Story By Capt. Doreia Rogers
Michigan National Guard
On July 23, 2020, the Army National Guard administered free Covid-19 tests at a drive-thru testing site at Grayling High School in Gaylord, Michigan.
PFC Tyler Stone of the 1-119th Field Artillery Regiment was activated as a member of a 24 Soldier team in support of Covid-19 response efforts throughout Michigan.
Stone, graduated advance individual training (A.I.T.) as a combat medic in March 2020, and prior to completing his first drill, was activated in May 2020, to support the National Guard’s Covid-19 task force.
Stone was excited about being able to serve his country and do more in his community.
Stone said, “I was hoping for an opportunity to do something like this! That’s why I enlisted, to be able to make a difference, do more in my community, and serve my country! So I was really happy about being placed on orders when I finished A.I.T.!
My goals are to attend Grand Valley State University’s Premedical program and then medical school to be a doctor.
So when Covid-19 kicked off it provided a great opportunity for me to learn, gain experience, train, and work with my unit.
I’ve always had a passion for helping people, so I’ve enjoyed coming out every day to support my community.
As a civilian, I am a firefighter /EMT, and that’s why I choose to be an Army combat medic.
So far the National Guard Covid-19 task force has administered over 70,500 Covid-19 tests throughout Michigan, and my team has administered 14,000 of those tests. We are averaging between 200 to 1,000 Covid-19 tests per day depending on our location.
This has been a fantastic experience and I’m hoping for more opportunities like this to serve my community.”