Items

• 
  2020-03-31

  Locked down, Locked in

  I was a SSG in the US Army when the lockdown hit. The isolation let my personal demons almost get the best of me, but lessons were certainly learned and I pray we never get to that point ever again.
• 2020

  Continuous Travels Throughout The Pandemic

  As an Active Duty Soldier during the COVID-19 pandemic I was able to travel; albeit my movements were extremely controlled and job-related and not for leisure. On 13 March 2020, when the entire Country literally reacted to and shut down due to COVID-19, I was out of town and hours away from traveling back to my duty station. The sudden reality we were all faced with felt like The Twilight Zone, especially since it was also a Friday. In May of 2020, I drove to my hometown of San Antonio, TX. My mother was a COVID patient in the ICU, and I needed to get home to help take care of my father. Thankfully, my mother recovered, and I returned to Tennessee, where I was stationed at the time. The COVID restrictions from Tennessee and Texas could not have been more different; whereas Clarksville, Tennessee treated public separation and mask-wearing with a laissez-faire attitude, San Antonio was very strict with its public safety ordinances. A few months later, I deployed to Iraq; transiting to and from the Combat Zone was extremely restrictive. Prior to the Pandemic, we could enjoy local sightseeing if we had a layover in Spain or Germany; naturally, during COVID we were confined to our lodging. However, in January of 2021, as travel restrictions began to lift ever-so slightly, I participated in a unit training exercise in California. To my surprise, we had to fly commercially to Las Vegas, NV. To ensure 6-foot separation, we were each allowed our own rental vehicles, and our own hotel rooms while we trained in the California desert. In all my years in the military, that was the only time I wasn’t required to share a rental or hotel room with anyone. After we had concluded our training, we commuted back to Las Vegas. The original plan was to use military lodging on Nellis Air Force Base, however our Commander allowed us to find our own hotels in Las Vegas, as our flights would not depart for Nashville for another 36 hours or so. At that time of course, no one was traveling or booking rooms; I was able to find a room at the 4 Queens Casino on Fremont Street for forty dollars a night. This turned out to be far more cost-effective to the US Government, as we would have paid around ninety dollars a night had we stayed on Nellis AFB. Restaurants in Las Vegas during the Pandemic opened no earlier than noon, so we had a lot of time to kill in the morning. We walked up and down Fremont Street, the Strip, and it felt as though we were the only group of people in the city. Casinos were empty throughout the day and remained empty well into the night. Being thirsty Soldiers, we visited a Speakeasy and a couple of restaurants; again, with the eerie feeling like we were the only “tourists” there. We even visited the Mob Museum and enjoyed all the history and Prohibition artifacts at our leisure! Between multiple quarantines, working remotely, COVID tests, memorandums clearing us to leave the country, and the eventual vaccination, we continued military travel. It was impossible for my unit to cease all operations due to the Pandemic; we adjusted on the spot and continued to learn throughout the entire experience. It was impossible for me to narrow my travels during COVID to just one single memory; rather it felt like one continuous surreal dream. Today if anyone asks where or how I spent Lockdown, I have to ask, “When during the Pandemic are you referring to?”
• 2023-10-11

  Return to the Big Island

  I was stationed in Hawaii with the Army for 3 years. Due to regulations, I was not able to participate in the many hunting and fishing opportunities that can be found there. I was discharged in 2020 just before the pandemic really started. I spent most of 2020 fighting my state for unemployment benefits and looking for a job. I did not travel during the pandemic and only afterwards for work. I want to some day get back to Hawaii and enjoy those missed opportunities. Unfortunately, I think it will be a long time before I am financially stable enough to travel.
• 
  12/14/2021

  Jake Black Oral History, 2021/12/14

  Jake Black was born in Waco Texas, with a father in the Air Force he moved around the country until graduating High School in Kansas, and College in Texas. Jake now owns a restaurant in Valley Mills, Texas. In this interview, Jake discusses how Covid has affected his life, through work, the community around him, and his own family. He talks about how Covid-19 has affected his restaurant and the struggles he’s gone through to help not only the restaurant but his employees as well. Jake shares his thoughts about how Covid has affected the country and the people that he knows as well as the problems that have sprung up because of the government too.
• 2020-04-20

