Citizen airmen, Lyme advocacy, and a mission to save lives

The Air National Guard (ANG) is a unique branch of the U.S. military that serves both state and federal missions.

Unfortunately, when responding to natural disasters or other emergencies, ANG members often face environments that increase their risk of tick exposure and tick-borne diseases.

Known as “citizen airmen,” these service members live and work as civilians while serving part-time in the military. They’re nurses, teachers, engineers, parents — everyday people who stand ready to serve when called.

Late last year, LymeDisease.org and the Bay Area Lyme Foundation were invited to collaborate with the Air National Guard on a nationwide Tick-Borne Illness Prevention Program. We were proud to contribute.

As a result of this partnership, during Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May 2025, more than 100,000 citizen airmen received briefings on how to protect themselves and their families from tick-borne illness. This included over 100 physicians and 1,000 medical technicians. These resources were also shared with the Army National Guard Medical Service for an even broader impact.

This month, the two Lyme organizations were honored to receive a formal memorandum of appreciation from the Air National Guard Medical Service in recognition of our contributions to this program.

Included in the memorandum: the program is now being adopted every year by the ANG Public Health Service. That means more awareness, more prevention, and more protection for future citizen airmen.

Our thanks to Colonel Russell Kohl, of the Air National Guard, who served as our point of contact for this project.

And gratitude to retired Air Force Colonel Nicole Malachowski, one of the Lyme community’s top advocates, for helping bring all of us together to form this partnership.

This is what progress looks like — people coming together to make a difference that saves lives.

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, President of LymeDisease.org. She is co-author of Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease and of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.