AIR FORCE EDITION | 3.20.2020 | Vol. 10 | No. 11
J O I N T
B A S E
L A N G L E Y - E U S T I S
COVID-19 EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
For more online content, check out www.JBLE.af.mil P u b l i s h e d i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f p e r s o n n e l a t J o i n t B a s e L a n g l e y - E u s t i s • w w w. p e n i n s u l a w a r r i o r. c o m
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS EDITORIAL STAFF Joint Base Langley-Eustis Commander Col. Clinton A. Ross
Commissaries adjust operational policies
Joint Base Langley-Eustis Public Affairs Officer Capt. Sara Harper • Sara.Harper@us.af.mil
By Kevin L. Robinson
Joint Base Langley-Eustis Editor Aliza Reisberg • aliza.reisberg@us.af.mil
FORT LEE, VA.
Per Air Force Instruction 35-101/Army Regulation 360-1, only stories and photos submitted by members of the Department of Defense community and DOD news services may be printed in The Peninsula Warrior. Any stories, photos or announcements must be submitted eight days prior to publication. Stories and photos should be submitted to the editor and/or assistant editor at 633abw.paedit@us.af.mil or Public Affairs Office, 601 Hines Cir., Fort Eustis, VA 23604. Announcements for the Community Section should be submitted to fteustismain@gmail.com. Announcements for the Outside the Gate Section should be submitted to fteustismain@gmail.com. For more information call 878-4920. Authors’ names may be withheld, but all letters must include the authors’ signatures and telephone number. The Peninsula Warrior is an authorized publication for all the members of the U.S. military. Contents of The Peninsula Warrior are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force or the Department of the Army. The Peninsula Warrior is printed every Friday by offset as a civilian enterprise newspaper for the Public Affairs Office, U.S. Air Force by Military Newspapers of Virginia at 150 W. Brambleton Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510 under exclusive written contract with the commander, Joint Base Langley-Eustis. MNV is a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Air Force or Department of the Army. Printed circulation: 25,000. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by any advertiser will result in refusal to print advertising from that source. All editorial content of The Peninsula Warrior is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the Public Affairs Office Joint Base Langley-Eustis. All photographs are Air Force or Army photographs unless otherwise stated. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense or MNV of the products or services advertised.
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The Defense Commissary Agency announced several operational policies to help stores better serve customers during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. These policies include the following actions: ■ Effective immediately, a 100-percent ID card check at all commissaries, so that only authorized customers – this includes disabled veterans with VHIC cards – will be able to shop. While this policy is in effect visitors will not be allowed to enter the commissary. This is designed help with social distancing and crowd control. Children under 10 with their parents don’t have to have an ID card. ■ Effective March 15, to prevent customer-to-customer spread of germs, commissary cashiers no longer handle patron ID cards. Instead, customers will be asked to scan their own ID. Cashiers can use the handheld scanner if available or have the customer scan their own card. ■ Effective March 19, all commissaries will suspend early bird shopping to allow more time to clean and restock the store. ■ In a move to lessen panic-buying, the agency instructed its store directors worldwide to use their discretion in placing the shopping limits necessary to help maintain stock availability. Rear Adm. (Ret.) Robert J. Bianchi, DOD special assistant for commissary operations, announced the shopping limits policy March 14 in response to a growing number of customers engaged in unauthorized purchases for the purposes of resale or hoarding. The shopping directive, effective immediately, gives store directors
Shoppers at the Fort Lee, Va., Commissary use the self-checkout lanes.
more authority to quickly tailor shopping limits, as required, to keep more products available for more customers, Bianchi said. “These decisions should not contravene or override any restrictions or guidance provided by installation commanders,” Bianchi said. “However, in the absence of installation commander direction, our store directors are now authorized to make local decisions as they deem necessary to control stock shortages through instances such as panic buying and unauthorized purchases for resale.” From the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, commissaries overseas – starting with stores in Italy, South Korea and Japan – instituted shopping limits on items such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants and toilet paper. As coronavirus fears ignited a surge of customer activity worldwide, it became necessary for commissary officials to counter panic buying to take care of all customers, Bianchi said. “Now our store directors have the flexibility to institute shopping limitations if no directives exist,” he said. “They still must inform base leadership when they are implementing these restrictions, but they can use my authority to move forward.” From a product availability standpoint, commissaries continue to work with their industry suppliers to support the needs of senior leaders on the ground at each location. This support manifests itself
Mike Cerny
through increased deliveries to the commissaries that need it most. For overseas stores this means emergency airlifts of high-demand items to counter delays of shipboard supply containers. “We know this is a potentially stressful time for all concerned,” Bianchi said. “But together we will meet these challenges and support our service members and their families throughout the duration of this crisis wherever necessary. “We always recommend to our customers that they calmly purchase what they need and avoid any panic buying to ensure products are available for others in their communities.”
