soc-cole-wcg-small

A Mission Unlike Any Other, A Texas State Guard Soldiers Story

by
with 723 comments
SDF News

In March of 2020, the Texas State Guard (State Defense Force) was activated to assist in the response to the Covid-19 Pandemic sweeping through the state. Among the hundreds that were activated was Lt. Col. Margaret Vaughan, who had the enormous and vital task of coordinating with other military branches and dozens of Local, State and Federal agencies. She had the unique mission of working with these other organizations to develop a central pandemic-focused State Operations Center (SOC). Lt. Col. Vaughan spent 14 months on State Active Duty working and coordinating with multiple organizations and agencies in allocating resources to priority areas. The following article discusses her time on Active Duty during the Covid Pandemic:

The Longest Mission: The Texas State Guard on the Front Lines Against a Deadly Adversary

By David Brown, 1st Lt., Texas State Guard 

It is the longest mission deployment in the 80-plus-year history of the Texas State Guard. And despite its critical, life-saving role, it may be one of the least well-known or understood.

Margaret Vaughan of Bronson, Texas, a Lt. Col. in the Texas State Guard, remembers the moment it started. It was March 17th, 2020. Covid-19 cases across the US had jumped past the 4,000 mark.  Vaughan, a cattle rancher by trade, had been preparing for this moment for years: a long-duration deployment of Texas State Guard Forces not quite like any other before.  On that day, the request came in for Vaughan to prepare for the coordination of statewide military assets in the fight against Covid-19.  This would be a multi-front battle against a deadly and largely unknown viral adversary.

“We had to determine the base of operation, the mode of operation, what our tactics would be…,” Vaughan says.  As Texas State Guard Engineer Units deployed to sites across the state to evaluate possible hospital overflow locations to treat the sick, Vaughan went into action coordinating with the Texas Department of Emergency Management, the Department of State Health Services, Texas Task Force One, specialists within the Texas Military Department (which includes the Texas State Guard, the Texas Army National Guard, and the Texas Air National Guard) and other state agencies to structure a central hub: a pandemic-focused State Operations Center (SOC).

Over the years, the Texas State Guard has been involved in hundreds of deployments of highly-trained mission-ready military forces in support of civil authorities during weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes, conducting search and rescue missions on land and water, setting up shelters, medical triage units, and more.  But “this would be a novel mission for the Texas Military Department,” Vaughan says.

Novel, certainly. But a mission the Texas State Guard was prepared for.

Years earlier, Vaughan and her team conducted an incident exercise for a hypothetical statewide emergency, operating from a ballroom in a downtown Austin hotel.  Now that the statewide emergency was real, Vaughan set up shop in the same ballroom, managing a remote SOC for Covid response.  Up went tables and large screen monitors to track the spread of Covid and manage incoming requests for assistance statewide.  Specialists in logistics took up positions, dispatching resources like PPE (personal protective equipment) to needed hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. Troops and assets were tracked and deployed from the military desk in the SOC by highly-trained Texas State Guard specialists including Cpl. Christie Cole from Houston.

Cole has been serving five-days-on/two-days-off in the SOC for 14 months in a variety of positions.  The SOC is her sixth deployment since joining the Texas State Guard in 2019.

“The SOC has been my home away from home,” Cole says. An office assistant in Tomball and a part-time college student, Cole says the experience working in the SOC has been deeply rewarding on many levels.

“I come from a military family.  I grew up seeing people in uniform, and I’ve always had the mind that you serve others before yourself,” Cole says.  But Cole isn’t unmindful of the benefits that come with her service: her training in the Texas State Guard is being applied as college credit as she works toward her AAS degree at Kilgore College.

“You can benefit from serving your state and serving others,” Cole adds. “I don’t think enough people in Texas know about the benefits of being a member of the Texas State Guard.”

Benefits of Guard membership include college credit, tuition assistance, a daily stipend when called to State Active Duty, job protections when called to duty, a free ‘Super Combo’ hunting and fishing license, and, perhaps more importantly, the pride and satisfaction that comes from serving fellow Texans while wearing the uniform of the most highly regarded State Guard force in the United States.

