Colo. National Guard delivering supplies for 9Health Fairs Published Feb. 29, 2012 By Air National Guard Maj. Elena O'Bryan Colorado National Guard Public Affairs CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- The Colorado Army and Air National Guard are again providing trucks and drivers to help deliver approximately 20,000 pounds of supplies for the annual 9Health Fair. The mission of the 9Health Fair is to promote health awareness across the region and encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own health through free and low-cost medical screenings. The Colorado Army and Air National Guard began transporting supplies across Colorado and to the neighboring states of Wyoming and Nebraska on Feb. 27, and will continue during the month of March, driving more than 12,500 miles to reach 155 communities. The Colorado National Guard and 9Health Fair have been community partners for 33 years, with the CONG delivering medical supplies and providing other logistical support to the event through the Innovative Readiness Training program. IRT is a 1992 initiative by the Department of Defense and Congress that allows National Guard and Reserve units the opportunity to conduct certain types of required training that, in the real world, also benefit the community. "The Colorado National Guard is a community-based organization, so we're already based in most of the communities that 9Health Fair serves," said the Adjutant General of Colorado Maj. Gen. Mike Edwards. "The same way we respond to citizen needs in every zip code throughout the region during emergencies, we can get medical supplies to every 9Health Fair." This IRT event involves real-world training opportunities for service members and units to prepare them for their wartime missions while also supporting the needs of their local communities.