccines today. 
 
Two teams of Guardsmen collected the vaccines early this morning in Oklahoma City and transported them to health care professionals at satellite locations in Oklahoma City, Enid and Woodward.
 
“The Oklahoma National Guard is proud to have this opportunity to assist our fellow Oklahomans and help bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson, the adjutant general for Oklahoma.
 
Today’s delivery was the first of many for the Oklahoma National Guard, which has vaccine delivery missions scheduled through Thursday, Dec. 17, with more missions expected to follow as Oklahoma receives additional shipments of vaccines.
 
To ensure the safest delivery of the vaccines to Oklahomans, only trained health care professionals will be unsealing the ulta-cold containers transported by Guard members in order for them to collect their location’s allotment before resealing the containers and returning them to the National Guard couriers.
 
The Oklahoma National Guard’s couriers are charged with safely transporting the sealed containers to the satellite sites and assisting health care providers in getting the sealed container to their ulta-cold storage site.
 
Spc. Martin Gamarra, a resident of Edmond, Oklahoma and member of the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 90th Troop Command, and Airman 1st Class Andreas Owens, an Oklahoma City resident serving in the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 137th Special Operations Wing, were the first courier team to deliver vaccines to a hospital in Oklahoma City.
 
Gamarra, who has been assisting with the Oklahoma National Guard’s COVID-19 response since this spring, said health care providers at each stop today were appreciative of the Guard for playing a part in getting the vaccine to Oklahomans.
 
“I signed up to help my community and to be able to do it first-hand during the pandemic has been really rewarding for me,” Gamarra said. “When I first signed up, I never thought I’d be working with other branches, let alone the Health Department and it’s awesome to see first-hand how hard these nurses work every day with COVID and seeing the vaccine is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
 
EMAIL
|
PRINT
Playlist:
Video by Senior Airman Alex Kaelke
Embed
Share
Loud and Clear - Hearing and Creating 137th SOW Airmen
137th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
Nov. 7, 2020 | 1:00
Oklahoma Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Kayla Castagnetta, an Airman from the 137th Special Operations Wing (137th SOW), is the only qualified Airman at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City who can conduct hearing tests, which are necessary for our Airmen deploying overseas, at the 137th Special Operations Medical Group. However, her contributions go further. She also works as the only administrator for the 137th SOW recruiting office. So not only does she help Airmen deploy, she helps create them as well.
More

Up Next

Now Playing
Loud and Clear - Hearing and Creating 137th SOW Airmen
Loud and Clear - Hearing and Creating 137th SOW Airmen
Civic Leaders Flight Tulsa Oklahoma 2020
Play Button
2:49
Civic Leaders Flight Tulsa Oklahoma 2020
63rd Civil Support Team Competes for title of Best CST
Play Button
3:00
63rd Civil Support Team Competes for title of Best CST
Civic Leaders Flight Lexington Oklahoma 2020
Play Button
5:25
Civic Leaders Flight Lexington Oklahoma 2020
Oklahoma Army National Guard Aviators Elevate Their Skills
Play Button
1:57
Oklahoma Army National Guard Aviators Elevate Their Skills
138FW adapts to COVID-19 protocols
Play Button
1:09
138FW adapts to COVID-19 protocols
Oklahoma National Guard unit hosts Comprehensive Medical Training
Play Button
2:06
Oklahoma National Guard unit hosts Comprehensive Medical Training
Responding to COVID-19: the past, present and future of Oklahoma National Guard operations
Play Button
11:43
Responding to COVID-19: the past, present and future of Oklahoma National Guard operations
Tactical Combat Casualty Care - Medical Training Across Branches
Play Button
0:56
Tactical Combat Casualty Care - Medical Training Across Branches
Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers take part in mass casualty training
Play Button
0:59
Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers take part in mass casualty training
Oklahoma National Guard’s civil support team commander recognizes Airmen for COVID-19 response
Play Button
1:15
Oklahoma National Guard’s civil support team commander recognizes Airmen for COVID-19 response
Oklahoma National Guard Soldier Gathers COVID-19 Test Samples From Local Health Departments
Play Button
1:12
Oklahoma National Guard Soldier Gathers COVID-19 Test Samples From Local Health Departments
Oklahoma National Guard Soldier Reflecs On How He Has Helped Combat The COVID-19 Outbreak
Play Button
1:23
Oklahoma National Guard Soldier Reflecs On How He Has Helped Combat The COVID-19 Outbreak
Oklahoma National Guard supports state-wide COVID-19 contact tracing
Play Button
1:01
Oklahoma National Guard supports state-wide COVID-19 contact tracing
We Remember Our Fallen, Memorial Day 2020
Play Button
3:16
We Remember Our Fallen, Memorial Day 2020
More Videos
Staying Connected