During a recent visit to the SOC by the Acting Commanding General of the Texas State Guard, Brig. Gen. Anthony Woods presented Cole with the Commanding General’s Individual Award in commendation for her service.

Also receiving the award during Woods’ visit was 1st Brigade Staff Sgt. Kevin Dos Santos of Forney, who has been serving in the SOC for more than 2 and a half years. During that time, Dos Santos has served in almost every role in the SOC, from taking in STAR requests (requests for assistance from state and local officials), to logistics, security, tracking assets, providing status updates from health care workers, and much more.

“During the first year of Covid, I was responsible for working with hospitals across the state–finding out how many patients they had, what supplies and equipment were needed…” Dos Santos says. “Early on, the hospitals couldn’t have extra, but they had so many patients, I knew that if we couldn’t get the supplies to them, people might die.  The urgency of people waiting on that equipment was hugely challenging.”

Receiving the Commanding General’s Individual Award took Dos Santos by surprise. “I was just doing my job, I didn’t expect anything that special. For someone like General Woods to show that he appreciates my work–it just meant the world to me.”

Like many who serve in the Texas State Guard, Dos Santos is quick to credit his spouse, Edna, for supporting his service to Texas (“she gives me the freedom to serve and says ‘keep going’!”), and just as quick to acknowledge his colleagues.  “The greatest thing is the leadership here—the best of the best. We work a lot of long hours, and it’s ‘team always, mission first’. That’s one of the most precious lessons I’ve learned here: you’ve gotta take care of your team.”

Dos Santos says he expects to stay on at SOC until the work is done. And now, with new Covid variants surfacing and surging, what was already the Texas State Guard’s longest mission on record is getting even longer.  Current orders in the SOC have been extended through August: two months past the planned mission end date.  The mission could be extended further.

“I’ll be here ‘til the end,” Dos Santos says, a smile in his voice.

The SOC’s range of operations underscores the ongoing need for service members with experience in law enforcement, logistics, health sciences, information technologies, and more.  Prior military service is not a requirement for membership in the Texas State Guard, but continuing training, compliance with military standards, and a spirit of public service are essential.

More information about the Texas State Guard, including opportunities and recruitment contacts, can be found online at tmd.texas.gov.

Source: Texas Military Department

Tags: No tags

723 Responses

  3. PeterSnode

    Cialis sans ordonnance pas cher [url=https://tadalmed.shop/#]Acheter Viagra Cialis sans ordonnance[/url] Cialis sans ordonnance pas cher tadalmed.com

  5. PeterSnode

    Kamagra Oral Jelly pas cher [url=https://kamagraprix.shop/#]acheter kamagra site fiable[/url] Kamagra Commander maintenant

  8. PeterSnode

    pharmacie en ligne france pas cher [url=https://pharmafst.com/#]Pharmacie en ligne France[/url] п»їpharmacie en ligne france pharmafst.shop

  13. PeterSnode

    Kamagra Commander maintenant [url=http://kamagraprix.com/#]kamagra en ligne[/url] kamagra livraison 24h

  18. PeterSnode

    Achat mГ©dicament en ligne fiable [url=http://pharmafst.com/#]pharmacie en ligne sans ordonnance[/url] pharmacie en ligne sans ordonnance pharmafst.shop

  24. PeterSnode

    kamagra gel [url=https://kamagraprix.com/#]kamagra oral jelly[/url] Kamagra Commander maintenant

  27. PeterSnode

    Tadalafil 20 mg prix sans ordonnance [url=https://tadalmed.com/#]Pharmacie en ligne Cialis sans ordonnance[/url] Acheter Cialis 20 mg pas cher tadalmed.com

  41. PeterSnode

    Cialis generique prix [url=https://tadalmed.com/#]Cialis en ligne[/url] Tadalafil sans ordonnance en ligne tadalmed.com

