Zama Middle High School Celebrates Modified Prom

June 4, 2020 | BY Winifred Brown

At the crowning of this year's Zama Middle High School royal prom court at Camp Zama, Japan, all four members stood alone, socially distanced, to put on their own crowns or tiaras.

With this year's prom canceled due to COVID-19, there was no dancing, no crowd and no fancy gowns or tuxedos, but the members of the court still smiled, nicely dressed and thankful the school managed to maintain a few prom traditions despite the ongoing pandemic.

Lauren Rosa, an art teacher and the prom organizer, led the organization of a modified version of the traditional prom that included party favors, the crowning of an elected prom court and the chance for photos and a video.

"It's important to finish what you start," Rosa said. "What's going on doesn't have to, per se, define your whole academic career or your entire senior year. It stinks. It's not a great way to end, but something, in my book, is always better than nothing."

This year's prom court consisted of Jason Giles, prom king; Leah Sakamoto-Flack, queen; Alexander Ala, prince; and Aika Davis, princess. They individually put on their crowns and tiaras while maintaining social distancing during a small ceremony in a sunny garden at the school May 29. Lucinda Ward, the Camp Zama school liaison officer, sewed the sashes and donated them.

Sakamoto-Flack, a senior, said she appreciates the effort everyone put into the modified prom.

"I think it's the best they could do under the circumstances, and I think it's still honoring the seniors because this is their last high school event," Sakamoto-Flack said. "They still did a really good job with everything."

Davis, a junior, said she had been looking forward to attending this year's prom before its cancellation but was glad organizers found a way to maintain some of the traditions.

"I went to the prom my freshman and sophomore years, and I'm going to miss the whole dancing part, but I think it's nice that they're doing something for the kids," Davis said.

Giles, meanwhile, said he found one aspect of this year's prom better than last year's: It was outside. Giles, a senior, said he was glad organizers held the ceremony outside and in person instead of online.

Ala said he recognizes the school could not hold a full-fledged prom this year with COVID-19, and appreciates all they did instead.

In addition to the court members, the student body also had a chance to participate by voting online for the court and picking up Botanical Bloom Prom 2020 party favors at the school. Of the 138 students eligible to vote for the court, 100 did, Rosa said, and she was happy with the turnout.

All four members of the court said they were surprised their peers had voted for them.

"I wasn't expecting this and was really surprised," Ala said, echoing similar sentiments from all three other members of the court.

Rosa said she had organized nine other proms at the school she used to work for in Florida, so she knows how important proms are for students.

In addition, however, continuing with a modified prom teaches a greater life lesson: in the face of adversity, it is important to keep going, Rosa said.

"[COVID-19] is one challenge, one disappointment in your life, and if it's the only one, fantastic, but that's probably not likely," Rosa said. "You just have to put one foot in front of the other and just try."

Ward agreed.

"Our traditions do not have to stop based on a pandemic; they just need to be modified," Ward said. "Recognizing prom allows the youth to still experience tradition through a different set of glasses."

Ward said she donated the sashes because sewing is her favorite pastime, and when she arrived at Camp Zama nine months ago, the community embraced her.

"Making the sashes is just my way of thanking all of the youth for welcoming me as the school liaison officer," Ward said. "This is a great community."

Wayne Carter, the principal of Zama Middle High School, said the modified prom went well and he thanked Rosa, Ward and Camp Zama's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation for making it happen.

Not only did the prom organizers step up this year, so did everyone associated with the school, Carter said.

"This has been a very unprecedented year, but what we've seen from the students, from the families, from the teachers, it's just phenomenal," Carter said.

(Winifred Brown is assigned to US Army Garrison Japan.)

Fort Bliss Volunteers Assist in Implementing Lifesaving Devices

June 4, 2020 | BY Amabilia Payen

William Beaumont Army Medical Center on Fort Bliss, Texas, quickly ensured the procurement of devices developed by Army doctors to protect health care workers from exposure while treating COVID-19 patients.

U.S. Army Medical Command promulgated the COVID-19 Airway Management Isolation Chamber. It's used to protect medical care providers from exposure while treating COVID-19 patients. 

The CAMIC is an inexpensive barrier device constructed by draping clear plastic sheeting over a box-like frame made of common PVC piping. The barrier is then placed over the patient's head to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 during treatment. This barrier protects health care workers from aerosolized droplets by capturing and removing viral particles emitted from the patient. Holes in the piping device release oxygen flowing through it from one end, which is then sucked out by a vacuum on the other end.

With an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the hospital contacted Fort Bliss for support in constructing 40 CAMICs. A few volunteers from Fort Bliss Range Control stepped forward to do the job. They volunteered to construct the devices, procured all the supplies needed and began working on the construction immediately.

Tim Ahlstrom, Robert Serrano, Kevin Waller and Raul Martinez, range control maintenance workers from the Fort Bliss Directorate of Plans Training Mobilization and Security, came in for a few weeks and built the CAMICs using development instructions from Army Medical Command.

"When they explained to me what it was going to be used for, I said definitely, we will do it," said Serrano, a maintenance mechanics. "We have to do what we can to help during these times. It is a small part on our part, but still it's something that is going to be a big help to the people who get infected."

Doctors and nurses at the hospital are thankful that the items were constructed in such a quick manner and are at their disposal when treating someone with COVID-19.

"The construction of the CAMIC devices by our Team Bliss colleagues is a great example of the phenomenal work by the entire Fort Bliss community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic" said Army Col. (Dr.) Michael Oshiki, the commander of William Beaumont Army Medical Center. "These devices will provide a superb degree of protection to our staff and our patients, and on behalf of WBAMC, Command Sgt. Maj. [Janell] Ray and I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to getting these devices made."

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Eric Weber, the chief medical officer of William Beaumont Army Medical Center, explains that the CAMIC can be the solution to a worldwide problem.

"The problem is we have a disease that is dangerous and can spread easily when aerosolized," Weber said. "Where you would normally treat a patient with this disease in an isolation or negative pressure room, this helps. There are not enough negative pressure rooms in hospitals, and this can help treat patients in regular rooms."

In the emergency room, a patient with COVID-19 may need to be intubated, and anyone within 6 feet of that patient is at high risk for contracting  it themselves.

"The CAMIC is the perfect solution. You can put anyone on a [Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure device] or any kind of high-flow nasal device and completely wall it off, and prevent them from getting intubated and help them get better and not spread the disease to everybody else," Weber said.

All 40 CAMICs have been fielded in different parts of the hospital, to be used on patients when needed.

"The CAMIC is a small piece of what we are doing to treat patients with COVID," Weber said. "We have an amazing staff, and we are prepared. I think patients can feel safe and comfortable coming here. We are ready should a large volume of patients come."

As a doctor himself, Weber said, he does not hesitate to give the local population his advice.

"As the chief medical officer here, my advice to everybody is to wear a mask," Weber said. "There is a tremendous amount of data that wearing a mask is the absolute best thing we can do. It's not 'Wear a mask for yourself,' it's for the people around you. You may do great if you are young, but you may have other people who you may interact with that may not do so well. A mask will help slow the spread until we can get a vaccine."

Samuel Pearson, the logistics manager for the range branch, agrees with Weber. Aside from helping in acquiring the materials for the range control team to make them, he feels people should know that they may end up under the CAMIC themselves.

"I want people to take it seriously, you know," Pearson said. "Wear the mask, wash your hands. We get emails on people telling us what to do, what not to do, and I just want people to adhere to what our leaders are telling us so we can be safe."

(Amabilia Payen is assigned to the William Beaumont Army Medical Center.)

Barksdale Dental Clinic Reopens in a Phased Approach

June 4, 2020 | BY AIR FORCE 2ND LT. AILEEN LAUER

Since not being fully operational since mid-March due to COVID-19, the 2nd Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, is preparing to reopen the dental clinic on Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, using a phased approach to begin completing a backlog of 903 dental exams.

''First, we are going to be catching up on all the annual required dental readiness exams that have been postponed since March,'' said Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Rachel A. Webber, a periodontist with the 2nd OMRS. ''No routine dentistry [e.g., fillings, cleaning] until later, unless it is causing the patient to be dentally nondeployable.''

Upon arrival at the clinic, patients must call and notify the front desk personnel that they have arrived and then wait in their cars. Patients will get a call to come to the front door.

Once at the door, patients are asked to wear a face mask. A dental technician will check the patients' temperature and screen them using a COVID-19 questionnaire. Patients will then immediately be brought back to their treatment room. These procedures are in place to minimize the number of patients in the reception area, Webber explained.

Aside from having patient procedures in place, the dental staff has been preparing each suite for use. Rooms have been inspected, unnecessary items were removed and water lines have been shocked and tested.

''It's good to get back to a workflow and nice to start seeing everybody''' said Air Force Airman 1st Class Bryson T. Raymer, a dental technician at the clinic.  ''It's kind of a blessing in a way, because I know people were running out of things to do. I'm happy to be back.''

Although the clinic will have full-day operational hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., it will be operating with a split staff. Half of the dental staff will report in the morning and work in one section of the clinic, while the afternoon staff will work on the opposite side of the clinic. This schedule is designed to help keep everything isolated.

''I'm adjusting and getting back to everything,'' said Air Force Senior Airman Amanda Yeske, a front desk attendant. ''I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.''

(Air Force 2nd Lt. Aileen Lauer is assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing.)

Service Members, Civilians Bound By DOD Rules During Election Campaigns

June 4, 2020 | BY Terri Moon Cronk , DOD News

It's election season again, when federal, state and local political campaigns kick into high gear. Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper's latest ethics video lays out the importance of political activity rules that Defense Department civilian employees and service members must follow. 

In the 2020 DOD Public Affairs Guidance for Political Campaigns and Elections memorandum of Feb. 11, DOD spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman summarized the rules that apply to all DOD personnel regarding involvement in political events.

"The Department of Defense has a longstanding and well-defined policy regarding political campaigns and elections to avoid the perception of DOD sponsorship, approval or endorsement of any political candidate, campaign or cause," Hoffman wrote. 

"The department encourages and actively supports its personnel in their civic obligation to vote, but makes clear members of the armed forces on active duty should not engage in partisan political activities," his memo read.

Sources of Authority 

The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that limits certain political activities of federal employees, according to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. It applies to DOD civilian employees. The law's purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation, the OSC site added. ​​

DOD policy for service members is contained in Department of Defense Directive 1344.10, Political Activities for Members of the Armed Forces. It is DOD policy to encourage members of the armed forces to carry out the obligations of citizenship while keeping with the traditional concept that members on active duty should not engage in partisan political activity. All members of the armed forces, including active-duty members, members of the reserve components not on active duty, and retired members are prohibited from wearing military uniforms at political campaign or election events.    

As the secretary said in his ethics video, both active-duty service members and civilian employees must understand federal rules and DOD policies pertaining to political activities. Service members and employees should direct any questions to their supervisors or their supporting legal office, said a senior official in DOD's Standards of Conduct Office.  

Resources

For particulars and more in-depth information concerning political activities, check out DOD Directive 1344.10 for service members and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel website for civilian employees.

Ethics and Leadership

In his ethics video, and in previous ethics messages to the department, Esper emphasized the importance of leaders regularly training their subordinates in the importance of maintaining ethical standards.  

"Maintaining the hard-earned trust and confidence of the American people requires us to avoid any action that could imply endorsement of a political party, political candidate or campaign by any element of the department," he said.  

"As the secretary has stated, we must continuously train and prepare so that we are ready to do what is right when ethical dilemmas arise," said Scott Thompson, director of DOD's Standards of Conduct Office. "Training is not a one-time event. The secretary expects department leaders to be personally involved in training their organizations, and to talk about examples of ethical decision-making, good and bad. In addition to annual ethics training, leaders should routinely make conversations about ethics a natural part of meetings and engagements with personnel."

As leaders, teammates and colleagues, all must inspire one another by setting the right example of ethical conduct, Thompson emphasized.

"Shortly after taking office, Secretary Esper reminded DOD personnel that each of us takes a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution. The department's mission imparts a special responsibility on each of us to serve with the utmost integrity and be vigilant in protecting the duties and confidences with which we have been entrusted," he added. "To ensure we are ready to do what is right when ethical dilemmas arise, we must train and prepare ourselves."

(Katie Lange of Defense Media Activity contributed to this report.)