  Trapped in paradise

  I was stationed in Oahu when Covid restrictions went into place. The entire island shut down and, at first, it was fantastic not having to go to work and just hanging out on a tropical island. As time went on, people started to go stir crazy, when the local government closed the beaches and other activities that made island life bearable. When Covid reached its worst point, the Army stopped allowing people to move, so even plans that were months out were canceled. Having joined those who went stir crazy, the prospect of being stuck in Hawaii any longer than necessary held little appeal to my family and I. When restrictions eased a little, military moves were only possible if the place you were coming from and going to were having drops in cases. We didn’t know for sure that we could move until a few days before it happened. We were so excited to be getting out of Hawaii, we forgot about how disappointed we were that my next duty assignment would be taking us to Denver. I’ve been to Denver before and didn’t like it, but when we got off that plane, after being trapped on an island for the last year, it was exciting. Most of my children weren’t old enough to remember snow, so they were immediately excited about the change. I was happy to see real mountains again, but forgot about changing seasons. It took me a while to realize that I can’t wear shorts in December any more. Colorado, for being so liberal didn’t have much in the way of covid restrictions. It was refreshing, considering that in Hawaii everyone was still wearing masks for everything.
• 
  2020-02-18

  Patients and Patience

  I spent the majority of 2019 in Afghanistan. As far as deployments go, it was as busy as it was rewarding. I spent my days providing medical care to the local Afghans which included the handling of war wounds, managing chronic diseases, or treating any number of the infectious diseases that are endemic to the Middle East. My day-to-day activities had me in regular contact with sick people, and it was my responsibility to help them. Later in the year, a sickness began to go around. Across the country service members and civilians alike were coming down with what was presumed to be the flu. With consistently negative tests, however, medical professionals began looking to other causes for the wide range of symptoms people were suffering from. When I got sick, I lost my voice for a month and could barely walk out of my room without losing my breath and so I resolved to spending my time lying in bed and watching movies. When I returned home from Afghanistan in early 2020, I still wasn’t quite recovered. Unfortunately, my homecoming was not an elaborate affair as my wife and children were waiting for me in Texas where they had spent my deployment near family. The plan was for me to visit until it was time for me to move down there as well. I still suffered from shortness of breath and one day, shortly after returning, I nearly passed out on a light jog, and I knew something was wrong. I was scheduled to visit my wife and kids in the coming weeks, excited to see them after my deployment, but my unknown sickness had other plans in mind. At this point in the year, COVID was in its infancy, there hadn’t been any lockdowns or travel restrictions, only the lingering concern that this new disease could become a problem. So, naturally, when I went in to see the doctors for my persistent symptoms, it was an easy assumption that I had caught COVID early while in Afghanistan in the months prior. While investigating the cause of my ongoing issues, they found a nodule in my lungs. Apparently, my weakened immune system and constant contact with severely sick patients had resulted in me contracting tuberculosis. I was now a high-risk patient. The ironic thing is that my newly diagnosed condition was contagious, and not being near my family prevented me from spreading it to my wife or kids. So much for visiting family after my deployment. Over the next few months, I was treated with heavy duty antibiotics that left me puking in the mornings and unable to leave my house, which became easier and easier as COVID gripped the world. Flights were canceled and lockdowns were enforced while I facetimed my family 1,500 miles away. After my treatment was complete, I eagerly drove home on empty roads to see my family for the first time since I had left the year prior. I would intermittently make the drive a few more times before I made the official move down later that year. Three years later, I still remember, as I’m sure we all do, the frustrations that were ever-present at the height of the pandemic. I remember my own frustrations at the difficulty of traveling down to see my kids, something that hadn’t been part of our well laid plans before my deployment. I remember having to explain to three young children why I couldn’t come home and helping my wife explain why they could no longer go to the park, to school, or hang out with their friends. In the end, however, I am grateful. I am grateful because I am able to teach them, through their own personal experiences, that we are all in this together. When they express annoyance at ongoing COVID policies, which cost them personal convenience, I can recount to them the sacrifices they made in order to keep us all safe from my sickness as well as COVID. They have learned that being patient and considerate is as much for everyone’s else’s sake as much as their own and it’s a lesson that has translated across their lives today.
• 
  2022-07-11