Preventing virus spread at stores
The “No ID handling” policy is just one of many actions stores are implementing to help prevent COVID-19 exposure, said James “Jay” Hudson, principal deputy director of DeCA’s Store Operations Group. “We consider the health and welfare of our customers and our employees our No. 1 concern,” Hudson said. “Our stores are following the highest standards of the Department of Defense’s health protection. This means we’re using disinfectant cleaners to wipe down our checkout areas, restrooms and shopping carts frequently. We’re also ensuring our associates practice routine hand washing and other basic sanitation measures to avoid spreading germs.”
We want to hear from you. Contact us at 633abw.paedit@us.af.mil, or call 878-4920 or 764-5701.
www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
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TO QUALIFY FOR THE INCENTIVE, AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE OR LEASE YOU MUST (1) BE IN CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY STATUS IN THE U.S. MILITARY (NAVY, ARMY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, NATIONAL GUARD, COAST GUARD AND ACTIVE RESERVE) OR A U.S. MILITARY INACTIVE RESERVE (I.E., READY RESERVE) THAT IS PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE, SELECTED RESERVE AND INACTIVE NATIONAL GUARD; OR A MILITARY VETERAN OR RETIREE (RETIREES HONORABLY DISCHARGED) OF THE U.S. MILITARY WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THEIR DISCHARGE/RETIREMENT DATE; OR A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER OF AN ELIGIBLE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL, INCLUDING GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBERS; AND (2) PROVIDE VERIFIABLE PROOF OF MILITARY STATUS OR ACTIVE SERVICE; (3) RECEIVE A SALARY SUFFICIENT TO COVER ORDINARY LIVING EXPENSES AND PAYMENT FOR YOUR NEW VEHICLE; AND (4) RECEIVE CREDIT APPROVAL FROM AND EXECUTE A FINANCE OR LEASE CONTRACT THROUGH A PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. NOT ALL APPLICANTS WILL QUALIFY. ON LEASE CONTRACTS, INCENTIVE MUST BE APPLIED TOWARD THE AMOUNT DUE AT LEASE SIGNING OR TOWARD THE CAPITALIZED COST REDUCTION.ON FINANCE CONTRACTS, INCENTIVE MUST BE APPLIED TOWARD THE DOWN PAYMENT. LIMIT ONE INCENTIVE PER FINANCE OR LEASE TRANSACTION PER ELIGIBLE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL OR ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD MEMBER. OFFER NOT COMBINABLE WITH THE COLLEGE GRADUATE INCENTIVE PROGRAM, THE IFI PROGRAM, AND THE LEASE-END REFI PROGRAM. VEHICLE MUST BE TAKEN OUT OF DEALER STOCK. TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. PROGRAM IS NOT AVAILABLE IN AL, FL, GA, HI, NC, AND SC. ASK YOUR PARTICIPATING DEALER ABOUT THE MILITARY INCENTIVE TERMS IN YOUR AREA. MUST PAY SALES TAX. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CASH. TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES IS A SERVICE MARK OF TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION (TMCC). TMCC IS THE AUTHORIZED ATTORNEY-IN-FACT AND SERVICER FOR TOYOTA LEASE TRUST. 2ALL LEASE OFFERS: LOW MILEAGE LEASE. OFFER AVAILABLE ON APPROVED CREDIT TO QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS FROM TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXCESSIVE WEAR AND EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGES OF $.15 PER MILE IN EXCESS OF 30,000 MILES. NOT ALL CUSTOMERS WILL QUALIFY. RAV4 DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2760 DOWN, FIRST $239 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. EXAMPLE BASED ON 2020 RAV4 MODEL 4430, MSRP $27,160 AND CAPITALIZED COST, WHICH MAY VARY BY DEALER, OF $26,938. COROLLA DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2,820 DOWN (AFTER APPLICATION OF $600 TOYOTA LEASE CASH INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES), FIRST $179 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. EXAMPLE BASED ON 2020 COROLLA 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 1852, MSRP $21,005 AND CAPITALIZED COST, WHICH MAY VARY BY DEALER, OF $20,208. CAMRY DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2,770 DOWN, FIRST $229 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. EXAMPLE BASED ON 2020 CAMRY LE MODEL 2532, MSRP $25,925 AND CAPITALIZED COST, WHICH MAY VARY BY DEALER, OF $25,028. LEASES DO NOT INCLUDE $350 DISPOSITION FEE DUE AT LEASE END. CAPITALIZED COST IN EXAMPLES INCLUDE $650 ACQUISITION FEE AND ASSUME DEALER PARTICIPATION. YOUR PAYMENT TERMS MAY VARY BASED ON FINAL NEGOTIATED PRICE. OFFER AVAILABLE ON APPROVED CREDIT TO QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS FROM TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. 3BUYERS CAN RECEIVE A $1,500 FINANCE CASH INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA ON RAV4 (EXCLUDES HYBRIDS) OR $750 FINANCE CASH INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA ON HIGHLANDER IF VEHICLE IS PURCHASED AND FINANCED THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. STANDARD APR RATES APPLY. INCENTIVE WILL BE APPLIED FIRST TO THE DOWN PAYMENT. ONE INCENTIVE PER FINANCE TRANSACTION. FINANCE INCENTIVE IS AVAILABLE ON APPROVED CREDIT TO QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. 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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
Air Force BMT, technical and flying training mission essential, to continue with mitigation By Dan Hawkins
AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS JOINT BASE TEXAS
SAN
ANTONIO-RANDOLPH,
The Department of Defense response to the coronavirus outbreak continues to be dynamic and policy may quickly change, but as of March 17, U.S. Air Force’s basic military training, technical training and flying training operations have been deemed mission essential and will continue with mitigation for COVID-19, Air Education and Training Command announced. Additionally, all technical training and undergraduate flying training students will continue to out-process after graduation and travel to
