Off the Lava Brigade Facebook page
More than a year ago, Team Mālama of the Hawaii National Guardʻs Joint Task Force, began working alongside the Hawaiʻi Department of Health to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 with itʻs integral support to the Stateʻs COVID mapping mission. The team’s support efforts are incredibly impactful for the community as they provide vital research and data collection to assist with COVID mapping, also referred to as contact tracing.
Led by the newly promoted commander, Capt. Joshua H. Aquinde, Team Mālama consists of 56 activated guardsmen that encompass nine groups assigned to the following areas: Data Entry & Analysis, Corrections, Schools, Healthcare, Workplace, High-Risk Cases, Food & Drink Establishments, Pacific Islander Outreach, and Active-Duty Military.
This pandemic has posed many challenges, but for the Hawaii National Guard, itʻs another way to show how well guardsmen respond when called upon.
“Being on this mission has made me extremely proud,” said Aquinde. “This is a challenge we never faced before, not just as a community but as a National Guard, and we were able to come in, set a standard, and help the community, which is what we are here for.”