  LGBTQ+ VA Healthcare in Arkansas in the wake of COVID

  This is the Arkansas Veterans Affairs website listing specific resources for LGBTQ+ veterans in Arkansas. This site places a specific emphasis on Central Arkansas due to the heavy LGBTQ+ population in that area. In order to combat COVID-19, this site focuses on not only concerted vaccine rollout for LGBTQ+ vets, but also lists mental health resources in order to combat COVID-19. I think this shows a particular vulnerability to a select group and how COVID-19 can reach anyone. Indeed, it is essential that at-risk groups such as the LGBTQ+ community are not overlooked in the age of COVID, and it is encouraging to see the VA take steps to assure this is the case.
• 
  2022-06-25

  Army Guard troops risk dismissal as vaccine deadline looms

  This is a news story from ABC news by Lolita C. Baldor. Up to 40,000 National Guard soldiers, which consists of roughly 13% of the force, have not yet received the mandated COVID vaccine. Soldiers have until Thursday to get the vaccine. Out of all military branches, the National Guard was given the largest window to fulfill that requirement.
• 2022-04-29

  The Pandemic in the Military

  When I found out about the start of lock downs and the fact that a pandemic was even happening, I was at the end of a training rotation at Fort Irwin, CA. My colleagues and I were extremely concerned about the welfare of our families as we had all been screened for symptoms, but there was talk of us not being able to return home until the DOD had figured out exactly how they were going to respond to the “sudden” emergency. I only put sudden in quotes because the government had plenty of warning that this was coming but decided that it wasn’t worth acting on until it had already started happening. Once home, the adjustment to a new way of life was akin to being dropped in a foreign country that speaks a language you don’t understand and has none of the customs you are familiar with. While families, dependents, and civilians had had warning, albeit minimal, that lock downs were going to be a thing and that masks were now mandatory regardless of where you were going, those who had been away without any media or contact back home, were suddenly thrust into the lifestyle of April, 2020. From that time to now, not only has vaccination and the reality of the virus become a contentious topic among coworkers, friends, and family, but what side of the issue you place yourself on has led to some of the worst division the nation has seen since the 1960s. Families have been ripped apart and friendships destroyed because the views expressed and sides taken on pandemic related issues, including the 2020 election, have adopted the same level of identity in our lives as our ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds. Those who would have found common ground in shared religious belief, or shared culture now create new divides on the basis of believing that the vaccine works or not or believing that those who participated in the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol incident were justified or not.
• 
  2022-04-27

  Life of COVID in Japan

  When COVID first started and until now I have been living in Japan. When it first started to break out things immediately began to lock down and the restrictions of what can and can’t be done began to pop off instantly. Japan is a lot stricter that what at least Arizona has been. I haven’t been to other states so I am unable to express what it is like. Now Japan ever since COVID began locked down their borders and leaving the country or traveling from where I live in Okinawa which is a small island, was extremely difficult. I work in the military and the fight against COVID was to make everyone get vaccinated and if not you were to be separated. Many people began to argue that their religion did not allow it but pretty much 99% of the claims for religion was denied. So once everyone either got the vaccination or was separated things began to get a little bit better. Restaurant began to open up but it would continue to fluctuate between if only outdoor seating was allowed or indoor and outdoor. Travel between prefectures of Japan started to open but only if vaccinated. Although COVID tests were mandatory for travel to happen. Although the US didn’t have their borders locked down, we were still unable to travel to US to see family no matter the reason except a funeral because we had to get back into Japan afterwards. By the time Japan finally opened their borders I finally was able to go home to spend time with family and be around for the holidays for first time in over two years. I think because of this, many people in the military don’t want to stay in no more because the ability to do many things aren’t able to be done. The military has to work with the country of Japan to make sure all is well between each other so the government’s power and military’s power restricted everyone from being able to do the many fun things Japan has to offer. Although, now in 2022, things are beginning to open up and things are going back to more normal barring another variant forces Japan to go into a state of emergency.
• 2020-06

