Gabbard reports for Army Reserve duty

Rep. Tulsi Garbbard (D-Hawaii) left Friday to report for her two-week duty in the Army Reserve, according a statement released by her office. 

The congresswoman, an armed services veteran who served two deployments in the Middle East, left for two weeks for an Army duty requirement to join an Army Reserves Civil Affairs team to assist a Native Alaskan Tribe, according to the release. 

Gabbard will help her team provide the Alaskan tribe with “critical community needs” through the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. 

The IRT “provides joint training opportunities to increase deployment readiness as well as key services — such as health care, construction, transportation, and cybersecurity — that benefit communities across the country and U.S. Territories,” according to the program’s website.

Gabbard’s reporting for duty comes as the country continues to struggle with mitigating the coronavirus. Native American tribes in particular have struggled to quash the spread of the virus among their populations, and Native Americans are at increased risk of contracting the virus, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the past, residents of Hawaii have taken advantage of the IRT, with the program’s military doctors providing free medical care such as optometry and dental exams.

While on duty, Gabbard’s staff will “continue to work on behalf of residents throughout Hawaiʻi.” 

The Hawaii representative, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, ran for president during the Democratic primary earlier this year. Gabbard ended her campaign in March amid financing struggles. During her bid for president, the congresswoman said that she will not seek reelection for her seat in Congress.