their first duty station upon completion of training. “Force health protection is our top priority and we will continually be monitoring the current COVID-19 situation and our recruiting, training and education operations daily to ensure we are doing all we can to protect our Airmen and maintain mission readiness,” said Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, AETC commander. “Calm is contagious. We are making every decision in joint coordination with our sister services, and implementing mitigation tactics where necessary, with the commitment to preserving the ability of our servicemen and women to provide for national defense and current worldwide military
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Air Force basic military training, technical training and flying training has been deemed mission essential and will continue operations with mitigation, Air Education and Training Command announced March 17.
missions.” Until further notice, all BMT flights currently in training will continue until their training objectives are met, with no flight consolidation at this time. In a change to routine basic military training operations, flights originally scheduled to graduate on Fridays will now graduate on Thursday, with the next graduation happening March 19. All BMT graduation events remain private and closed to the public, with a live-stream of Thursday graduation ceremonies on the 37th Training Wing Facebook page. The wing is also actively exploring other methods to allow families to view other BMT events online. If significant changes to BMT operations occur, we will continue to disseminate this information. For Airmen arriving at technical training, the owning installation commander will determine when it is safe for them to travel off base, based on the current health protection conditions and DoD guidance. For flying training, all related training is scheduled to continue, including PCS and TDY for aircrew students and career enlisted aviators. Specifically, pipeline training (e.g. water survival, centrifuge, SERE, etc.) will continue unless previously noted. Additional measures are being considered to account for
force health protection, such as altering class makeup in certain cases. On graduation for both technical training and flying training students, losing units will coordinate with the gaining units to work specific mitigation and travel issues as needed. Overseas travel will be coordinated in accordance with DoD guidelines. Finally, at Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, both Officer Training School and the Reserve Officer Training Corps is considered mission essential. Longer duration courses such as the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air War College and Air Command and Staff College will continue as scheduled. All students attending courses at AU in a TDY status have or will be returned to their home stations. These courses include enlisted and officer PME, as well as the First Sergeant Academy. Where possible, students will continue their courses virtually and receive credit. For Airmen scheduled to crosstrain and attend training, travel guidance is still being worked and will be disseminated once available. “This is a rapidly evolving, fluid situation,” Webb said. “We need your patience as we work through every scenario so we can provide you with the best information possible.”
www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
Evelyn Chavez
Lt. Col. N’Keiba J. Estelle, a member of the Air Force Survivor Advocacy council, speaks with Air Force leadership during the council’s first meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., March 6. The council was created in October 2019 to provide opportunities for surviving family members to discuss with senior leaders the type of support services currently available and which they hope to see.
CSAF Survivor Advocacy Council conducts first meeting By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs ARLINGTON, VA.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein hosted the first Air Force Survivor Advocacy Council meeting at the Pentagon March 6, to discuss how the Air Force can better serve military families after the loss of a service member. The council, created in October 2019, provides an opportunity for surviving family members to discuss with senior leaders the type of support services currently available and which they hope to see. The Survivor Advocacy Council was created to secure vectors to strengthen support to Air Force survivors and validate their ongoing role in the larger Air Force family. “The creation of the Survivor Advocacy Council allows us to provide the best assistance available to our military families,” Goldfein said. “It allows families to provide feedback, and help guide the military in a direction to better take care of the greatest asset we have, our Airmen.”
“This program is the first of its kind for the Air Force,” said Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. “The program is an open and unfiltered forum for survivors of Airmen to speak to Air Force leadership. This council allows survivors the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns that will drive future policy change.” The Survivor Advocacy Council is currently composed of 13 survivor representatives who are spouses, children, parents and siblings of fallen Airmen. The representatives, who applied to serve on the council, were selected to bring knowledge and experience on what has worked and where improvements are required based on their experiences. “Our Airmen are willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good of our nation, and we want to ensure them that we are here for them and their families every step of the way,” Goldfein said. “We are grateful for the council members who have dedicated their time to advocate for families during a difficult journey.”