  Fort Sill - Trainee

  While the pandemic had made digital communications and networking boom. Anything in the real world came to a screeching halt. I went into Fort Sill, Lawton Oklahoma for Advanced Individual Training (AIT) while had just begun to really put its foot into the door on US soil. Entering the facility we were immediately put in makeshift facilities specifically designed for incoming soldiers, they looked like 2-story mobile homes and each building contained roughly 60-80 troops per floor (can't remember exactly how many fit. but we were packed in there like sardines). We were originally told we would be in the facilities for 2 weeks before we would be allowed onto the rest of the base to begin training. 2 weeks, turned to 4, and that turned into 6 weeks. We weren't allowed to go outside other than to get an MRE and then go right back into our bays. We became so restless we would disassemble bunks and make makeshift pull-up bars, running up and down the hall in order to run miles. Eventually, we were released and allowed to continue training. Once we had actually begun AIT. We were immediately told that they were "overbooked" the facilities were forced to hold more soldiers than it was designed for due to outgoing flights being halted until an entire flight could be filled with military personal all going to the same location. Masks mandation was very hit or miss. Some days we would go by without them at all, others, we would be told to wear them the moment we got up, even wearing them during physical training, and while on the firing range shooting artillery.
• 
  2020-06-04

  COVID-19 puts National WWII Museum 20th anniversary online

  This article details the holding of the 20th anniversary of the opening of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans on June 4th 2020. This is significant because thousands of people were supposed to attend, but now had to watch the ceremonies online as a result of the spread of COVID-19. This is an interesting contribution to the museum collection of the archive not only because the size of this event, but due to the fact that there are few military history museums mentioned in the archives. This is important to me as someone who studies military history, and because I was one of the many people spectating this ceremony online.
• 
  2022-03-26

  Russia spread anti-vax lies in Ukraine. Will it cause a COVID crisis for Europe?

  This is a news story from the Los Angeles Times by Melissa Healy and Emily Baumgaertner. The authors claim that even prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine that Russia has been working to undermine the confidence of Western vaccines. It says that these messages were encouraged by President Vladimir Putin and shown on Russian TV and social media. In Ukraine, only 35% of residents are fully vaccinated, some of the lowest in all of Europe. This makes the refugee crisis in Ukraine more dire, as people needing to leave will risk spreading COVID more places. The authors assert that with the low vaccination rates of Ukrainian refugees that it will cause another surge in COVID cases throughout Europe. The CDC has advised countries accepting refugees to offer them the vaccine upon entry. This article details that this is not the only vaccine that Ukrainians have not accepted as much compared to the rest of Europe. In 2021, only 53% of Ukrainian babies were vaccinated against polio. That number has now risen to 76% of infants being immunized against polio. Though, the likelihood of these diseases spreading as far as COVID are fairly low. The vaccine hesitancy, the authors say, is rooted in deep distrust of the government. In December 2020, only 14% of Ukrainians reported having trust in their government in a poll.
• 
  2020-12-31

  No More Travel

  One of the main benefits of being in the military is the opportunity to travel overseas and experience other places, cultures, and people. I was stationed in Germany and had lost of ideas of where I was going to travel all across Europe during the summer and winter months, unfortunately, Europe locked down hard in the spring of 2020. I wanted to travel during the summer months and go to the beaches across the Mediterranean and see England when it wasn’t raining. During winter I had looked forward to seeing the famous German Christmas Markets and traveling to Switzerland to see the Alps covered in snow. Due to lockdowns none of this happened. For many the pandemic made if feel as if our lives were on hold. Not only were we missing out on small events here and there but also large chunks of our lifetime. I feel as if I was stuck waiting to live life, not able to really enjoy what was around me.
• 
  2022-03-01

