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Naval Medical Forces Support Command celebrates Navy birthday virtually
October 15, 2020 — COVID-19 has led to cancellations of many of the time-honored ceremonies that military members enjoy. As a way to commemorate the Navy’s birthday, Naval Medical Forces Support Command, or NMFSC, used virtual means to honor the day... MORE

Operation Warp Speed makes swift progress
October 14, 2020 — Unprecedented progress has been made recently on Operation Warp Speed — the effort by the Defense Department, Health and Human Services, other federal agencies and private industry to develop a coronavirus vaccine, an HHS official said Oct. 9... MORE

Airman 1st Class Kokou Dekadjevi, 96th Medical Group, administers a COVID-19 test Aug. 10 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Dekadjevi and the medical group’s diagnostic testing center employees administered more than 330 tests in a two-day span to 7th Special Forces Group Soldiers returning from a deployment.

Hatch Act limits political activities, even during telework
October 14, 2020 — The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs, even during telework... MORE

The Hatch Act's purpose is to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.

Air Force Recruiting makes goal for FY20
October 5, 2020 — Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Force Recruiting Service had a successful fiscal 2020 making adjusted recruitment goals and achieving new milestones for the year... MORE

Lt. Col. Annie Driscoll, AFRS Det. 1 commander, rings the ceremonial bell in honor of AFRS making recruiting goal for fiscal 2020.

Centralized Cargo Operations unique team with critical mission
October 2, 2020 — One of the precautions taken by Joint Base San Antonio at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was adding a second Basic Military Training location at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, to help better ensure physical distancing between recruits. Accomplishing this task required many other logistical modifications, and one group of people had a key role to play in achieving this... MORE

David Howard, a 502nd Centralized Cargo Operations, or CCO, maintainer at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, reviews a shipment work order Oct. 5. After the release of a shipment, the CCO tracks packages so the recipient knows when it will arrive.

MICC overcomes COVID-19 challenges to meet mission partner contract needs
October 2, 2020 — Following the largest federal workplace telework transition in history, members of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command continued executing contract actions through the final hours of the fiscal 2020 in the Army’s fight against COVID-19 while also meeting installation readiness requirements throughout the country... MORE

Jim Keetch leads a virtual advanced planning briefing to industry from his office earlier this summer at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. Challenges posed by COVID-19 and subsequent transition to a remote work environment did not deter Mission and Installation Contracting Command personnel from meeting critical installation readiness contract needs. Keetch is director of contracting for MICC-Dugway Proving Ground.

Understanding depression in a time of COVID-19
September 28, 2020 — This is a stressful, uncertain time. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many significant changes to how we live daily life. Social distancing, quarantine, and isolation can be overwhelming and may cause feelings of insecurity, confusion, hopelessness, and, ultimately, depression... MORE

The National Institute for Mental Health defines depression as a common but serious mood disorder that negatively affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities such as sleeping, eating, and working.

COVID-19 amplifies importance of Trusted Care culture
September 21, 2020 — Preparing for the unexpected has long been an essential part of the military ethos. While you can never fully prepare for something like a global pandemic, the best alternative is having a culture in place that empowers your team to adapt and respond to heightened uncertainty. For Air Force Medicine, this is the Trusted Care culture... MORE

An Airman holds up his Trusted Care badge at the Defense Health Headquarters.

Deadline to renew expired, expiring CACs drawing near
September 21, 2020 — Earnest Bridges, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Military Personnel Division chief, advises all JBSA personnel whose Common Access Card, or CAC, has expired or will expire by Sept. 30 to make an appointment as soon as possible to renew their card... MORE

The deadline is quickly approaching for Joint Base San Antonio military members and civilians with expired or expiring common access cards.

JBSA support to evacuees at COVID-19 onset molded later responses
September 18, 2020 — “There were substantial lessons learned from the partnership and the operation that DHHS executed here at JBSA-Lackland that we were able to transition into our support posture for JBSA."... MORE

A Feb. 2, 2020 photo of empty lodging facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

BAMC prepares for upcoming flu season
September 16, 2020 — Staff members at Brooke Army Medical Center are getting geared up for the upcoming flu season... MORE

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu shot vaccination each year, but good wellness habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help prevent the spread of germs.

