Senior leadership from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell garrison and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital continued their weekly Facebook Live town hall series, to provide updates on COVID-19, and its impacts on post operations and the community.
Major General Brian E. Winski, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell; Col. Jeremy D. Bell, Fort Campbell garrison commander; Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan D. Barker, 101st Abn. Div. senior enlisted adviser; and Col. Patrick T. Birchfield, BACH commander, hosted the town hall and answered questions and concerns from Fort Campbell community members in real time.
Community update
Winski reported there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 on post.
“We are not going to convey the exact number of positive cases we have, but we do have positive cases on Fort Campbell,” Winski said. “We are on a much lower trajectory than the surrounding areas around us and major metro areas.”
“The great news is none of the individuals who have been confirmed positive have required hospitalization.”
Last week, Winski and Barker announced, per directives from the Secretary of Defense, they will not report specific numbers of COVID-19 positive cases of Soldiers because of national security concerns. Winski revealed there were less than a dozen active duty service member confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“They are doing really well,” said Winski. “We have a number who have already been cleared and released. This tells us the social distancing and essential manning efforts have been paying off. We are going to keep those in implementation for at least the month of April, and we are accessing it on a daily basis.”
Winski reported that as of April 7, there are 4,068 confirmed cases in the state of Tennessee. There are 54 positive cases in Montgomery County, including Clarksville. The state of Kentucky has 1,245 confirmed cases and 32 cases in Christian County, which includes Oak Grove and Hopkinsville.
Soldiers are expected to report COVID-19 testing and confirmed positive diagnoses to their chain of command.
Social distancing protocol
On April 5, the Department of Defense released guidance stating all individuals on DOD property, installations, and facilities will wear cloth face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers (this does not include in Soldiers’ or Family members’ personal residence on a military installation). This guidance includes all military personnel, DOD civilian employees, DOD contractors, Family members, and all other individuals on DOD property, installations, and facilities.
“These face masks are a measure put in place for us to protect others from potentially contracting the COVID virus,” Barker said. “These masks can be cloth or face shields used for sanding. Bandannas, scarves, or towels can be used as well. What is important is it covers your nose, mouth, and chin, and goes up the sides of your face.”
Barker reminded the public that people can be asymptomatic and still be carrying the virus and able to pass it on to others, and masks can help prevent the spread.
“For service members, the cloth should be earth toned colors, black, tan, brown, green, this is not an opportunity to express yourself,” Barker said. “There should not be bright colors, print, no wording or profanity, this is a protective measure being put in place.”
“Masks are required if you cannot abide by the 6-foot distancing and are encouraged to be worn all of the time [outside of the home],” Winski said.
Winski mentioned both the states of Kentucky and Tennessee have issued stay at home orders, with activity outside of the home limiting to essential activities. Winski reminded DOD civilians and active duty service members to abide by the 50-mile radius travel ban and to practice social distancing as much as possible.
Deployments and re-enlistments
The 531st Hospital Center along with the 586th Field Hospital and its subordinate detachments – 431st, 175th and 41st Medical Detachments – deployed on March 26 to New York City in support of medical operations in COVID-19 affected areas. A transportation unit from the 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade deployed April 1 to New York to assist in planning and logistics for hospital centers, Winski said.
There have been questions about re-enlistment and job security during this time. Army leadership encourages re-enlistment for Soldiers who are facing uncertainty.
“It’s ultimately up to the Soldier’s commander,” Barker said. “What a lot of Soldiers are seeing with the job economy in the past month is there were over 50,000 jobs lost in the month of March. Things are scary out there. It also shows the Army is a pretty secure profession and we’ll always have work. I encourage anyone contemplating re-enlisting and considering an extension to speak with your career counselors and chain of command, because the Army is open for business.”
Health care procedures
Birchfield thanked the community for following all health and safety protocols as well as practicing safe social distancing.
“The community has done everything we’ve asked of them, they’ve abided by the proper social distancing measures,” Birchfield said. “We encourage them to keep up these measures.”
Birchfield said BACH will continue to only offer immunizations for children 6 months and younger at Byrd Clinic. The priority is preventing health risks and feels the target population for mitigating all health risks can best be prevented by prioritizing children 6 months and younger, as the older age ranges are at a significantly lower health risk.
“We have a side door on the clinic and it’s open right after the clinic has been cleaned during a low risk time”, Birchfield said. “We get the well babies in for their immunizations and then we get them out immediately after. Kids older than 6 months we feel can wait for immunizations, especially if they are practicing social distancing.”
Birchfield encourages people to continue to visit their primary care providers to ensure all other health risks are mitigated. Patients can contact their providers and appointment options can be made.
Birchfield announced BACH has been able to decrease the wait time for test results of COVID down to four days for most individuals.
Mission essential activity and mission readiness
Winski and Bell said maintenance, physical training and accountability of Soldiers is also mission essential.
“There is no change to some of our deployments scheduled in the future,” Winski said. “For the most part, there are no marksmanship ranges open or group maneuvers taking place. The training is generally distance learning type activities. When we are able to resume regular training, they are that much more prepared for it.”
Winski said mission readiness and preparation for upcoming deployments remain high priority. Winski said the focus is on adaptive and creative readiness training while meeting social distancing protocol.
“I trust the units are making good, mature, focused thought processes as they come up with activities they can do,” Winski said.
For essential workers, such as health care workers, security, military police, and emergency services, Bell mentioned they are working extra hard to support the installation. Bell said they are making sure there is time set aside in the week for these workers to have time off.
“We should be abiding by the stay at home order unless you are a mission essential employee coming to work,” Barker said. “For the most part, we are doing a great job.”
Religious services
Bell announced there will be virtual religious services for the observance of the Easter holiday on Sunday.
“Our chaplains are doing virtual services still,” Bell said. “They are livestreaming their chapel services; you can go to Facebook at the 101st and Fort Campbell Chaplains Office page and get both the times and the livestream posts.”
For livestreaming of religious services, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/101st-and-Fort-Campbell-Chaplains-Office-425509278186445.
To stay current on Fort Campbell COVID-19 updates, visit: https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/covid-19.
Social Sharing