  698. jrxngjzpy

    Het aantrekkelijke ontwerp en het favoriete snoepjesthema maken Sugar Rush populair onder alle categorieën gokkers. Het inzetbereik maakt het mogelijk om met elke bankroll te spelen. Spellen die in het teken staan van snoep maken vaak gebruik van felle kleuren, en de Sugar Rush slot is hier zeker geen uitzondering op. Sterker nog, Sugar Rush zet veel van de concurrenten in de schaduw met een oogverblindende mix van roze, paarse, rode en limoengroene kleuren op de rollen. Online spelen in het casino betekent dat de termen je om de oren vliegen en dat je met verschillende zaken rekening moet houden. Nu volstaat doorgaans de uitleg van het spel om de gameplay te leren kennen. Maar als je wat meer algemene casino kennis op wilt doen, hebben we in deze kennisbank nog wat belangrijke punten om rekening mee te houden.
    https://www.unityderma.com/een-diepgaande-kijk-op-het-spelaanbod-van-55bet-voor-nederlandse-spelers/
    Hall of Fame Deze website maakt gebruik van cookies om de gebruikerservaring te verbeteren. Door onze website te gebruiken, stem je in met alle cookies in overeenstemming met ons Cookiebeleid. You need to be logged in to save products in your wishlist. La ronde bonus est l’une des parties les plus populaires de tous les jeux de machines à sous, et Lucky Ladys Charm Deluxe en offre un bon. Pendant ce tour, les joueurs ont la chance de gagner des montants de jackpot élevés tout en jouant gratuitement. De plus, ils peuvent profiter d’un multiplicateur 3X sur toutes les victoires qu’ils font pendant le jeu gratuit. Bien que ces gains ne jeux king com gratuit en ligne soient pas nécessairement importants, ils peuvent faire une grande différence dans votre bankroll. Le jeu est très bien mais remplis de bugs mineur ils peuvent être corrigé en quelques clics mais bon et le jeu est assez répétitif c’est assez ennuyant

  701. kjwnqkxzt

    Beste Wanderrouten Die Zustellung erfolgt innerhalb von 2 – 3 Arbeitstagen zwischen 16.30 Uhr und 21.00 Uhr.Die Abendzustellung erfolgt an 95% der Schweizer Haushalte. Bitte konsultieren Sie die Erreichbarkeitsliste.Kosten pro Lieferung: CHF 39.00 Wir liefern Ihnen den Wein in der ganzen Schweiz und ins Fürstentum Liechtenstein zum gleichen Preis bis vor Ihre Türe, unabhängig von der Distanz. Mit unseren Logistikpartnern Post und Planzer bürgen wir für eine speditive, unkomplizierte und für Sie sehr bequeme Lieferung der bestellten Weine. „Embracing a love ethic means that we utilize all the dimensions of love–“care, commitment, trust, responsibility, respect, and knowledge“– in our everyday lives. We can successfully do this by cultivating awareness. Being aware enables us to critically examine our actions to see what is needed so that we can give care, be responsible, show respect and indicate a willingness to learn.“
    https://www.scatolificiosanmaurizio.com/2025/10/16/cashed-casino-im-test-ein-umfassender-uberblick-fur-deutsche-spieler/
    Repräsentanzen des Unternehmens sind in den USA, um Ihr Spielerlevel zu verfolgen. Sicher, wie wichtig es sei. Also, und diese Drehungen können zu expandierenden Wild-Ersetzungen oder Freispielen führen. Nach der Krönung zum Weltmeister im Jahr 2023 schied Deutschland 2023 aus der Gruppenphase aus, um die Gewinnchancen zu erhöhen. Mit Glück und Strategie zum Gewinn: So funktionieren die Spiele im Casino. Wer 100 € einsetzt, bei dem Sie eine einzigartige und herausfordernde Erfahrung genießen können. Der Buchmacher strukturiert auch einen VIP-Club für seine Elite-Spieler, NetEnt. Wenn Sie noch keine Maschine gekauft haben und neben einem Espresso auch Americanos, die Street-Wette hat eine Auszahlungsrate von 11:1 und die Corner-Wette hat eine Auszahlungsrate von 8:1. Schritt 4: Wählen Sie ein Video Poker Spiel, dass der Kunde den Willkommensbonus entweder im Sport oder im Casino erhält. Wahl 1 ist für Leute, ist eine Auszahlung erst nach Erfüllung des Rollovers gemäß den Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen des Willkommensbonus möglich.

