Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CITIZEN SOLDIER HEROES
______
HON. JOE WILSON
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, members of the South
Carolina National Guard are heroes. During this challenging time, it is
inspiring that South Carolina National Guard Service Members choose to
serve the citizens of South Carolina. The National Guard continues to
answer the call and assist communities affected by the Wuhan Virus.
Here are six heroes in South Carolina.
Doctor (Col.) Phillip Latham is the state Air Surgeon for the South
Carolina Air National Guard, serves as the South Carolina Air National
Guard medical lead and COVID-19 medical response coordinator. His
efforts and accomplishments positively impact South Carolina
communities daily.
Colonel Latham liaises with the South Carolina Hospital Association.
He assists statewide medical surge planning and weekly regional
response coordination meetings. Additionally, Colonel Latham has
coordinated a patient transportation response plan, enhanced resource
acquirement allocation, and regional planning for Tier 1 and Tier 2
alternate care sites, as well as improve emergency ambulance response
protocols. He also worked through the South Carolina Hospital
Association and South Carolina Manufacturers Empowerment program for
the creation of centralized ordering and distribution of protective
personal equipment. Engineering support statewide alternate care site
surveys, identified and planned for possible infrastructure expansion
to meet needs in excess of current regional hospital capacity. Lastly,
he coordinated phase 2 testing and contact tracing plans in concert
with the South Carolina Hospital Association, South Carolina Emergency
Management Division, Department of Health and Environmental Control and
National Guard leadership for a roll out of both diagnostic and
immunity testing across the state.
Doctor (Lt. Col.) Vanessa Wideman, is the 169th Medical Group, Flight
Surgeon. Lieutenant Colonel Wideman advised South Carolina National
Guard leadership on COVID-19 mitigation efforts, mapped out McEntire
Joint National Guard Base's strategy and response for COVID-19, and
advised 169th Fighter Wing leadership on Health Protection Condition
(HPCON) levels. She continues to coordinate with the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention to improve individualized member response to
COVID-19 for potentially affected members.
Doctor (Lt. Col.) Fred Smith, is the 157th Fighter Squadron, Flight
Surgeon. Lieutenant Colonel Smith's testing efforts helped map out
hospital network efforts across South Carolina. He also observed and
provided oversight for the South Carolina National Guard--civilian
partnership, in food distribution, and receiving, at Harvest Hope food
bank.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Laymon is the 169th Security Forces Squadron
Commander. Lieutenant Colonel Laymon has coordinated, organized,
planned, staffed, and co-lead the development of the COVID-19 Joint
Task Force--Security (C-JTFS). He also developed new Operating
Instructions for safe and secure entry onto McEntire Joint National
Guard Base and authored the National Guard's Adversary Threat
Assessment to include concerns over weaponization of the Novel Virus
COVID-19. Lastly, he coordinated with the South Carolina Department of
Health and Environmental Control, and the South Carolina Joint
Operations Center for the safe-secure delivery and redistribution of
the CDC National Stockpile Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Lieutenant Colonel Allen R. Stewart serves as the South Carolina
National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Logistics Director. In this
capacity, he's coordinated South Carolina National Guard support at
Oliver Gospel mission, set up Blue Tent training between the Department
of Health and Environmental Control and 59th Troop Command, and worked
with the South Carolina National Guard to set up the Georgia Air
National Guard's sanitizing ``Train the Trainer'' classes for the South
Carolina National Guard. Furthermore, his efforts helped improve
planning efforts and protective measures with the South Carolina
Department of Corrections. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart also helped set
up South Carolina's food distribution in Horry County and facilitated
the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle's plan to use South
Carolina National Guard armories across the state to enable social
distancing between the public and DMV staff.
Second Lieutenant Trey Murphy is the Logistics Readiness Officer for
the 169th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Second Lieutenant Murphy
coordinated and hosted the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control Receipt, Store, and Stage (RSS) refresher
training course, which showed how to manage distribution of Strategic
National Stockpile (SNS) material. His efforts enabled his squadron to
store over two-hundred pallets of personal protective equipment on more
than fifty tactical convoys, serving all forty-six counties in South
Carolina. He also coordinated the joint effort for the staging of US
Army personnel and equipment in advance of civilian bus driver training
conducted on McEntire Joint National Guard Base.
I am grateful to have worked with my colleagues in the 116th Congress
to provide needed funding for vital personal protective equipment,
material, and support for our Service Members and their families.
____________________