The Department of Defense will soon aid the civilian effort to distribute vaccine doses for COVID-19, but the number of troops, and how they will be used, is still to be determined, reports Military.com.

“Just like we would get through a combatant command request, it’s going through the same processes. It’s being analyzed for resourcing and risk by the services,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

Last week the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requested a number of troops to assist in the vaccination campaign, Pentagon officials declined on saying the exact number needed. At the moment, approximately 20,000 National Guard members are active in COVID-19 response.

According to CQ, the department has distributed nearly 770,000 vaccine doses to 306 Defense Department facilities around the world, but only 366,000 doses have been administered. In the United States, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has distributed approximately 48 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Of this amount only 54 percent, or 26 million doses, have been administered.

Photo by Seaman Apprentice Adam Craft