DRESS RIGHT AND COVER DOWN
I
t was March 27 and the United States had just passed the 100,000 mark in reported cases of COVID- 19 infection. It was now leading the
world in number of cases. As terrifying as the virus is, the nation’s attention was riveted on the inadequate supply of protec- tive face covers to stem the transmission. Online retailers and local home improve- ment stores, super centers and drugstore chains everywhere had been sold out for the past two months, overwhelmed by the rush to buy facial protection once the coro- navirus had become world news.
Te actual need for masks varied—there was no question that health care workers needed N95 respirator masks and dispos- able surgical masks, whereas the U.S. surgeon general said the average citizen did not need to wear a mask and explic- itly discouraged the public from buying them for general use as recently as Feb. 29. But regardless of the true need, the demand was in the millions for all kinds of face coverings. Te need and the demand only grew more acute as the pandemic’s toll escalated in March.
At opposite ends of the country, solutions came quickly. Tey came from a seemingly unlikely source, a community of special operations paratroopers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and a more established group of experts in charge of designing combat clothing, uniforms and individual protective items for Soldiers at Natick, Massachusetts. And those are just two examples of how numerous Army communities have applied their profes- sional expertise and personal dedication to help relieve the pressure of supplying specialized facial protective equipment for medical personnel and more ordinary face covers for going out in public.
As of May 21, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) (1st SFG (A)) at Joint
22 Army AL&T Magazine Summer 2020
Base Lewis-McChord south of Seattle had made more than 8,000 total face covers in three different designs: an adult disposable version, a pediatric disposable version and a cloth reusable version. In addition, it put its 3D printing capabilities to use produc- ing face shields for personnel at Madigan Army Medical Center, located on the base. Madigan is the Army’s second-largest medical treatment facility.
it is crucial for the security of the nation to keep our Soldiers protected, healthy and ready to support COVID-19 response efforts and national defense.
“During this crisis, ”
At Natick, home to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC SC), the Soldier Protection and Survivability Directorate has led the production of camouflage face covers, with an initial quantity of 10,000 to outfit Soldiers in basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Te first of those masks arrived at Fort Benning in late April. As a result, not only has the Army been able to resume basic training and other activi- ties during the pandemic, but face covers will become a permanent addition to Army gear.
The Soldier Center’s knowledge and expertise—notably in prototyping, test- ing, materials and textiles, and human factors—enabled the rapid design and development of six prototypes for face covers, followed by testing and then the selection of one prototype that Soldiers had rated highly for immediate develop- ment. CCDC SC also selected a second, also well-received prototype, for further development as a more permanent Army solution, in coordination with the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Soldier. PEO Soldier’s Project Manager for Soldier Survivability will produce what are being called Army Face Covers in high volumes for military personnel.
“CCDC SC’s concentrated efforts allowed Project Manager Soldier Survivability to rapidly award production contracts to procure both the Type I and Type II face covers for Soldiers,” said Ken Ryan, chief of the Warfighter Protection Branch, Soldier Protection and Survivability Directorate at CCDC SC. Te Army Face Cover’s technical data package was transitioned to the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support to support the Army’s sustain- ment demands.
EYE TO EYE WITH OPPORTUNITY Te cloth face covers meet the intent of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC) that people cover their mouth and nose when they go out in public, or when it is not possible to meet social distancing protocols, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper on April 5 directed the wearing of cloth face covers by anyone on DOD property, installations and facili- ties “when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers.”
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