Ben Garland, 49ers teaming up with USO in fight against COVID-19

49ers lineman Ben Garland has been taking his impact in the fight against COVID-19, partnering up with the USO to support the military community.

San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Ben Garland has a much deeper story than just being his team’s starting center in Super Bowl LIV.

Garland, 32 years old, played his college ball at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is currently a captain in the Colorado Air National Guard, performing his military duties and obligations in between NFL seasons.

Not surprisingly, he’s more than willing to give back to the military community, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has tested the nation’s resources in Northern California.

As one of the handful of active military members in the NFL today, Garland has been more than active helping out however he can. Both he and the 49ers recently partnered with the USO to help deliver care packages to the military and their families as they work on battling the global pandemic.

To date, well over 1,300 care packages have been delivered to military bases including the California Army National Guard, Travis Air Force Base, Beale Air Force Base and the Naval Air Station in Lemoore.

“I want to personally thank the military service members who are on specific orders supporting the COVID relief efforts,” Garland said in the press release. “Our troops continue to answer the call, and they have been instrumental in our domestic response to this pandemic. It is essential that we support our troops.”

USAA, the Niners’ partner in the leaguewide Salute to Service initiative, worked tirelessly to donate these care packages, while the USO both assembled and delivered the packages to where they needed to go.

But there’s a lot more work needing to be done.

During these unprecedented times, it’s important to recognize and assist others who are on the front lines in the fight against the pandemic. And if you’re interested in helping Ben Garland achieve his latest mission, visit northerncalifornia.uso.org for more information.

You can also visit www.usaa.com/coronavirus for USAA’s response to COVID-19, too.