Joint Base San Antonio > News > News - Year 2020

Army combat medics depart training for follow-on duty stations
April 11, 2020 — Recent graduates of the 68W Combat Medic Course at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, were transported in controlled air and ground movements April 9 to their next duty of assignment as an exception to the Department of Defense stop movement enacted to stop the potential spread of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease, or COVID-19... MORE

JBSA Commissaries, Exchanges require patrons to wear face covers
April 10, 2020 — Commissaries and Army and Air Force Exchange Service facilities on Joint Base San Antonio now require all store employees and customers to wear some form of face covering in order to enter the store as of April 10... MORE

Commissaries and Army and Air Force Exchange Service facilities on Joint Base San Antonio now require all store employees and customers to wear some form of face covering in order to enter the store as of April 10.

Staying at home poses challenges, opportunities for families
April 10, 2020 — Millions of Americans are paying heed to stay-at-home directives during the COVID-19 pandemic, a necessary step in protecting themselves from the deadly virus that continues to ravage the nation... MORE

The Family Advocacy Program is here to support healthy military families and communities by offering various programs, counseling, education, training and activities designed to intervene when families are having difficulties or need professional intervention.

559th Flying Training Squadron pilots take precautions while training
April 10, 2020 — Pilots from the 559th Flying Training Squadron mask up as they take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while also continuing the essential mission of flying training... MORE

Second Lt. Frank Toohey and 559th Flying Training Squadron instructor pilot Lt. Col. Dan Healey recieve a brief from operations superintendent Lt. Col. John Urso and Jeff Madison of the 12th Operations Support Squadron.

Agile recruiting methods required to get future Airmen to basic training
April 10, 2020 — Travel restrictions, cancelled flights and social distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic aren’t getting in the way of the Air Force Recruiting Service’s mission. As the world is telling people to stay at home, the Air Force is finding new and diverse ways to ship applicants to Basic Military Training... MORE

Recruiters use agile methods to ship recruits to Air Force Basic Military Training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contracting pros deliver to COVID-19 front lines
April 10, 2020 — The Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s 763rd Specialized Contracting Squadron is one example of mission-focused agility in support of the greater fight, recently delivering a surplus of fast-tracked emergency support to Air Mobility Command in days, if not hours. ... MORE

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III is prepped to transport a transportation isolation system March 6, 2019, during a training exercise that allows Airmen to practice the most effective and safest form of transportation for patients and their medical professionals. Engineered and implemented after the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014, the TIS is an enclosure the Department of Defense can use to safely transport patients with highly contagious diseases. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cody R. Miller)

BAMC leading the charge against COVID-19
April 10, 2020 — From the very beginning, Brooke Army Medical Center has led the way in the fight against COVID-19, implementing stringent measures to protect patients and staff as the pandemic spreads throughout the nation and the world... MORE

25,000 Soldiers for Life respond to call
April 10, 2020 — Last month, the Army reached out to approximately 800,000 retired Soldiers, gray-area Soldiers and Individual Ready Reserve Soldiers, asking them to join the response effort... MORE

MICC team awards machine learning contract for COVID-19 support
April 10, 2020 — Contracting professionals from the Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Field Directorate Office at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, have awarded a contract for a special non-traditional supplier research project that supports the Army’s response for a robust pipeline of equipment and supplies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic crisis... MORE

AF implements options for Exceptional Family Members during pandemic
April 10, 2020 — The Exceptional Family Member Program instituted new support to minimize the impact caused by department COVID-19 policies, including the Stop Movement order and social distancing guidelines. ... MORE

The Air Force is providing additional support to Airmen with exceptional family members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning April 15, Exceptional Family Member Program families can initiate their Family Member Travel Screening package online. (U.S. Air Force graphic)

Commentary: Five simple words for our coronavirus heroes
April 10, 2020 — As service members, we are often approached by strangers who want to reach out and say, “thank you for your service.” This kind gesture is something I’ve always appreciated. Serving my nation is a source of pride and a way to be a part of something that is bigger than myself... MORE

Feedback Fridays
April 10, 2020 — Feedback Fridays is a weekly forum that aims to connect the 502d Air Base Wing with members of the Joint Base San Antonio community. Questions are collected during commander’s calls, town hall meetings and throughout the week. If you have a question or concern, please send an email to RandolphPublicAffairs@us.af.mil using the subject line “Feedback Fridays.” Questions will be further researched and published as information becomes available. ... MORE

59th MDW leverages telehealth to keep patients, staff safe
April 9, 2020 — While San Antonio is under a “Stay Home, Work Safe” order, members of the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland have found new ways to continue providing high-reliability care through virtual appointments while keeping patients and staff safe... MORE

Capt. (Dr.) Shane Riggs, 59th Medical Operations Squadron psychiatrist, conducts a virtual medical appointment in San Antonio, Texas April 7, 2020. Telehealth appointments can be scheduled by calling the Consult Appointment Management Office at (210) 916-9900. At the time of the appointment, a provider calls or sends the patient a link to the audiovisual platform being used for the visit. The link can be accessed on a patient’s home or work computer, cell phone or tablet, without creating an account.

Learn tips for effective teleworking
April 9, 2020 — “Teleworking has never been more important.” This is the message of Telework.gov, the official website of the federal government’s telework program. In this time of COVID-19 and the requisite social distancing, the message rings true... MORE

CARES Act to provide financial relief
April 9, 2020 — The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, became law March 27, 2020. Among the important benefits the act will provide are: emergency financial assistance, unemployment insurance, rent and mortgage payment relief, penalty-free IRA and 401(k) early withdrawals, and funds for food banks and other food security programs... MORE

Army publishes guidance about leases affected by DOD travel restrictions
April 9, 2020 — The U.S. Army has published guidance to assist Soldiers with permanent change of station orders who are affected by the current Department of Defense COVID-19 travel restrictions and face potential conflict with landlords... MORE

BMT proof of concept begins at Keesler Air Force Base
April 9, 2020 — Sixty trainees arrived to the proof of concept Basic Military Training detachment at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, April 7, marking a historic moment for the Air Force’s training program... MORE

BMT adapts during COVID-19: adds masks, shortens pipeline
April 9, 2020 — To prioritize safety and continue providing ready Airmen to fuel tomorrow’s Air Force, BMT is moving to a 7.5-week training pipeline. The 7.5-week training program is one of many measures implemented at BMT to limit the spread of COVID-19... MORE

Trainees in basic military training (BMT) learn defensive fighting positions in preparation for BEAST (Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training) on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, April 8. This was the first day mask wear was implemented at BMT as a required safety measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local family donates facemasks to BAMC
April 9, 2020 — Arisa and Junko Lawhon donate handmade face coverings for Brooke Army Medical Center non-clinical staff April 8, 2020... MORE

Army’s top chaplain: more social distancing, less disconnection
April 8, 2020 — While officials have relied on “social distancing” to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Army’s top chaplain says the term doesn’t mean stopping all contact with friends and family... MORE