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
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LRMC’S PROCESS FOR COVID-19 TESTING By Marcy Sanchez
LANDSTUHL, GERMANY
On Saturday, March 14, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center opened the doors to its COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Screening Center in an effort to reduce risk exposure and spread of the virus. While LRMC is equipped with the 2019-Novel Coronavirus Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase Diagnostic Panel, and is the only U.S. military medical treatment facility in Europe with diagnostic testing capabilities, the opening of the clinic has left many questions for individuals eager to get tested for COVID-19 confirmation. “The Covid-19 Screening Center is available for evaluating and assessing those who meets the criteria to be tested in order to maximize our resources,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Laura Ricardo, chief of Preventive Medicine and the COVID-19 public health nurse lead at LRMC. “It’s imperative we prioritize using the COVID tests for people who have either had direct contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19 and are symptomatic.” As the medical community finds out more about symptoms and spread regarding COVID-19, LRMC continues to follow screening procedures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The screening and testing process Individuals with a fever at or above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit AND have cold symptoms (cough, congestion, runny nose, shortness of breath) should proceed to the COVID-19 Screening Clinic, located next to the LRMC Emergency Room. Once the testing is complete, patients will be instructed to return home and self-quarantine until they are called back with results. If people who are tested have other conditions for which they need to be evaluated in a different clinic or department of the hospital, they will be given a note to take with them to the follow-on clinic that states they have been screened and tested. They will be instructed to keep a mask on at all times and to sanitize their hands frequently. Individuals who do not meet both the fever and cold symptoms criteria will not be tested. This includes people who may believe they have been exposed to or were around people who may have tested positive for COVID-19 but are without symptoms. “We need the population with flu-like symptoms to stay home, practice social distancing and self– isolation until they feel (as with a flu) they need
clinical evaluation,” said Ricardo. “People who do not meet both testing criteria or those who have other urgent/emergent needs should not go to the COVID-19 Screening Clinic as it may expose them to other people who may actually have the coronavirus.”
When the results are in Once the testing is completed and individuals are instructed to go home and self-quarantine, the results are typically returned within 24-48 hours. Service Members who are instructed to quarantine will work with the clinic staff to ensure their leadership are aware of the medical guidance. If a test is positive, the patient is immediately contacted by Ricardo and her team of public health nurses to start the Contact Tracing process and identify those with whom they may have come into Close Contact (read more about Close Contacts at https://go.usa.gov/xdt26). Patients with positive tests will be instructed on how to properly isolate themselves within their homes. If a test is negative, the patient will be contacted by the on-call COVID response team with further instructions on how to best recover from their flulike symptoms.
Col. Michael Weber and Command Sgt. Maj. Thurman Reynolds, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center command team, speak with Dr. Michael Koenig, technical supervisor.
What the CDC says For most people, the immediate risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low. Some international destinations (including most European countries) now have ongoing community spread. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed. Older adults and people of any age with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, or heart disease, are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. “We want to relay that flu-like symptoms for the majority of the population is likely due to having the flu,” states Ricardo. “We want everyone to know the COVID-19 Screening Clinic is available for everyone in our military community, but to be tested for a sense of security is not going to be useful. Testing just for peace of mind is a quick way to deplete available resources for those who truly need to be tested.” Ultimately, the medical provider at the COVID-19 Screening Clinic determines the need for testing. The CDC does not recommend testing, symptom monitoring or special management for those who may have been exposed to asymptomatic people with potential exposures to COVID-19.
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's panels for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-Novel Coronavirus Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase Diagnostic Panel, a CDC-developed laboratory test kit to detect 2019 novel coronavirus.
Marcy Sanchez
Col. Michael Weber and Command Sgt. Maj. Thurman Reynolds, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center command team, speak with Dr. Michael Koenig, technical supervisor, Virology Laboratory.
Col. Michael Weber and Command Sgt. Maj. Thurman Reynolds, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center command team, speak with Dr. Michael Koenig.
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
AIR FORCE UPDATE FOR COVID-19 By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs WASHINGTON
In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made:
March 16 Since March 13th, the following bases are monitoring the following based on positive COVID-19 cases. Travis Air Force Base, California is currently monitoring two positive cases of COVID-19 – one for an active-duty Airman, and one for a dependent of a service member. Moody Air Force Base, Georgia has an active-duty member undergoing evaluation and treatment following a presumptive positive COVID-19 test. Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama has a civilian employee who undergoing evaluation and treatment following a confirmed result for COVID-19. In an effort to minimize the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made: Department of Air Force personnel who work on the Pentagon Reservation have been authorized to telework when the mission allows in order to disperse the workforce during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The Department of the Air Force will continue to do our part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as we protect the health of our personnel while ensuring complete readiness to defend our nation. Headquarters Air Mobility Command to adjust operations to address COVID-19 concerns https:// www.amc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2113368/headquartersamc-adjusts-operations-to-addresscovid-19-concerns/ Based on the March 13th Department of Defense Guidance Memo, Air University has asked all students attending Squadron Officer School and Senior Non-Commissions Officer Academy to return to their home stations.