  Military Mask Guidance Update

  The attached is a memorandum for record from the Under Secretary of Defense. This memo was published 1 March 2022 and was a big deal for us in the military and really everyone who works on military installations or in other Department of Defense facilities. Prior to this memo, we were all required to wear face coverings at all times when in doors, regardless of local state or county guidance. This memo was a great policy move as it changed the requirement from an overarching blanket policy to instead replicate local community guidance. I can tell you, we were very relieved to not be required to wear a face covering at all times. unlike many other sectors across the US, many military members did not have the opportunity to work from home during the pandemic. This is just due to the nature of our jobs, therefore we were masked up for a long time, even in places such as Texas and Florida where masks were no longer required according to local state and county guidance.
• 
  2020-06-25

  In-Processing Day for the Class of 2024 at the United States Air Force Academy

  Imagine yourself going into your senior year of college... but at a service academy while COVID-19 has sunken its teeth into every aspect of our lives. While most colleges and universities around the globe pushed back the start dates of their fall semesters in 2020 or moved entirely online, Service academies in the U.S. needed to meet congress' demand of supplying a steady stream of future commissioned lieutenants to the military. As a result, I found myself at 23 years old as a flight commander of 30 young, recent high school graduates who needed the same level of indoctrination I received into the Air Force four years prior. Rather than videos of years past with cadet cadre in the faces of soon-to-be freshmen screaming at the top of their lungs, this video provides the innocuous version of in-processing with unedited or dubbed audio. You might even see a few of my basics who didn't know what to expect of basic training during the pandemic. While the cadre in the film stand professionally and talk with a sense of authority towards the basics, I can tell you behind the scenes we were re-writing COVID-19 protocol and adjusting their syllabi as each day passed. Your authority as a military instructor weakens as its filtered through a wet, uncomfortable cloth mask (I strongly encourage you to look up "I-Day" videos of USAFA prior to the pandemic to compare). Can you imagine how much you have to yell through one of those masks to get 30 individuals to hear you over the other 39 flights sprinkled across the campus drill pads? My 6 weeks as a flight commander were filled with frustration, sympathy, reward, and most of all focus. First, focusing visually, I had to maintain social distancing anywhere from when basics were wrapped around the hallways to wait to shower all the way to when they practiced marching non-military standard "double-arm interval" for their basic training graduation day. Also, focusing through sound, I had to understand my basics through sweat or dirt covered masks as they recited knowledge, asked questions during academic blocks, or were struggling and needed follow-up mentoring. The measurable distance between trainers and trainees as well as the pauses of silence, normally filled with a constant cacophony of yelling, are what many graduates of my alma mater would call weak. Despite a lack of intensity, masks added a layer of confusion and frustration during a period that is already filled with fear, stress, and exhaustion for basics. For that reason, I want to ask those who weren't there to understand sensually why the class of 2024 still went through the same basic training experience as years past. Maybe a second listen to the audio can even reveal those same frustrations and fears from the basics reflected in the tone of their cadre.
• 
  2020-07-09

