Page 2 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior, April 2020

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Community
NTC Fort Irwin’s COVID-19 Response:
High Desert Warrior April 2020
www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
WHO WE ARE
Brig. Gen. David Lesperance
Commanding General
Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Lowe
Post CSM
Col. Jeanette Martin
Garrison Commander
Paul Fedorisin
Garrison CSM
Darryl Darden
Public Affairs Director
High Desert Warrior Staff
Janell J. Lewis Ford, Editor (760) 380-3450
Jason Miller, Staff Writer/Photographer (760) 380-3073
Renita Wickes, Staff Writer/Photographer (760) 380-3078
David Dupree, Staff Writer/Photographer (760) 380-8917
Casey Slusser, Staff Writer/Photographer (760) 380-3076
Aerotech News Emma Uribe, Graphic Designer
HIGH DESERT WARRIOR
High Desert Warrior, a civilian enterprise newspaper, is an authorized publication for members of the United States Army and Fort Irwin community. Contents of this newspaper are not necessarily official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or Fort Irwin and the National Training Center. High Desert Warrior is prepared weekly by the Public Affairs Office, National Training Center and Fort Irwin, P.O. Box 105067, Fort Irwin, CA, 92310-5067. Telephone: 380-4511 or DSN 470-4511. FAX: 380-3075.
High Desert Warrior is a digital publication, distributed monthly on Facebook, www.facebook.com/HighDesertWarrior/ as well as emailed to base personnel It is produced at Aerotech News and Review, 220 East Avenue K-4 Suite 7, Lancaster, CA 93535, (661) 945-5634.
Aerotech News and Review is a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Army and is responsible for the commercial advertising found in this publication. Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national orientation, age, marital status, physical handicap or political affiliation of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in refusal to print advertising from that source. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised.
Printed by Aerotech News and Review, Inc. (877) 247-9288, www.aerotechnews.com.
NEWSPAPER AWARDS
2nd Place, 2017 U.S. Army IMCOM
Newspaper Competition — Feature Photograph
Honorable Mention, 2009 U.S. Army IMCOM-West
Newspaper Competition — Tabloid category
3rd Place, 2008 Dept. of the Army
Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Newspaper Competition — Tabloid Category
SEND US FEEDBACK
Send your questions, suggestions, or problems to: 1. Your chain of command
2. ICE (Interactive Customer Evaluation)
3. CG’s Hotline: 380-5463
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Brig. Gen. Lesperance says preventing
the spread is a team effort
Story by Janell J. Lewis Ford
NTC/Fort Irwin Garrison Public Affairs
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — The quick response to COVID-19 concerns from the National Train- ing Center and Fort Irwin leader- ship, led to many changes across the installation. As CDC and DOD guidance trickled down, all restaurants on post followed a “Grab and Go” model, as all dine-in services were suspended at HPCON level Bravo.
On March 25, once the HP- CON level was raised across Army installations to Charlie, the Family and MWR also closed all of their facilities, including gyms, Samuel Adams and Shockwave. The Child Development Center remained open for mission-essential families. Dining facilities #1 and #2 also went to carry out only at this time.
“This is about reducing your individual exposure or the fact that you might actually be infected right now but not be symptomatic and be a spreader of this virus on the installation, and this is all about reducing and flattening the infection curve nationally,” NTC’s Commanding Brig. Gen. David Lesperance said.
Social distancing of six feet or more was also enforced across the installation, including at the Com- missary, Post Exchange, Post Office and even in open spaces outside. Signs were posted throughout buildings to help make sure soldiers and the community were aware of the changes.
All Sunday Chapel services transitioned to digital, online and broadcast only, beginning March 22. Nine o’clock Catholic Masses can now be viewed on TV channel EWTN and streamed online at ewtn.com the 11a.m. Protestant services have been put on the “Fort Irwin Chapel” Facebook page. The sanctuary was still open on weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for individual prayer and meditation.
“This is about reducing the infection rate by decreasing the amount of contact we have with other people, so that’s why we’re
doing what we’re doing,” Lesper- ance said. “This is going to take a lot of individual discipline and I ask all of us to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem mov- ing forward with this.”
Commissary: Purchase limita- tions began at the Commissary on March 14, at first only limiting cleaning agents and toilet paper to two per person. The next day, those limit items were increased to include purchases like sugar, flour and rice. On March 26, a limit was put on all products in the store, for two or less items per transaction, per family, per day. There are excep- tions for WIC customers.
The Commissary receives ship- ments five times a week (not on Wednesdays or Sundays), so the Commissary leadership reminded customers that there are multiple opportunities to get a product if a product was not available at any time.
On March 19, another change came for the Commissary. Early Bird hours were suspended to allow the store more time to clean and re- stock. The store went to operational hours of 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. from Mondays through Fridays; and 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekends.
Post Exchange (PX): The Main Store Post Exchange (PX) began making changes to their store on Friday, March 13th. They began to put limits on some of their products. By the following week, both the PX and Commissary, along with several other busi- nesses, installed handwashing stations in front of their store for patrons to use before they entered. Cleaning wipes were also available for customers to wipe down carts and items.
Customers didn’t seem to have a problem with the additional precautions for entering.
“It’s very important for us to wash our hands anytime we leave the house or going anyplace and if I could do my part and maybe reduce my risk from catching the virus, I will continue to wash my hands,” Jessica Fedorisin said. “We all just want this to end.”
Photos by David Dupree, NTC/Fort Irwin Garrison Public Affairs
COVID-19 precautions forced post restaurants to go to a take-out only status
Commissary/DECA officials had to enforce purchase limits to help ensure customers received needed items.
Hand washing stations were installed at many businesses to help promote cleanliness before entering.
Many patrons lined up well before the Commissary opened for their shot at limited items.
For more information go to home.army.mil/irwin