Colorado’s congressional delegation on Wednesday asked President Donald Trump to extend the federal active duty status of Colorado National Guard members to enable their continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of logistical and public health roles.

“The ongoing support the Colorado National Guard members provide to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment through staffing COVID-19 mobile and mass testing sites of vulnerable populations is vital,” wrote Colorado’s two U.S. senators and seven House members in a letter to the White House.

The federal funding began on April 6 and will expire at the end of this year. The Guard in Colorado also aids with distribution, warehouse management and logistics for personal protective equipment. There is an intended role for Guard members in distributing and managing vaccine sites once inoculations against the novel coronavirus become available.

A request from Gov. Jared Polis would include these duties under an extension of federal funding, if approved.

“We support Governor Polis’s request for an extension, and expansion to include vaccine related activities,” the officials wrote, “for another six months until July 31, 2021.”

Other states have used National Guard members to enforce restrictions on travelers arriving at airports or for “mortuary affairs support” – handling dead bodies.