  Back in combat boots

  I retired from the Army in September 2019 after serving for 26 years. My wife and I moved to South Texas to finally settle down, and in January of 2020 we bought our forever home out in the country near Lake Corpus Christi. Clearing the land and unpacking boxes that had been sealed for what seems like an eternity took about three months. Around late March/early April I started applying for jobs at colleges in the area, just as the pandemic was gaining national attention. As a result, no one was conducting interviews or hiring. I did not need to work, I just wanted something to keep me busy. Out of the blue, I was contacted by the U.S. Army Human Resources command to ask if I would volunteer to return to Active Duty for a year to help with the pandemic. After discussing it with my wife, I replied back that I would volunteer and provide whatever assistance I could. In June I received orders to report to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in early July. The orders also stated that I was to report in my uniform. I had kept my old uniform from when I retired, but it took a bit of digging around to find everything. Putting my uniform and boots on after almost two years of retirement felt strange yet familiar. I had to get to used to the feeling of wearing combat boots again instead of regular shoes. For the next year I was assigned to U.S. Army North at Fort Sam Houston, where we coordinated Department of Defense civil support operations all over America. I also helped with the planning, organization, and execution for a large vaccination site on the installation. I was not the only veteran that returned to active duty. Like me, others volunteered to do what we could to help get through this pandemic. I enjoyed the time I spent back in the Army, and felt like I made a positive contribution to the country. The only thing that took time to get used to was the feeling of combat boots on my feet again.
• 
  04/25/2021

  Lou Fraise Oral History, 2021/04/25

  Dr. Lewis Fraise details his service as a geriatric doctor during the Korean War and Vietnam War. He mentions his service in both Washington D.C. and Korea and continues to break down how the Coronavirus actually infects one's body and the response of the government as the pandemic ensued. Dr. Fraise criticizes the actions of Donald Trump and states that the spread of more medically-accurate information would have led to a better outcome in terms of the early stages of the pandemic.
• 
  05/05/2021

  Jocelyn Penagos Oral History, 2021/05/05

  Jocelyn Penagos was born and raised in Columbia until the age of eight when she finally followed her older brother's footsteps and moved with her family to Florida. Leaving Colombia was a callous but necessary thing that she felt she had to do. Upon arrival in America, she began watching a movie and listening to music to better learn English. After being fluent in both languages and graduating High School, Jocelyn joined the armed services and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. She is still currently enrolled in the Marine Corps and is going on her ninth consecutive year. Jocelyn shares her experiences with covid from a military point of view. She offers great insight into what had changed or been created because of the lockdown and the virus. Jocelyn also shares with us her struggles to see her mother in Columbia because of fears that she could be the reason for her death.
• 
  12/01/2020

  Wade Pitrucha Oral History, 2020/12/01

  Wade Pitrucha, Marine Corps veteran and butcher, was raised in Texas and lived in California for several years, and currently works as a butcher and lives in Barron, Wisconsin. In this interview, Wade discusses the political and economic developments he has observed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wade gives an inside look at the COVID-19 meat shortage, and explains some of the causes, as well as the impacts on farmers and families. Wade also shares some of his personal experiences and frustrations with the local handling of the pandemic, and how he feels the federal government and the Trump administration has contributed to the massive spread of COVID-19 in the United States. In an entertaining and sometimes darkly humorous interview, Wade’s military experience and personal beliefs provide a unique and well-balanced view of the COVID-19 pandemic and modern American society.
• 
  2021-08-16

  False Promises?

  After 20 years of bloodshed, the Us military forces withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving it under Taliban rule. The departure was followed by a , two week process of which more than 120,000 people tried to evacuate (Council of Foreign Affairs, "The US War in Afghanistan" The tweet depict the heartbreaking images of crowds of people trying to cling to the sides of Us military planes at the Kabul airport and tweets from US civilians sympathizing with the troubles overseas.
• 
  2021-09-15

  What Happens to Military Who Refuse Vaccine?

