In the past few years, the Idaho and Nevada National Guard have worked together to provide medical care to the Nez Perce and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes through Operation Nimiipuu Health. This initiative took place from May 13-24 and was part of the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training program, which allows service members to offer free care while gaining valuable experience.
During this collaboration, approximately 50 Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen from the Idaho and Nevada National Guard provided a range of services such as behavioral health, medical, dental, and optometry care to individuals living in the Nez Perce Reservation at various sites in northern Idaho and to those residing in and around the Shoshone-Paiute Reservation in the border region of southern Idaho and northern Nevada.
The collaboration between the Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Nimiipuu Health, and the Owyhee Community Health Facility resulted in providing no-cost health care to individuals living on these reservations. Major General Michael Garshak, the adjutant general of Idaho, highlighted the sense of purpose that drives Idaho National Guard members. He expressed how collaborations like Operation Nimiipuu Health not only help sharpen military skills but also create positive impacts in local communities and strengthen relationships with tribes.
This is not the first collaboration between the Idaho National Guard and Native American Tribes. Similar missions have taken place in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The success of these collaborations has been due to the strong partnerships formed between service members
