Recruitment
The first aspect of Army life that anyone goes through is recruitment. Usually, one is recruited by a recruiter in the local area, schools, and events. During Covid-19 times these public places are no longer an option to recruit. Since schools are closed and social distancing is an issue, recruitment numbers have been drastically reduced. I have an Army buddy that is a recruiter out of Philadelphia. I asked him what the changes have been, since the pandemic started. He stated:
“Recruiters are back in the office and we have to work at home for three months. We have to social distance and wear a face mask at all times. We have to wipe down the government vehicle every time we use the vehicle. The recruits had to sit opposite of the recruiter in the backseat of the car. We have to wear gloves every time we pass paperwork and wipe down pens. One recruit is allowed in the office at a time and can only be in the front office. No more future soldiers’ training indoors. All future soldiers training is done outside with social distancing and wearing a mask. Before the recruits leave for basic, they have to be on a 14-day isolation, before they are shipped out. We have to check the recruit’s temperatures three days and one day before shipping out to basic. It has to be the same non-commission officer (NCO) to drive them to Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). There are sign in forms now and people have to sign in at the office. At the hotel, where the recruits are dropped off, temperatures are taken and assigned one person per room. When the recruits are shipped out, their temperature is checked again and a physical is completed at MEPS.” (SSGT D., personal communication, November 8,2020)
The most important change I see being pre-Covid-19, during the recruitment is the drop of the recruitment numbers. During my recruiting time the numbers were high and therefore difficult to be accepted in the Army.
Basic Training
Once a recruit is shipped out they will go to their assigned basic training post. I have a friend who is a drill sergeant at Fort Benning, GA. I asked him what changes were noted during basic training with Covid-19. He responded:
“For a while there was no basic combat training (BCT) graduation. The chow halls were closed for a while and we had to serve breakfast and dinner out of marmites (marmites is a hot pack that you put hot food in and steam to continue the temperature of the food) and lunch was in a form of an Meals Ready to Eat (MRE). Formations were at double arm intervals now verses pre-Covid-19 single arm intervals. Supplies were short at the stores on post, but supplies were worse off post. The new privates are issued two mask that are washable and reusable. The chow halls are now reopened, if soldiers wear their mask and social distancing is followed. If a solider goes on leave and if they return with symptoms of Covid-19 they will be quarantined.”(SSGT B., personal communication, November 8,2020)
I feel one of the biggest changes at pre-Covid-19 basic training versus Covid-19 basic training is the social distancing and wearing a mask. During basic training we are always together and work as one. I feel that the closeness is taken away, which is needed for team building.
Active Duty
After basic training, a soldier is assigned an active duty post. I have a friend that is still on active duty at Fort Bliss, TX. I asked him what the changes were due to Covid-19 for active duty. He replied:
“Only essential personnel were allowed to go to work for a while. Now everyone is back at work. The soldiers who weren’t essential personnel had to stay in the barracks or at home. This lasted for three months. Due to soldiers staying at home, we are seeing a large group of soldiers who are failing their physical training test and are failing height and weight. Physical training is done on the squad level. The biggest issue that I am seeing is the decline of mental health in my soldiers. They are feeling depressed, stressed out, and freaking out because they are not allowed to go home and see their families. Leave hours are building up now because we are not allowed to take leave. We have to follow state guide lines for restrictions, like wearing mask, social distancing, and temperature checks. The chow halls prefer the soldier to take “to go” plates and not dine in the chow hall. Buildings are only allowed 25% capacity due to state guide lines. Everything is wiped down as much as possible. With training, we try to social distance, but this is impossible. At the barber shop everyone has to sign in because if someone is positive for Covid-19 the Army can check who was present at the time of the haircut.” ( SSGT T., personal communication, November 8,2020)
According to military.com during a post on September 2020, it stated, “Coronavirus cases in the Army have spiked in recent months as training intensifies and more installations open up, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said Tuesday. "Our numbers have gone up in the last 60 to 75 days because we've turned collective training back on; we're bringing people back onto the installations,". The total for all military branches is 40,026, personnel infected according to the Department of Defensive.” (Military.com, 2020). The biggest change I see on pre-Covid-19 active duty is the mental health decline of the soldiers. Since soldiers aren’t allowed to see family this is an emotional and moral issue the Army needs to recognize and respond. Going home on leave is the gold medal event a soldier anticipates and awaits.
