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By Capt. Chris Lancia, CASCOM Public Affairs
FORT LEE, Va. – When Capt. Christian Radulescu completed his Intermediate Level Education course here April 8, he was looking forward to quality time with his family, completely unaware he would soon be on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.
Twenty-four hours later, the Sustainment officer was in Trenton, N.J., unable to sleep and anxiously flipping through an Army manual covering mortuary affairs operations. The next day he would be advising state planners on the subject to help shape preparations for the expected peak in deaths from the virus.
“While we do a lot of planning in the Army, I’ve never done anything like this,” Radulescu said. “I knew they’d expect me to be productive as soon as I walked in the door, and I wanted to be as ready as I could so I could help with something affecting all of America.”
Radulescu, who was attending satellite ILE at Fort Lee, was thrust into the heart of the state’s mortuary affairs preparations. Upon arrival, he teamed up with Dr. Andrew Falzon, New Jersey’s Chief Medical Examiner; Bryan Hoffmann, Mass Fatality coordinator; and Trooper Scott Brown, State Police Disaster Management planner, to shape projected mortuary affairs needs amid rising COVID-19 casualty numbers.
One of the first things they discussed, according to the captain, was ensuring teams performed their duties with dignity and respect – a contentious issue following negative coverage of improper handling of remains in other parts of the country. They also discussed the intricacies of turning some great ideas into executable plans.
“We’re used to planning; thinking of contingencies, multiple options and going three levels deep,” Radulescu said. “But nobody has dealt with something like this. My experience as an observer-controller helped because that taught me how to ask questions in a way that moved the process along.”
Unlike the military, the captain pointed out, there is no senior commander who can simply decide on a plan and have the team execute it. The process required collaboration, as the courses of action would have to be implemented by cities, counties and private organizations in charge of hospitals and funeral homes across the state.
The team focused on simple solutions, realizing workers would experience high levels of emotions, stress and fear. New Jersey has tried to handle the response internally, Radulecu said, drawing on the state police and National Guard so there’s a personal connection. That connection has driven them to create and follow a plan that’s working.
“This is their home,” the captain observed. “These are their citizens. For them, it’s more than just a story in the news cycle.”
The state police have been leading the coordination, with the National Guard working hand-in-hand to provide capabilities as needed.
State leadership tasked local municipalities to handle the first level of response, holding the National Guard capabilities in reserve. The Guard was ready if needed and, every time a request was made, they were there, Radulescu noted.
With so many uncertainties in the logistical requirements of 71 hospitals and 3 field medical facilities, he said the Guard had field ambulances and refrigerated trailers on constant standby, with crews ready to operate them.
“The Guardsmen have been some of the most motivated and hard-working Soldiers I’ve ever worked with,” Radulescu commented. “They come back and give us improvements on our plans. They take the extra step. There’s no overstating the level of work being put in by the National Guard here.”
The state also has seen high levels of assistance from private corporations, according to news reports. A floral company offered refrigerated warehouses for storage, and another business owner donated thousands of feet of racks, ensuring they were wide and sturdy enough to properly hold remains. Funeral homes and crematories have routinely answered the call to provide respectful transfers and transport.
“It hasn’t all been doom and gloom,” Radulescu said. “Police and military members share similar resiliency practices on which they lean to get through difficult times.
“They find the positive where they can,” he continued. “They try to normalize daily interactions. There’s good-natured ribbing. They talk of which area code is the best, and of favorite food. They lift each other up as they undertake what can sometimes be a grim mission."
Radulescu is in the thick of it, using the bonding with those around him to put perspective on his personal concerns.
He was scheduled to move soon as part of a reassignment to Fort Stewart, Ga. His wife and children are preparing to vacate the house they’ve already sold, and yet he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to join them.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already requested his assistance in other states. He’s been pulled up to the regional level, and is reaching out to his friends to see if they can help his wife move furniture into storage until he can come home.
“My wife is incredible, and she took this change in stride and has made everything go smoothly at home,” Radulescu said. “How often do guys like us get to directly help the American people? As much as I want to be home, this is where I’m needed right now. This is my mission. And I intend to see it through.”
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2020 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 368235 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 300 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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