Kalispell is one of three locations where teams of Montana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have been prepositioned in order to assist with the state’s ongoing battle against the coronavirus.

According to a press release from the Montana National Guard Public Affairs Office, Gov. Steve Bullock recently activated an additional 90 Montana airmen and soldiers, bringing the total activated individuals to 200. Fifty-seven of these individuals currently reside in Helena, Billings and Kalispell.

The teams will be utilized “as needed,” but according to the press release are trained to conduct airport and train station temperature screenings, provide medical supply deliveries from the Department of Public Health and Human Services and other tasks the Montana Coronavirus Task Force may need assistance with.

“These teams will be prepositioned to help civil authorities as needed to stop, slow or limit the spread and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 within Montana,” said Montana Coronavirus Task Force leader Maj. Gen. Matthew Quinn.

According to the press release, 33 other airmen and soldiers were recently activated to begin construction of a temporary medical facility at the MetraPark Expo Center in Billings where about 80 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. The facility holds 90 beds and has the capacity to treat low acute, non-coronavirus patients while the spread of the virus subsides.

“Montana Air and Army National Guard construction specialists will build a temporary medical facility that could be utilized int he future, dependent upon the spread of the virus,” Quinn said in a prepared statement. “This is a proactive measure that is an extra precaution to protect the health and well-being of Montanans should we have a surge of the virus and need an additional location to care fro patients with issues not related to COVID-19.”

The team constructing the temporary medical facility is composed of 19 airmen from the Montana Air National Guard’s 219th Redhorse Squadron and 14 Montana Army National Guard Soldiers from Detachment 2, 230th Vertical Engineer Company and 260th Engineer Support Company. The group will include carpenters, electricians, plumbers and general laborers.