For additional Air Force related information concerning the new coronavirus please reference the following website: https://www.af.mil/ News/Coronavirus-Disease-2019/
March 15 On March 14, the White House announced that Proclamation 9993 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus) will now include the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. As of March 13, 2020, the World Health Organization reported that the United Kingdom had 594 cases of COVID-19, five times more cases than there were 7 days prior. The presidential proclamations regarding novel coronavirus restrict certain travel and entry to and from China, Iran, South Korea, United Kingdom, Ireland, and the European Schengen area. According to the White House, an effective date, to begin implementation of certain travel restrictions, limitations, and exceptions, for the United Kingdom and Ireland is March 16, at 11:59 p.m. The CDC has raised England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland (Ireland) to Level 3. More info here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/coronavirus-unitedkingdom-ireland. The travel restrictions that apply to CDC Travel Health Notices Level 3 (COVID-19) designated locations from the SecDef memorandum dated March 11, Travel Restrictions for DoD Components in Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 now apply to England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland (Ireland). More personnel travel guidance along with FAQ will be released as they become available. For further questions please contact your chain of command or local Military Personnel Flight. In addition, the Total Force Service Center can be reached at 800525-0102. A TFSC technician is available 24/7 to take your call. For additional Air Force related information concerning the new coronavirus please reference the following website: https://www.af.mil/
News/Coronavirus-Disease-2019/
March 13 In an effort to minimize the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made: ■ The Air Force finalized their guidance for personnel movements based off of Secretary Esper’s guidance dated March 11. You can find more information here: https:// www.afpc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2111282/dod-directsstop-movement-in-response-tocovid-19/ ■ Department of the Air Force is suspending all outreach activities and support to community events through May 15. This includes, but is not limited to, on-base and civilian sponsored air shows, band performances and community engagements and meetings. This decision does not preclude our leaders from meeting or coordinating with local and community officials. ■ The United States Air Force Academy made the decision to begin orderly dismissal of a large segment of their Cadet population. The goal of this action is to maximize the chances of graduating their senior class on time. ■ The United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Epidemiology Laboratory has begun receiving potential COVID-19 samples from military treatment facilities (MTFs) around the world. MTFs collect samples per CDC guidelines and send them to the Epi Reference Lab or local public health lab to conduct the CDCapproved test. Any presumptive positive test is then confirmed by the CDC per guidelines. The USAFSAM Epi Lab enters all information from the tested samples into the appropriate medical system for medical decision making, and the also sends daily updates to DHA for oversight. For additional Air Force related information concerning coronavirus please reference the following website: https://www.af.mil/News/Coronavirus-Disease-2019/
March 12
An active-duty Airman assigned to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is currently undergoing evaluation and treatment following a presumptive positive novel coronavirus test. The Airman recently traveled to Seattle. Additionally, a contractor at Moody Air Force base tested positive for the virus. In an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made: ■ The March Air Reserve Base air show scheduled for March 28-29 has been cancelled. ■ Air University’s Officer Training School has suspended guest presence at the awards ceremony and graduation parade; individual commissioning ceremonies will continue ■ No spectators will be allowed at United States Air Force Academy home games; the academy is closed to visitors. Download Air Force COVID-19 Information Handout
March 10 ■ At the United States Air Force Academy, official travel outside of the United States has been restricted for cadets, cadet candidates and permanent party. Personal/leisure travel to countries with a CDC Level 2 or higher rating is also prohibited. As of now, restrictions will remain in place through the end of March. ■ Air Force Basic Military Training has suspended family members from attending graduation until further notice. ■ Since South by Southwest events in Austin, Texas, was cancelled, the Air Force’s Spark Collider and Pitch Bowl will now take place virtually, March 12. ■ The Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado Child Development Center has been closed for cleaning since a parent (family member) tested positive by the state for coronavirus. ■ All Department of the Air Force personnel have been directed to follow Center for Disease Control levels for travel guidance. Additionally, the following bases are currently housing passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship: Travis Air Force Base, California Joint Base San Antonio, Texas and Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.
