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Left to right, Spc. Francesca Chen-Shue, Pfc. Monica Nieves, Chief Warrant Officer Latania McCook, Pfc. Tyanna Harrison and Spc. Taquisha Hubbard, members of the all-female 356th Quartermaster (War Wagon) Company at a COVID-19 testing site in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Sgt. Leia Tascarini)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – An all-female team with the Florida National Guard’s 356th Quartermaster (War Wagon) Company is managing logistics for a COVID-19 testing site at a local stadium.

“We empower each other as women and build one another up; being on an all-female team is unique and rewarding,” said Chief Warrant Officer Latania McCook, a supply systems technician. “We are honored to be here, and without this team, the site would not have the supplies on hand to complete the mission.”

The Quartermaster Corps is the oldest logistical branch of the Army. The functions include general supply, petroleum and water. The quartermaster mission is essential in day-to-day operations and vital to the Soldiers collecting specimens and supporting operations management. They are often behind the scenes getting supplies and distributing them to Soldiers.

“The Soldiers of War Wagon Company have executed the mission flawlessly,” said Capt. Kenneth Dixon, the officer in charge at the testing site. “I have worked with Chief Warrant Officer McCook and her team since 2018. They are the premier quartermaster company in Florida; no one else in the state can do what they do as well as they do.”

McCook, Spc. Taquisha Hubbard, Spc. Francesca Chen-Shue, Pfc. Tyanna Harrison and Pfc. Monica Nieves ensure the Soldiers have personal protective equipment, water and other items to do their jobs.

Along with supporting the COVID-19 testing mission, they also support each other as women in the military making a difference.

“The Army has empowered me not only as a female Soldier, but in my day-to-day life as well,” said Hubbard, an automated logistical specialist. “Being a part of this mission is being a part of history, and I am proud of what we are accomplishing.”

History will remember the unified response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from the local community and state, the FLNG and the War Wagon company have remained in the fight against COVID-19 and will continue to endure for the citizens of Florida.

Reprinted with permission

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