VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) -- State leaders in Indiana know long-term care facilities need help. That's why they've deployed thousands of national guardsmen to long-term care facilities.

It all started a few weeks ago. We told you Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb was sending the national guard to a few long-term care facilities across the state. It started with only ones that had outbreaks.

Now 18 hundred guards have been stationed at every single long term care facility in the state. Their role is to help with covid testing residents and employees. That way, employees at the facilities can get back to the day to day tasks and taking care of residents.

One staff Sargent for the Indiana National Guard was a part of the governor's press briefing Wednesday. She is stationed at a long-term care facility in Muncie, Indiana.

She said when the guards can help take temperatures or sanitize areas, that means an employee can help a sick resident, and it lessens the chance for an employee or resident to contract COVID.

"You think of service members you think of people overseas fighting war zones and things like that, but guardsmen I think that's what sets us apart. especially in Indiana, you know, that hospitality sense that we have," she said. "And you know, we live here, we work here, and we do serve here."

We reached out to a few facilities here in Terre Haute. They have told us they do not have guardsmen helping.

So, we reached out to the Indiana State Department of Health to try and get a list of places where guards are stationed. As of right now, we have not heard back.