www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
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DOD poised to provide masks, ventilators, labs for Coronavirus fight By C. Todd Lopez As part of the president’s whole-ofgovernment approach to fighting the coronavirus pandemic, the Defense Department has agreed to provide medical supplies and capabilities to the Department of Health and Human Services to help combat further infections, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said. The Defense Department will make available up to 5 million respirator masks and other personal protective equipment from its strategic reserves to the Department of Health and Human Services for distribution, Esper said during a news conference at the Pentagon today, adding that the first million masks would be made available immediately. Esper said some 2,000 deployable ventilators would also be made available to HHS. Those devices, he said, are different from civilian equivalents and will require special training for civilian users, so DOD personnel likely will provide that training. To help measure the spread of the coronavirus, the Defense Department has also made 14 certified testing labs available to test non-DOD personnel, and two labs would be added to that total, the secretary said. Additionally, Esper said, DOD officials are considering use of the National Guard, the Reserve components, and capabilities such as the Navy’s hospital ships USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy. He said the Comfort is undergoing maintenance now and the Mercy is in port. “We’ve already given orders to the Navy, a few days ago, to lean forward in terms of getting them ready to de-
Sgt. Amber Smith
Soldiers stationed on U.S. Army Garrison Casey conduct pre-screening processes on individuals awaiting entry to the base, USAG-Casey, Dongducheon, Republic of Korea, Feb. 26. Additional screening measures of a verbal questionnaire and temperature check are in response to the heighted awareness of Coronavirus (COVID-19) following a surge in cases throughout the Republic of Korea and are meant to help control the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the force.
ploy,” Epser said. ... I’ve made it clear that we will continue to support the administration’s comprehensive efforts and the country every step of the way, while ensuring our nation’s security remains the top priority of the Department of Defense." Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper But while those ships and other DOD medical facilities such as hospitals and tent-based deployable medical facilities do provide capability, the secretary said, those capabilities are geared in many cases toward trauma care, rather than patients with COVID-19. “They don’t necessarily have the space, the segregated space, you need to deal with infectious disease,” he said. Still, he added, those facilities might be used to take loads off civilian medical facilities so those civilian facilities might treat COVID-19 cases. “One of the ways you could use the field hospitals, the hospital ships or things in between is to take the pressure off the civilian hospitals when it
comes to trauma cases to open up civilian hospital rooms for infectious diseases,” Esper said. He also pointed out that DOD medical facilities such as the Navy medical ships require staff, and getting that staff in place means pulling them from elsewhere. “All those doctors and nurses either come from our medical treatment facilities, or they come from the reserves, which means civilians,” Esper said. “What we have to be very conscious of and careful of as we ... use them to support the states [is] that we aren’t robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. What I don’t want to do is take reservists from a hospital where they are needed just to put them on a ship to take them somewhere else where they are needed.” Esper spent the first part of the day today visiting some of the DOD doctors and scientists at Fort Detrick, Maryland, who are working on advancing vaccine and treatment efforts to combat the coronavirus. While there, he said, he visited both the
Army Medical Research and Development Command and the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases to learn about those efforts. “They have incredible capabilities,” he said. “They’re well-knitted, extremely well-knitted into the interagency efforts.” Esper said he learned at Fort Detrick that the expectation is about 12 to 18 months for a vaccine, but that facilities there have the ability to help in vaccine production if a private-sector facility were to develop a vaccine earlier. He also said he was told Fort Detrick officials will soon increase their capacity to conduct virus testing with the purchase of new equipment. “In my conversations with governors and members of Congress about the DOD’s resources, I’ve made it clear that we will continue to support the administration’s comprehensive efforts and the country every step of the way, while ensuring our nation’s security remains the top priority of the Department of Defense,” Esper said.
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
Artstar by Laura Stone
Army neuroscientist and Warrior Fitness Team member Capt. Allison Brager shows off her passion for fitness and science as she lifts a barbell in a lab coat.
Army neuroscientist unravels connection between the brain and physical performance By Jerry Merideth
U.S. ARMY MARKETING AND ENGAGEMENT BRIGADE PUBLIC AFFAIRS FORT KNOX, KY.
For Capt. Allison Brager, working as an Army astronaut on the International Space Station could be the next step in a series of personal and professional accomplishments, including Army neuroscientist, masters level cross-fit competitor, champion pole
vaulter and author. For now, Brager’s feet are planted firmly on the ground as a member of the Warrior Fitness Team, part of the new Recruiting Outreach Company at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The unique Army unit, which includes the Army eSports Team and musical outreach band, “As You Were,” supports Army recruiting by helping connect America with America’s Army.
