FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — As leaders here continually assess COVID-19 protection and mitigation measures, the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general has updated guidance and policies regarding the installation’s COVID-19 control measures.
Effective Saturday, General Order No. 6 – dated Feb. 5 and signed by Maj. Gen. James Bonner, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general – is rescinded. Presidential and Secretary of Defense guidance regarding public health measures – to include mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing – remain in effect. The installation’s health protection condition remains at bravo plus.
In a letter dated May 1, Bonner said General Order No. 6 “fulfilled the obligation to preserve military readiness and combat power of our forces and to protect the public health on our military installation and throughout the formation.”
However, he added since Holiday Block Leave, there has been “a significant reduction in the daily average of COVID positives, both on Fort Leonard Wood and in the surrounding communities.”
“Additionally, the Fort Leonard Wood community has enjoyed great success with the COVID immunization program,” he wrote.
Bonner said the rescission of General Order No. 6 allows commanders the flexibility to provide guidance and manage their formations on public health measures as conditions dictate.
The rescission also allows for friends and family of trainees to attend graduations on the installation once again.
Officials said in-person graduations are being carried out in a phased approach.
Graduations for functional courses, basic officer leadership courses, captains career courses and courses with the NCO Academy are now open to in-person visitors; One Station Unit Training and Advanced Individual Training graduations will open up to in-person visitors May 20; and Basic Combat Training graduation open up June 3.
In line with Department of Defense guidelines, face coverings are required of everyone attending graduations, social distancing will be observed and hand-washing stations will be available on site.
Soldiers in training will contact their family, friends and loved ones to provide information about their specific graduations. Units will also provide updates and additional information on their social media sites. Units will continue to provide graduations virtually on their social media sites as well.
A list of unit social media pages is available at https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/contact/social_media.
In addition to graduations, the rescission also means an exception to policy is no longer required for other non-Department of Defense ID cardholders to access the installation. Sponsors should work with Visitor Control Center staff regarding pass renewals. Call 573.596.0590 or 0356 for details. Additional information is available at https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/my-fort/visitors-access.
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