US Air Force Continues to Protect Airmen from Virus

How do you stand “shoulder to shoulder” in a time of COVID-19? For the United States Air and Space Forces, and the entire United States military, this is no small question. It is so pressing, in fact, that the Air Force’s medical staff, in collaboration with experts nationwide, have been working nearly around the clock to answer it.

The critical responsibilities and missions of our 685,000total force active duty Guard and Reserve airmen do not fade even during apandemic. Across a worldwide enterprise, airmen must remain healthy so they canmaintain full readiness and the capability to protect the nation’s security andinterests.

Achieving those goals often demands airmen work literally“shoulder to shoulder” in tight spaces over long hours. This includes crewsaboard aircraft, maintenance personnel on the ground, analysts at remote radarstations, recruits at training centers, and of course, at every Air Forcebarracks. Even within the Pentagon, thousands of active duty and civilian staffwork in tightly bunched cubicles.

With the Coronavirus’s arrival, those arrangements must bemodified to ensure not only the health and safety of all personnel but toassure the Air Force’s ability to complete all missions.

Air Force medics and health personnel around the globe areresolutely following and ensuring compliance with guidelines issued by theDepartment of Defense (DoD) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) andPrevention. Leaders at each of our bases are working closely with local publichealth officials to actively monitor the health of airmen and their families,as well as to monitor those who have been stricken by COVID-19. By now, mostAmericans know that safety demands maintaining a social distance beyond whichthe virus can spread. It means being alert to symptoms including low-gradefever, respiratory distress and body aches.

To slow the spread of the coronavirus, DoD has enactedtravel restrictions, including the halt of domestic travel for service members.The goal is to “flatten the disease curve” by slowing the spread of the virusand preventing medical systems from being overwhelmed.

Within the Air Force, medics are executing all availablemeasures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in accordance with CDC and forcehealth protection guidelines and remain aligned with state and local publichealth organizations.

It demands ingenuity and flexibility. In Europe and Asia,where the outbreak has been severe, the Air Force has adjusted healthprocedures to account for the threat and continues to safely fly fighter andbomber missions to deter aggression. And across the globe, its airlift forceshave continued their missions apace, refueling U.S. aircraft and deliveringvital cargo.

While it is not known yet know how COVID-19 will evolve, the Air Force will take the actions necessary to protect airmen while also protecting the nation.