Fifteen Soldiers on the Warrior Fitness Team create awareness about Army careers and benefits by competing nationally and appearing at venues across the country to reach Americans who meet the needed qualifications to serve. Today 71% of youth do not meet qualifications for military service, according to U.S. Army Recruiting Command. Obesity is the leading
cause of disqualification. “Being part of the Warrior Fitness Team is an opportunity to provide education and promote holistic health and well-being,” Brager said. The Youngstown, Ohio, native competes in cross-fit at the master’s level, coaches team members, and puts her background in neuroscience to work analyzing teammates’ workouts and competitions to help them improve performance. Cross-fit is a passion for the 35-year-old, who’s captured national recognition in the sport. It’s also fertile ground for her studies in neuroscience. “What fascinates me the most about cross-fit is something called brain plasticity, because every day you’re learning how to be more efficient at whatever movement you
www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
Capt. Allison Brager, Army neuroscientist and Army Warrior Fitness Team member, participates in a recent CrossFit competition.
have to do that day for cross-fit,” Brager said. “In order to be more proficient, you have to strengthen the connections between muscles and tendons and ligaments and movement patterns at the level of the brain.” Brager’s interest in science and athletics is rooted in small town America, where she excelled in sports and academics. Her dad was a butcher, and mom was a social worker. Brager was valedictorian from Youngstown Boardman High School and was recently inducted into her high school’s hall of fame. “We’re known for producing a lot of professional football players,” Brager said. “My varsity sport was track and field. I did long jumps, hurdles, and was actually the first female pole vaulter in the state of Ohio.” The former Division I collegiate athlete has competed on the world stage and appeared on network television. She’s also a world class pole vaulter who competed internation-
ally in Paris in 2018, winning the gold medal and setting a world record. Brager holds a bachelor’s degree of Science in Psychology from Brown University and a doctorate in Physiology from Kent State University. “I have dopamine tattooed on my arm, because I wanted to get a tattoo with a neuro chemical after I got my Ph.D. that described me the most,” Brager said, referring to the feel good chemical released by the brain during exercise. Brager’s career and personal interests blended as she competed in cross-fit, including national competitions in 2013 and 2015 where she got the idea for her book, titled “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain.” “The first time I went to the crossfit games, I had the idea of debunking the myth of the dumb jock,” Brager said. “I noticed in the 10-year period after college that those of us who did sports were better personally and professionally in our lives.
We were the ones who went on and got professional degrees in medicine and law and science.” Brager recently focused her research on the mental resiliency of Soldier gamers who comprise the Army eSports Team. That research was based on a performance based program designed to develop the mind and body through unique and effective brain training including cognition and psychology. She presented her results at the first Conference for the Society of Neuro Sports, winning the award for best presentation. “Through the training we were able to take an already elite group of athletes as gamers and make them more elite just with four days of doing intensive cognitive training,” Brager said. “They also showed that their reaction time and cognitive performance is on the level of NBA players.” Brager’s research work continues to benefit the Recruiting Outreach Company and Army, according to
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Courtesy photo
Mission Support Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Kirk A. Duncan. “She continues to use her experience and knowledge to contribute to Soldier performance,” Duncan said. “This type of research helps the Army take care of its Soldiers by understanding how to improve cognitive function.” Brager’s favorite quote is “Iron sharpens Iron,” a verse from the Bible’s Proverbs 27:17. That’s meant surrounding herself with positive people and constantly pushing herself to achieve more. “While I enjoy being an athlete, I enjoy being a scholar athlete more. I want to be part of the Army Astronaut program and go into space and do research,” Brager said. “I have a classmate from Brown who’s already there doing research and was part of the all-female spacewalk about a month ago. “Years ago I heard ‘Plan your career around your lifestyle and not your lifestyle around your career,” Brager said. “I’m able to train at the
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Kreitzer
USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) moors to the pier at Naval Base San Diego upon returning from Pacific Partnership 2018. Mercy was underway from February to July, providing public health, engineering and disaster response services to host countries to strengthen ties across the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
HOSPITAL SHIPS, OTHER DOD ASSETS PREPARE FOR CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE By C. Todd Lopez The USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy are being prepared for deployment “as needed to assist potentially overwhelmed communities with acute patient care,” Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs, said during a news conference today at the Pentagon. He was joined at the briefing by Air Force Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Paul Friedrichs, the Joint Staff surgeon. The Comfort is now in Norfolk, for maintenance, and the Navy has been asked to expedite that, Hoffman said, adding that it may take “a little while” for that ship to be ready to go. It will go to New York when its
maintenance is complete. The Mercy is on the West Coast and is ready to go in “days, not weeks,” he said, and where it will go will be determined when it’s ready to sail. Both ships face issues with manning, however. Friedrichs, said the ships would likely be manned with typical staffs of personnel trained for combat casualty care, rather than for dealing with a contagious disease like the coronavirus. “Our understanding is that the intent is the ships will be used to take non-coronavirus patients, which is what our staffs are best assigned and organized to do,” he said. Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Es-
per suggested yesterday that one role for military medical professionals in regard to coronavirus response would be to take non-coronavirus patient care off of the hands of civilian hospital staffs so that those staffs could instead deal with coronavirus patients. Military medical personnel, and military medical facilities are geared more toward trauma care than dealing with contagious patients, he said. The Defense Department has also put a number of active duty medical units on alert. That includes different types of units, Friedrichs said. “Right now, what we are trying to do is make sure we have a range of options available to meet the requests
that may come to us from [the Department of Health and Human Services] and from communities.” Altogether, Friedrichs said, enough units have been put on alert to provide 1,000 beds, a number that doesn’t include those on the Navy’s hospital ships. DOD has a variety of deployable medical units it could draw on to provide those 1,000 beds, Friedrichs said, including Air Force Expeditionary Medical System units that can be transported rapidly on aircraft; the Army’s much larger Combat Support Hospitals, which can also be deployed by air or over the ground; Army field hospitals; and Navy Expeditionary Medical Facilities. Hoffman also said that as of 5 a.m. today, 49 military personnel, 14 civilian employees, 19 military family members and seven contractors had confirmed cases of coronavirus.
