Stop Movement Likely to Be Extended | DOD: Wear Masks at Work

April 7, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

From left to right, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein are shown during an April 6, 2020, online town hall that addressed the COVID-19 pandemic. Facebook Live screenshot.

Goldfein: Expect Military Movement Ban to be Extended

By Rachel S. Cohen

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein expects the service’s stop-movement order will be extended past May 11 as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Pentagon Undersecretary of Personnel and Readiness Matt Donovan, a former acting Air Force Secretary, is considering whether to direct a decision from the top of the Defense Department or leave the call up to each service. “May 12, we’re not that much better than when we’re sitting here today,” Goldfein said on a Facebook livestream with Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright. “My sense is that we’re probably going to see an extension of the stop-movement for some period of time.” He also discussed potential changes to the "use it-or-lose it" leave policy and retirement timelines.

DOD to Everyone: Mask Up to Combat COVID-19

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

In response to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance about the use of "cloth face coverings" under certain circumstances to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the Defense Department has instructed troops, civilian employees, contractors, military family members, and anyone else stepping foot “on DOD property, installations, and facilities” to don “cloth face coverings … in public areas or work centers” when staying at least six feet away from others isn’t a reasonable ask. According to the April 5 memo, “updated force health protection guidance” on departmentwide implementation is forthcoming, and each military department will publish its own instructions for how such coverings should be worn. In the meantime, Esper encouraged the community to start making their own masks, noting DOD won’t give out “medical personal protective equipment ... for this purpose" since it’s being set aside “for the appropriate personnel."

Boeing Extends Suspension of Production Work in Washington State

By Brian W. Everstine

Boeing has extended the suspension of operations at its Washington state production facilities, a move that could have long-term implications for the KC-46 program. The company announced April 5 it will extend the closure, citing “continuing focus on the health and safety of its employees, current assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in Washington state, the reliability of the supply chain, and additional recommendations from government health authorities.” This includes the company’s Everett production plant that assembles the KC-46, and Boeing Field in Seattle, from which many of the tankers have left for Air Force bases. Service acquisition boss Will Roper said March 27 that at the time there was not much concern for further delays, but if the stand-down extends to over a month, “it will affect all deliveries.”

COVID-19 Wasn’t the First Outbreak to Relocate BMT

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Although the Air Force is slated to send a cohort of 60 recruits to Keesler AFB, Miss., for Basic Military Training as early as April 7, the new coronavirus pandemic wasn't the first outbreak to prompt USAF to hold BMT outside of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. A bacterial meningitis outbreak at Lackland in the winter of 1966 led the service to transfer portions of BMT to Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, AETC told Air Force Magazine via email.

Virtual Events: Space Chief Raymond Q&A

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today, watch Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond on Aerospace Nation, a conversation with AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Mitchell's dean, retired USAF Lt. Gen. David Deptula, will moderate the conversation, which will be available online at https://go.afa.org/e/285922/2020-04-07/9c5bs6/920433569?h=EifLKxKBRf5KDOB6N6EoEUzg5_cGiigrvwM8k6fmMgQ at 5 p.m. EDT.

Radar Sweep

Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

Air Force Magazine

Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pentagon Launches Coronavirus Mythbuster Site

Nextgov

The Defense Department created a web portal to fact-check bad information circulating about the coronavirus and the military’s response.

OPINION: Coronavirus May Be Opportunity for Air Force Technology Chief Roper to Impact U.S. Industrial Base

Forbes

“Simply reverting to where the economy was before the crisis seems unlikely,” writes Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute and CEO of Source Associates. “There will be a constituency for doing things differently in Washington, and that probably includes a more active government role in promoting industrial innovation. As that process unfolds, the ideas Will Roper has pioneered at the Pentagon may find a far broader political constituency—one that outlives the current pandemic.”

USFJ Commander Declares Public Health Emergency for U.S. Military Bases in Japan’s Kanto Plain

Jane’s Defence Weekly

The commander of United States Forces Japan, Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, declared a public health emergency for U.S. military bases in Japan’s Kanto Plain—in and around Tokyo—on April 6 amid growing concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus in the area.

Acting Navy Secretary Blasts USS Roosevelt Captain as ‘Too Naive or Too Stupid’ in Leaked Speech to Ship’s Crew

Task and Purpose

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly lashed out at former Capt. Brett Crozier and told sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt to stop complaining and do their jobs. Modly fired Crozier on April 2, two days after the San Francisco Chronicle published a leaked copy of a memo written by Crozier, in which he warned his superiors that sailors aboard the aircraft carrier would die of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) unless about 90 percent of the crew were moved into individual quarantine. Crozier has since tested positive for the coronavirus.

Parachute Riggers Plan to Churn Out 1,000 Masks Per Week at JBLM

Army Times

Parachute riggers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., plan to sew 1,000 to 1,500 surgical masks per week to help patients afflicted with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

AFRICOM Targets Al-Shabab in Somalia

AFRICOM release

In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted three airstrikes targeting al-Shabab terrorists in the vicinity of Mubaraak, Somalia, on April 5. The command's initial assessment concluded these airstrikes killed eight terrorists.

Chewning, Former DOD Industrial Head, Returns to McKinsey

Defense News

Eric Chewning, a former defense official who most recently served as chief of staff to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, has returned to consulting giant McKinsey & Company. Starting April 6, the former official will return as a partner, picking up a role he held from 2014-2017 before departing for the Defense Department.

Faster Acquisition

Air Force Magazine

The Air Force is leveraging emerging technologies and new legislation to accelerate acquisition decisions and streamline sustainment. Read more here.

Joe Ford Joins Draken International as Chief Executive Officer

Draken International release via Cision PR Web

The board of directors of Draken International, LLC has elected Joseph “Joe” Ford as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Ford will also serve as a member of the company’s board of directors.

Air Force Testing Next Generation Help Desk with 70K Users as Part of EITaaS

Federal News Network’s “Ask the CIO” podcast

As the Air Force rolls out its proof of concept under the enterprise IT-as-a-service, one of the first pieces to go live is something as basic as a modernized help desk. It’s one of several efforts underway, including next generational networking and infrastructure, cloud services, and data architecture, that will create this digital Air Force of the future.

One More Thing

This Blue Angel Flyby Is How Top Gun 2 Captured That Crazy Hypersonic Jet Takeoff Scene

The Drive

Using a very real F/A-18 Hornet to figure out how to capture the sequence gave the movie's production team what they needed to make the magic happen.