Conclusion
The U.S. Army has always extended our personnel and resources to help others in need. In the Czech Republic they are seeing the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Europe. The U.S. Army is sending medical personnel and supplies. According to militarytimes.com, “28 medical personnel from the Nebraska and Texas National Guards are expected to arrive to help treat patients at Prague’s military hospital and a new field hospital at the city’s exhibition ground.” (Janicek & Vanessa Gera, 2020). Even with the Covid-19 numbers increasing in the Army, the Army is still sending medical treatment and assistance around the world. Some countries are closing their boarders, and here the U.S. Army is kicking down the global walls to help others in need.
Reference:
Janicek, K., & Vanessa Gera, T. (2020, October 29). 28 Nebraska, Texas National Guard medical personnel heading to Czech Republic to help with virus surge. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.militarytimes.com/news/coronavirus/2020/10/29/28-nebraska-texas-national-guard-medical-personnel-heading-to-czech-republic-to-help-with-virus-surge/
Military.com. (2020, September 9). Army Sees Spike in COVID-19 Cases as Training Reaches Full Strength. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/09/09/army-sees-spike-covid-19-cases-training-reaches-full-strength.html
I wanted to read this post because I do not have experience in the military, but have friends who have been in active duty in the past and have known recruiters. I have not spoken to them to hear their thoughts about the changes since COVID-19 so I was really interested to see what you discovered. One main theme that stuck out to me throughout your post was the isolation that has seemed to increase throughout the process, whether it be in recruitment, basic training, or active duty, COVID-19 has forced restrictions that are making the men and women in the military very isolated. This position, when they are already choosing to be away from or currently away from their support systems, like family and friends, must be extremely difficult. It make sense that the increase in depression is seen especially amongst those in active duty. It was very interesting that you were able to provide not only your own personal experiences, but also accounts from those experiencing this right now. I hope that there is support available to those who may need it. Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteYour post was very interesting to read because my knowledge of the military in the context of COVID is quite limited. I imagine that those who are on base or deployed are really struggling and it's sad that soldiers are reporting metal health declines. Not only must they deal with the uncertainty of the pandemic, but many can't see their families, socialize with one another in the same way, etc. Because military life can be so incredibly isolating in normal times, it only makes sense that a pandemic which requires significant social distancing would exacerbate some of the already unfortunate realities of life as a soldier.
DeleteI do know someone who was supposed to be gone for almost the entirety of December for sergeant training, leaving his fiancée and young daughter for quite a bit of time. But, because of rising cases, the training was modified and he got to stay home with them! Apparently, he has virtual trainings with his military colleagues, which I thought was interesting given the stringent nature of military training. I never saw the armed forces as a flexible entity, so this was a pleasant surprise. I suppose the question then becomes: is the training soldiers receive now compromised?
Great post! -Melissa Muth Martinez
I want to start off by saying thank you for such great insight. I have very little knowledge when it comes to the army/ military population, so I was able to really gain a lot out of your post. I enjoyed being able to get a better understanding on how this Covid-19 epidemic has impacted our soldiers. Truthfully, this was a population group that I completely overlooked when all of this started, but your right on how this is a population that Covid-19 has really changed a lot for. I can imagine how difficult it must be to be so far away from friends, family, and loved ones throughout all of this. The decline of their mental health is something that needs awareness. I also found it interesting how you mention that many individuals were failing their exams/ training test after being isolated for almost three months, I hope that challenges and barriers around this are being looked at and identified so that things can be done differently. How can we help this population with the additional stress and fear that they are having to face?
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing this topic into our blog. This is the type of awareness that needs to be put out there!
Great post !
-Ashley Perez