www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
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Defense Health Agency officials answer questions on COVID-19 By David Vergun DOD NEWS
Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Cameron J. L. Nelson, chief of the occupational medicine branch in DHA’s public health directorate, advised people who suspect that they have COVID-19 to call, rather than visit, their primary care provider or treatment facility to discuss whether the symptoms warrant testing. This, he explained, would avoid the possibility of spreading the virus to health care personnel and patients. Army Col. (Dr.) Neil Page, deputy director of DHA’s of the clinical support division, described the symptoms. One of the first, he said, is a runny nose. As the body responds to the virus, an individual will then develop a fever. COVID-19 then typically progresses to coughs, inflammation, constant pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, bluish lips or face, muscle aches, low energy, trouble moving and shortness of breath. “Those are symptoms that are much more likely to be COVID-19,” he said. However, that doesn’t mean that it actually is COVID-19, he added. “There are hundreds of viruses that can produce those very same symptoms, but in this day and age, we are very concerned about COVID-19.” Also, this is the time of year when allergies are high. Allergies typically result in a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, but they don’t generate fevers and some of the other symptoms. That would rule out COVID-19, Page said. Nelson noted that this is flu season. Flu has to be ruled out before COVID-19 testing is recommended, he said, and instructions on where to go for testing will be provided if flu is ruled out. Page cautioned that getting tested too early might result in a false negative because it takes some time for the viruses to multiply and produce pos-
Sgt. Amber Smith
Soldiers stationed on U.S. Army Garrison Casey conduct pre-screening processes on individuals awaiting entry to the base, USAG-Casey, Dongducheon, Republic of Korea, Feb. 26. Additional screening measures of a verbal questionnaire and temperature
itive test results. Nelson said knowledge of the virus is still evolving daily, and he recommends periodically visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to get the latest and best information. People should be vigilant in cleaning common surface areas with sanitizing wipes, Page said, because viral particles can survive on an inanimate object for a few hours and even a few days. Regina M. Julian, chief of DHA’s healthcare optimization division, said washing hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water should become a frequent habit as well. If soap and water aren’t available, she said, people should use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol. Nelson said that anyone who has been in contact with a COVID-19 carrier, traveled to an infected area or exhibits signs of COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days to monitor for symptoms and to protect others. Following the town hall meeting, DHA posted some additional advice: ■ Get a flu shot. The flu vaccine
won’t protect you from COVID-19, but the flu currently poses a greater threat to the public than COVID-19. ■ Avoid public activities or areas visited by a lot of people. ■ Cough away from others and into a sleeve. ■ Maintain social distancing. ■ If possible, avoid frequently touched surfaces such as elevator buttons, door handles, handrails and other surfaces. If unavoidable, wash as soon as possible and don’t touch the face. ■ Get the pneumonia vaccine if eligible. It’s recommended for adults 65 and older, all children younger than 2, persons 2 through 64 with certain health conditions and adults 19 to 64 who smoke cigarettes. It won’t protect against COVID-19, but will lower the risk of bacterial infection. ■ There is no need for people who are not sick to wear a facemask. ■ If sick with fever, coughs or sneezes, stay home. ■ Find a safe way to get food delivered. ■ Most people can recover from COVID-19 at home. Treatment is similar to that of the flu: rest and fluids.
People at greatest risk of getting seriously sick from COVID-19 are those over 65, as well as people of all ages with serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, lung disease and immune disorders. For uniformed military personnel, virtual visits with a primary care provider are being made available, Julian said. Also, service members and TRICARE beneficiaries can call 1-800-8742273 and select option one to reach the Nurse Advice Line. Callers can expect a wait time, but more nurses are being hired to help alleviate that, she said. Those serving overseas should visit MHSNurseAdviceLine.com to get Nurse Advice Line help, she added. Another way for TRICARE beneficiaries to get help is to call or email their own health care team or primary care physician, Julian said. Julian noted that the Defense Department has 15 testing sites worldwide. If testing at a military treatment facility cannot be done, she said, the test specimen — obtained from a nasal swab — will be transported to the closest test laboratory, which could be a commercial or military lab that will
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www.peninsulawarrior.com • Peninsula Warrior - Air Force • March 20, 2020
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