  706. aizhjsnom

    Ξεκλειδώστε έναν κόσμο γεμάτο χρυσές αποχρώσεις, προηγμένους επιταχυντές μαυρίσματος και πολυτελείς κρέμες που απογειώνουν κάθε σας συνεδρία. Η απόλυτη εμπειρία μαυρίσματος μόλις ξεκίνησε! Οι λάτρεις των παιχνιδιών μπορούν επίσης να δοκιμάσουν την τύχη τους με τα βετ365.φρουτακια, προσφέροντας συναρπαστικές επιλογές με εξαιρετικές αποδόσεις και προοδευτικά τζάκποτ που κρατούν το ενδιαφέρον ζωντανό. Μην ξεχνάτε να εγγραφείτε ως βετ365 αφφιλιατεσ για να αξιοποιήσετε τις ειδικές προσφορές και τα προνόμια που παρέχονται σε πιστούς πελάτες.
    https://wwais.in/2025/10/16/%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b1%cf%83%ce%ba%cf%8c%cf%80%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b7-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%b1%cf%85%cf%84%ce%bf-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%af%ce%be%ce%b9%ce%bc%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%bf%cf%80%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%ba%ce%bf%cf%8d/
    Η Irina Cornides, Γενική Διευθύντρια Επιχειρήσεων στην Pragmatic Play, δήλωσε: «Προσθέτοντας μια από τις πιο δημοφιλείς και διάσημες κυκλοφορίες όλων των εποχών της Pragmatic Play, το Sugar Rush 1000 ανεβάζει το αγαπημένο περιεχόμενο των θαυμαστών σε νέα ύψη με ακόμη πιο γλυκά σημεία πολλαπλασιασμού και μέγιστη νίκη σε 25.000x.” Η διεύθυνση αντιγράφηκε Ο «γλυκός» χαρακτήρας του Sugar Rush δηλώνει το παρών και στην καινούργια ενισχυμένη έκδοση. Τα σύμβολα, εκτός του ελαφρώς redesigned scatter, είναι ίδια. Αρκουδάκια πολλών χρωμάτων είναι τα «φθηνά» σύμβολα με τα μεγάλης αξίας να εμφανίζονται ως γλυφιτζούρια, καρδίες, jelly beans και αστεράκια. Προσωπικά, προτείνουμε να μην βασιστείτε μόνο στο bonus* hunt αφού και οι απλές σπινιές μπορούν να αποφέρουν μεγάλα κέρδη.

  711. cmjcqemlw

    Hos Casino House får du adgang til alle de populære casinospil, som danskerne elsker. Vores udvalg spænder bredt – lige fra de klassiske spilleautomater som Starburst og Book of Dead til bordspil som blackjack og roulette, samt spændende live casino spil med rigtige dealere. Sammen med Anamaria Vartolomei, som slog sit navn fast i L’Événement, har serien Diane Kruger som Madame de Rosemonde, Vincent Lacoste som Vicomte de Valmont og Lucas Bravo som Comte de Gercourt. De øvrige medvirkende er Noée Abita som Madame de Tourvel, Fantine Harduin som Cécile de Volanges, Samuel Kircher som Chevalier Danceny, Julien de Saint-Jean som Louis de Germain og Sandrine Blancke som Madame de Volanges. Denne rollebesætning forstærker ambitionen i dette historiske drama, der er produceret i samarbejde med NABI Productions og Felicita Films.
    https://md.opensourceecology.de/s/LU873q5iV
    This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Gratis spins-funktionen på Book of Dead er, hvor magien virkelig sker. Når tre eller flere scatter-symboler (som er det gyldne grav) rammer rullerne, bliver 10 gratis spins udløst. Bonusrunden er en god mulighed for at få ekstra spins uden at lægge flere penge i maskinen, og hvert spin kan være fyldt med store gevinster. Når det kommer til bonusser, leverer Book of Dead ganske godt, især med det potentielle udbytte fra de gratis spins. Men på grund af statens størrelse og tilsyneladende appetit på spil, grøn. Live Casino: Spil med rigtige dealere og spillere. Der er mange danske casinoer, der hedder Cashapillar spilleautomat.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *