JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Centers for Disease Control now recommends the general wear of cloth face coverings in areas where physical distancing is difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores, especially in areas with significant community transmission.
On April 5, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper released a memo stating: “Effective immediately, to the extent practical, all individuals on DoD property, installations, and facilities will wear cloth face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers.”
The intent of this guidance is to echo and support the CDC recommendations.
JBER personnel and families are not expected to wear a mask at all times while on the installation. If you are able to maintain the social/physical distancing guidance, you do not require a face covering. If the duties of your mission or nature of your business (e.g., shopping at the commissary) requires you to be within 6 feet of other individuals, then a cloth face covering is necessary.
Face coverings will be required in all on base shopping and customer service facilities such as the DFACs, Military Mall, Pharmacy, Shoppettes, etc. Infants are exempt. Installation Access points and Security Checkpoints may require the removal of face covers for identification purposes. Deadlines for enforcement at the facilities is forthcoming however, everyone is expected to comply as soon as possible.
Face coverings worn by uniformed military members will be professional and in conservative solid colors. Patterned materials are forbidden with the exception of current uniform pattern materials that must match the uniform style worn by the member. Deviations from color/pattern guidance for 673 ABW mission partners on JBER will be at the direction of their applicable leadership.
Additional cloth items that may be worn as face coverings include neck gaiters, neck warmers, balaclavas, etc. These items will be functional, clean, and will cover the member’s mouth and nose.
As there are no supplies of cloth face coverings at this time, and industry manufactured masks are reserved for medical use, members will need to self-procure face coverings or fashion face coverings from common materials or clean household items such as t-shirts or other materials. There are multiple resources on-line that demonstrate how to manufacture masks from common household materials.
The recommendation for masks does not replace the need for physical distancing and efforts to minimize exposure. Continue maintaining personal distance to the maximum extent possible and limiting movement to essential travel only.
Once again, I ask for your patience and continuous flexibility during this unprecedented challenge. Continue to communicate with your respective chains of command if you see a need or concern that has not been addressed.
Thank you for everything you do to support our incredible mission. Furthermore, thank you for your commitment to the safety and health of our JBER families and community.
-Col. Patricia Csànk, 673d Air Base Wing and JBER commander
SECDEF Memo: https://go.usa.gov/xv2Zh
CDC Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings:
https://www.cdc.gov/…/prevent-getting…/cloth-face-cover.html
CDC Do-It-Yourself Cloth Face Coverings:
https://www.cdc.gov/…/prevent…/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
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