An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

An Honor: Soldier Briefs Trump, Esper on COVID-19 NYC Ground Ops

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

It's not every day you get to be part of a phone call with the president and defense secretary, but in these uncertain times, anything is possible.

Army Spc. Samuel Shepard has been learning that quickly. As a medic, the 25-year-old is one of 270 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, deployed in New York City, the epicenter of America's COVID-19 crisis. He and fellow soldiers assigned to the 9th Hospital Center, 1st Medical Brigade, are just some of the troops who arrived in the hard-hit city last week to support the Army Corps of Engineers, police and other first responders on the front lines of the pandemic. 

A soldier takes a selfie, while two other soldiers pose far apart in the background.
Social Distancing Selfie
Army Spc. Samuel Shepard and other members of the 9th Hospital Center, 1st Medical Brigade, pose for a photo while maintaining social distancing while deployed to New York City to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, April 2, 2020.
Photo By: Courtesy of Army Spc. Samuel Shepard
VIRIN: 200402-A-ZZ999-528

Shepard's unit has pulled some 15-hour days to help build a temporary medical station at the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center in Manhattan. DOD remains in close coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is the lead federal agency in the response, to determine how the military could support additional requests for assistance. 

Shepard was scouting potential field hospital sites in case they got such a request when he was told to do something he would never forget: President Donald J. Trump and Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper were holding a conference call with service members and their families, and he was asked to give an update on his unit's mission.

A soldier writes on a notepad as she walks through a corridor of empty makeshift hospital rooms.
Supply Check
A soldier from the Army’s 9th Hospital Center based out of Fort Hood, Texas, works to stock medical supplies for the temporary medical station located at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, March 28, 2020. U.S. Northern Command is providing military support to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
Photo By: Army Spc. Chafelmer Kroll
VIRIN: 200328-A-KQ995-019

''Seventy-two hours after we left, we were on ground, helping to build the first 1,000 beds and all the patient care and hygiene systems and the staff care and hygiene systems, which were our top priorities,'' Shepard told the president. ''We are ready and willing to do whatever you ask to win this fight, and we will win. That's just what we do.''

Shepard said it was a pretty cool task, despite the pressure of knowing about 1,000 people were on the call.

A supervising soldier elbow-bumps a female soldier carrying a heavy pack across tarmac.
Elbow Bump
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Jackson of the 1st Medical Brigade sends off soldiers from the 9th Hospital Center at Fort Hood, Texas, with an elbow bump, March 26, 2020. The soldiers deployed to the New York City area,, where they will begin helping local medical professionals in the fight against COVID-19. The 1st Medical Brigade trains year-round and always remains ready to exercise its medical capabilities.
Photo By: Army Capt. Tyson Friar
VIRIN: 200326-A-PT541-006

''It was a great experience to get to update the president on everything that was going on,'' he said. ''When I was in college, I did an internship with the meteorologist at our local TV station, so I was kind of used to talking in front of people.''

Shepard joined the Army as a combat medic three years ago after graduating from college. He was recently selected to attend flight school to become a helicopter pilot, but he’s not sure if that will get put on hold as the coronavirus crisis continues.

Two soldiers kneel down while putting together temporary shelving inside a large room. Others do similar tasks in the background.
Medical Station Build
Army soldiers assigned to the 531st and 9th Hospital Center build shelving at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, March 28, 2020. These soldiers and other federal, state and local agencies are building a temporary medical station in New York City in support of the Defense Department’s COVID-19 response.
Photo By: Navy Chief Petty Officer Barry Riley
VIRIN: 200328-N-OE749-0142

For now, he's focused on the mission at hand – helping reduce pressure on the New York medical system. While the 15-hour days have slowed down a bit, Shepard knows it's far from over yet. But he and his unit are prepared for whatever comes their way.

''We have all our people here, so we're able to spread the load,'' Shepard said. ''We're building our battle rhythm as we go along.''

More than 186,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with the virus that has swept the globe. More than 3,600 had died from COVID-19 as of April 1.

Related Stories