Reserve recruiters enhance social media knowledge to reach more recruits
September 15, 2020 — Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, recruiters have turned more to technology – including social media – to reach potential recruits. A group of 15 Total Force recruiters from the 351st Recruiting Squadron recently sharpened their social media skills by participating in the Defense Information School’s virtual Social Media Forum... MORE

Recruiters have become more reliant on technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, using their phones and computers to connect with potential recruits on social media and video teleconference.

Air Force recruiting continues to find ways to work around COVID-19
September 15, 2020 — As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, Air Force Recruiting Service continues to find innovative ways to overcome obstacles. In conjunction with the Air Force Personnel Center, an electronic version of the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test is now available for the first time ever... MORE

Due to COVID-19 limiting opportunities to take the traditional Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, Air Force Recruiting Service and the Air Force Personnel Center’s strategic research and assessments branch, collaborated to create the first electronic version of the traditional AFOQT.

U.S. Army North supports Texas agencies during pandemic, beyond
September 14, 2020 — As COVID-19 cases began to surge this summer in Texas, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, joining forces with the Texas Military Department and Texas Division of Emergency Management to combat the disease... MORE

A military commander pins an award on a Soldier in a medical center.

U.S. Army North’s new senior enlisted advisor reflects on COVID-19 response
September 11, 2020 — Command Sgt. Maj. Phil K. Barretto, the new senior enlisted advisor for U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), arrived in Military City USA in July from South Korea, where he served as the 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Division command sergeant major... MORE

People speaking in the hall of a medical center.

Digital giving available for Army chapels across the world
September 11, 2020 — Soldiers, their families and civilians who attend chapel at any Army post across the world can now give their tithes and offerings online... MORE

Soldiers, their families and civilians who attend chapel at any Army post across the world can now give their tithes and offerings online.

Former BAMC COVID-19 patient returns as convalescent plasma donor
September 11, 2020 — Thefety Tibbs, who was among the first COVID-19 patients treated at Brooke Army Medical Center, is now among the first of BAMC's former patients to donate convalescent plasma, which is currently being explored as a potential treatment for COVID-19... MORE

Richard Rangel, medical laboratory technician, prepares Thefety Tibbs, who was among the first donors of convalescent plasma, for his first convalescent plasma donation in June 2020 at the Akeroyd Blood Donor Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

AETC teams come together to supply BMT uniforms
September 8, 2020 — With Air Force Basic Military Training coming to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, due to COVID-19, the mission of the base has become to not only train, but create premier warfighters. ... MORE

Airmen with the 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron help basic military training trainees from the 737th Training Wing Detachment 5 try on issued military clothing at the squadron’s warehouse at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, Aug. 26, 2020. The squadron worked with different Air Education and Training Command units to support basic military training at Keesler by providing uniforms for trainees.

DOD closing in on COVID-19 convalescent plasma collection goal
September 8, 2020 — In just three months, the Department of Defense passed the 65 percent mark toward meeting its goal of obtaining 10,000 units of COVID-19 convalescent plasma, or CCP, by Sept. 30... MORE

Steve Holton, a collection specialist and site supervisor for the East End Louisville American Red Cross Blood Donation Center, monitors the apheresis process, so named for separating whole blood into parts to use as needed. Yellow plasma is collected into the left bag, to be used for the treatment of COVID-19.

BAMC, WHASC chosen for COVID-19 vaccine trials
September 4, 2020 — As part of the Operation Warp Speed, or OWS, goal to deliver safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics by January 2021, five Department of Defense locations have been identified to participate in the Phase III trial evaluating the vaccine candidate AZD1222 under development by AstraZeneca. Two of the locations are in San Antonio. ... MORE

The San Antonio Military Health System is adjusting its COVID-19 drive-thru screening and testing hours of operation over Labor Day weekend.