  This article talks about the recent vaccine mandate for all US military members and what some of the repercussions could be for those who refuse. Additionally, the article discusses how challenging it can be to get a valid exemption for this vaccine if military members have already consented to dozens of other vaccines during their careers.
• 
  2021-08-01

  Germany Travel Quarantine Guide

  Germany would update its travel policy multiple times a month, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. As the rules would change so often, our command would release simple-to-follow articles that clearly explained what we had to do. This photo is a snapshot from an article that explains quarantine requirements when traveling into Germany from other countries.
• 
  2021-09-03

  Mandatory Vaccine for Military

  Attached is a letter from the Secretary of the Air Force that mandates all Air Force and Space Force members must be vaccinated for the Coronavirus Disease by 2 November 2021.
• 
  2021-05-20

  US to German Vaccine Memorandum

  The attached is a letter from the Rheinland-Pfalz state secretary that explains and validates the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card that the CDC gives out with vaccinations. Many US military members in Germany received the vaccine, but our vaccine cards were not recognized by local German establishments as German and other European vaccine cards looked very different. In Germany, people were not allowed to eat inside restaurants if they were not vaccinated. By carrying the attached letter with our CDC-issued vaccine cards, we were able to visit local establishments.
• 2020-08-31

  My Story

  I was in the military and on the opposite side of the country as my family when the pandemic began to take hold. Heavy restrictions were applied to those of us who were living on the base where I was stationed. At first the leaders within my organization said that restrictions would be temporary and would dissipate soon, if they were followed. The restrictions that we were required to follow were as follows: we couldn't leave the base, unless it was for essential travel (i.e. groceries), we could not be within six feet of each other, and we could not go into our friends rooms. While these restrictions were for our own good, it greatly reduced the quality of life for myself and my friends, because we could not hangout together like we used and most of our families were hundreds of miles away. Additionally, leave to go home was not being approved because of the restricted movement that was put in place. Eventually, the supposedly beneficial rules that were set in place to protect us, turned out to produce more scorn and hate for the people who made them, who didn’t care follow them, than they did good. After months of living like this, the rules became loose enough for people, who were from out of town, to come and visit. This being said, life for the first four or five months of the pandemic were full of totalitarian rules and heartache. Overall, life in the beginning of the pandemic was bleak and grey without any vision of color for the future. In August of 2020, my then fiancée and family were able to travel across the country to see me. The relief that I felt to be able to see my loved ones was indescribable and much needed. When they were in town, my wife and I got married and we were able spend a week with our families before they left for California. While, the relief that I felt was overwhelming and fantastic, I would never want anyone to live in forced separation from their loved ones, no matter the cost.
• 2021-09-29

  Covid in Altus Oklahoma

  I wanted to share my personal experience of living through the COVID-19 Pandemic in Altus Oklahoma. While my experience probably looked very similar to others, I believe it is very important to always information share so everyone can have the complete picture. I am active duty Air Force, and was residing in Altus Oklahoma during the pandemic in 2020. Living on a military base, it is not very often that you have quiet hours or down time. However, during the height of the pandemic, the majority of the base shut down and went to minimum manning for almost 30 days. It was strange to see operations halt, and all non essential workers staying home with their families for the duration of the town shut down. Organizations went from in person working to relying on home desktop computers to get the mission done. During this time people were also limited on where they were allowed to travel, and people they were allowed to see. At one point, some people were not even allowed to go on walks outside, because they were not sure how the virus would spread and if it would be safe being close to others. As doctors and scientists started discovering the make up of the virus and how to mitigate against its effects, we started gaining more liberties back. Members were no longer confined to their homes, we were able to do outdoor activities near the base, and were allowed to travel to nearby towns for any essential items. Looking back on the situation that occurred a little over a year ago, it is hard to imagine and remember what it was like to be confined to our homes and not being able to engage in social gatherings. One thing that is pandemic has highlighted to me is that despite all the adversity the world has faced, we are still determined to get the mission done efficiently and effectively everyday. I would also like to highlight the importance of social connectedness and gatherings. During the isolation period of the pandemic, the majority of people suffered from lack of communication and not being able to connect with those around them. If this pandemic has taught us anything it should be to not take your health for granted and to value the time you have with loved ones, because you never know when it will be your last time together.
• 
  2020-08-15

  The Covid Guard

  The beginning of the pandemic almost perfectly overlayed with my beginning in the coast guard. From my first unit to A school, to my second unit as a rated member, Covid 19 has been a major part of every pit stop. I endure endless safety briefings to the now mandatory Covid 19 vaccine, the military did not fall short in its education and preparation for the pandemic.
• 
  2021-09-04

