Photo By Chuck Cannon | Spc. Stephanie Rivera, 32nd Hospital Center, Fort Polk, checks the temperature of...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — When you move a 5,000 Soldier brigade combat team anywhere — whether it is to the backwoods of the unit’s home station for a field training exercise or halfway across the country to the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk to train for future combat operations — safety is paramount.
When there are more than 1,000 pieces of moveable equipment, weapons — both big and small — and personnel, safety always plays a major role. Throw in a COVID-19 pandemic and the safety protocols and mitigation increases exponentially.
Not only are commanders and leaders concerned with the health and safety of Soldiers in their charge, but their Families back home also want to have their fears allayed.
That’s exactly what the team of medical and S-1 personnel from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the JRTC and Fort Polk aim for as JRTC Rotation 20-09 gets set to kick off Aug. 17 with an air assault operation.
The last two weeks were spent moving the BCT’s equipment from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to the JRTC via barges at the Central Louisiana Regional Port in Alexandria, and getting the Soldiers settled into North Fort.
The last group of 75 Soldiers arrived at the JRTC Operations Group Clam Shell on North Fort via bus late Aug. 12. Maj. Laura Rollins, the 2nd BCT S-1, explained how each group was processed as part of the team’s RSO&I — reception, staging, onward-movement and integration at JRTC.
“Our responsibility as the S-1 and medical side is to bring them (Soldiers) in, manifest them and do a medical screening,” she said. “If there is any additional screening needed, we have our PA (physician assistants) and brigade nurse on hand if they need to swab (COVID-19 test) or they show any signs or symptoms.”
Rollins said once a Soldier is cleared — tests take about 2 hours to come back — they are returned to duty. The Soldiers are then briefed, go back to their bus and are transported to where they will stay until the rotation kicks off. She said it takes her team, which consists of Soldiers from both the 2nd BCT and Fort Polk’s 32nd Hospital Center, about 2 hours to process 400 Soldiers.
Soldiers began rolling in to the reception site on Aug. 2 and Rollins said it’s been a steady flow to keep everyone processed.
If a Soldier tests positive for COVID-19, Rollins said the Soldier is isolated and placed into a confined area set aside for that express purpose — separating those who are positive from those who are not.
“They also take those personnel who were on the same bus with the Soldier who tests positive and place them in quarantine,” Rollins said. “It’s usually 14 days, but it can be expedited to 7 days depending on if they show symptoms or not.”
Rollins said mitigation efforts are in place throughout the Soldiers’ trek from Fort Campbell to Fort Polk.
“The buses can carry 52 but we only but 26 on a bus,” she said. “They have to wear their masks and maintain social distancing throughout the trip.”
Additionally, Rollins said each of the Soldiers was tested for COVID-19 prior to leaving Fort Campbell.
“We had a testing site set up,” she said. “If they tested positive, they did not come. They could retest, but they had to test negative twice to be cleared to come.”
Once the rotation begins Monday, Rollins said Soldiers will still be required to follow COVID-19 protocols, to include wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines when feasible.
“It will be difficult, but I think with the safety measures and discipline, we’ll be OK,” she said. “We’re the first brigade combat team to go through this, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Rollins said there is a “little bit” of pressure knowing that big Army is watching to see how the 2nd BCT handles the rotation with the COVID-19 protocols.
“But we’ll get through it,” she said. “We’ve been doing this a while.”
Once Rotation 20-09 begins, it’s the job of the physician assistants to provide medical assistance to the Soldiers.
Maj. Lance Oldorf, 2nd BCT PA, said caring for 5,000 Soldiers in an austere environment with the threat of a pandemic, can be a daunting task, but one he and his team are up for. He said the work is broken into two parts: Pre-rotation and rotation.
“Our job today is to screen Soldiers who have failed their initial screening or answered yes to any of the six questions they are asked in the pre-screen,” he said. “Once they come back here they sit in these chairs that are spaced six feet apart, maintaining the COVID-19 mitigation requirements.”
Oldorf said his team interviews the Soldiers again to see if they need to be held at the pre-screen site and tested.
Once the rotation begins, Oldorf said every Soldier would have their temperature checked twice at day — at morning and evening chow.
“In addition, for every tactical assembly area, where every battalion is located, they have a set of medical providers that are there to answer any questions, and if the command or Soldier has symptoms that are concerning to them, they are taken to the aid station and evaluated,” he said. “If they need testing, or even if it’s something not COVID related, such as a spider bite, they will be taken care of.”
Oldorf echoed Rollins’ comments on how the 2nd BCT, 101st Abn Div would handle a rotation while maintaining COVID-19 protocol.
“Utilize the leadership,” he said. “It’s a leadership-driven entity to make sure those COVID mitigation strategies are enforced. It’s saying if you can’t stay 6 feet apart, then wear the mask.”
The leaders must remain engaged with their Soldiers, Oldorf said.
“If they (leaders) see symptoms that are starting to develop, or they have concerns, the leaders know to take that Soldier out of the mix and push them over to the aid station where they can get evaluated properly,” he said.
While taking care of RTU Soldiers is always at the forefront of operations at JRTC and Fort Polk, it’s also important to remember there is a large force of permanent party Soldiers and civilians responsible for overseeing the training, including the world famous JRTC Opposing Force: The 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) Geronimos, often referred to — respectfully — as the most hated unit in the Army.
“We check everyone going into and out of the ‘box’ (JRTC training area) every time they enter or exit,” said Lt. Col. Michael Davidson, JRTC and Fort Polk command surgeon.
“We have a team set up that checks the temperature of each person entering the box, then as they leave, their temperature is checked again.”
Those protocols were put in place during Rotation 20-08 in July with the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade, and Davidson said they will continue for the foreseeable future.
“The health and safety of our Soldiers, civilians and rotational Soldiers is our No. 1 concern,” Davidson said.
COVID-19 protocols have been emphasized enough that Oldorf said Soldiers should understand the importance of following the rules.
“They know they are not supposed to do anything that would jeopardize the mission, and COVID-19 mitigation is part of that mission,” he said. “We’re here to train and beat Geronimo, but all the while doing what we can to mitigate COVID.
We’re here to fight and win, and keep our Soldiers safe.”
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2020 09:25 |
| Story ID: | 376132 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier safety: Protocols in place to guard against coronavirus, by Chuck Cannon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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