Today, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) is leaving to fulfill her annual two-week Army duty requirement where she will be joining a U.S. Army Reserves Civil Affairs team to assist an Alaska Native Tribe with critical community needs through the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. 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.
Hawaiʻi residents in her Congressional district have taken advantage of this program through Tropicare, a two-week annual training event during which military medical professionals provide free health care clinics throughout the islands. In past years, the clinics have offered basic dental, medical and optometry examinations, health education classes, and pharmaceutical and laboratory services to the public at no cost, with a focus on underserved communities.
While on duty, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s congressional staff will continue to work on behalf of residents throughout Hawaiʻi — through individual constituent casework, coordination with authorities, and on-the-ground efforts — as well as in Washington, D.C.
Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawai‘i Army National Guard for 17 years, and is a highly-decorated veteran of two Middle East deployments. She has participated in multiple joint-training exercises with countries such as Japan and Indonesia. She has been activated twice in recent years in response to natural disasters and community crises in Hawaiʻi. In November 2014, Rep. Gabbard was activated and served in Hawaiʻi National Guard efforts as an eruption of Kīlauea lava flow headed toward Pāhoa on Hawaiʻi Island. In May 2018, as lava erupted from fissures throughout Lower Puna neighborhoods, Rep. Gabbard again served in uniform to provide support to a community facing the loss of homes, schools, and livelihoods. She continues to serve as a Major in the Army Reserves.
Since the early days of the coronavirus crisis, Rep. Gabbard and her team have been hard at work to bring Federal dollars to support the people of Hawaiʻi, fighting for more masks and PPE (personal protective equipment) for Hawaiʻi’s healthcare professionals, and advocating for free mass testing capabilities across the state and country. She is keeping Hawai‘i residents updated regularly through e-newsletters and virtual town hall events.