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 127

  Taliban need outside help
• 
  2021-08-16

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 124

  Afghanistan government falls
• 2021-08-09

  Memorandum for all DOD employees

  Email sent out to all DOD employees, this includes all military members, about the COVID-19 vaccine.
• 
  2021-08-08

  Cooking with Canned and Frozen Foods

  The file that I have included is a description of how My wife and I were essentially forced to resort mostly on canned and frozen foods for our meals rather than using fresh ingredients.
• 
  2021-08-05

  SECDEF is expected to formally announce a mandatory vaccine policy for active-duty troops on Friday, according to Fox News.

  I was active duty military for nine years and am now a reservist. My time in the military is almost done but I keep in contact with a lot of people who are still on active duty. I also keep myself up to date on military matters out of curiosity I guess. I am a corpsman in the Navy so I was really interested to see how the military would handle this pandemic. I was unsatisfied with the late response in a lot of matters (like masks and limiting gatherings) but this news is something that I am proud of. Working in the medical field out in the civilian world I have seen the impact of the COVID virus more than I would have to be on active duty. I have seen firsthand how relatively young and healthy people can become ill and die. I wanted to add some screenshots of the comment section to this post as well just to show that the military members are divided on the issue of vaccines just like civilians are. The difference is that active-duty members don't have a choice. If Uncle Sam says everyone needs to be vaccinated then that's what's gonna happen. Like someone on the comment section said "they injected us with anthrax, so I'm sure well fine with this vax shot"
• 
  2021-07-11

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 120

  Disagreement with Biden over Afghanistan
• 
  2021-05-27

  Teachers Rock

  Right before COVID-19 hit my husband made the transition from active duty military to reservist. After eight years we were finally given the gift to settle down and live a "normal" life. January of 202 we moved into our home and three months later we were facing a quarantine. That same in the midst of that my daughter started kindergarten. It was a moment I had thought of for quite some time. In my mind, I would take lots of pictures, walk her to her class and tearfully walk back to my car and having a pity party about my growing girl. Instead, my daughter spent her first day at home in front of a computer while I fought to get into her virtual classroom. For months we dealt with virtual than in class then back to virtual learning as COVID cases peaked. My daughters Kindergarten teacher was the only constant bright light throughout the school year. Through it all she worked tirelessly to make sure the kids had a positive school experience. She went out of her way to make sure the school brought them joy in the midst of the chaotic year, having her in my daughter's life became personal to my family. At the end of the school year she sent out her last newsletter thanking parents but the reality of it is- she was a complete rockstar and we will forever be grateful. I wanted to share her last newsletter in hopes that it reflects an ounce of how difficult this school year was for teachers and how resilient children were.
• 
  05/03/2021

  Jeff Foster Oral History, 2021/05/03

  Elizabeth Hathorn interviews Jeff Foster, a college student and member of the U.S. Army. He discusses the effects of COVDI-19 on college classes and on military training. He also touches on a few other aspects of life during the COVID-19 quarantine.
• 2021-04-23

  What life was like in the Military with COVID-19

  My story is very similar to all my fellow military members.
• 
  2021-04-19

  Covid, my Next Door Neighbor

  John, a close family friend who lived in the corner house at the end of our neighborhood. John, a father who held the best Fourth of July and New Years’ Eve Party growing up. John, a veteran and assistant coach to his son’s soccer team. John, who got covid. John, who spent months at the VA on ventilation and his family spent Christmas not knowing if he was going to make it. John was the first person who I personally knew who got Covid and watching the struggle his wife and children faced largely impacted me. My family had known them for years as my older brother and his youngest son were in the same grade, in the same little league, and even in the same classes. It was a very sudden progression as one minute his wife was posting photos of them together on Facebook, and the next minute my mother anxiously checked Facebook multiple times a day as that was the only outlet to post updates on John’s condition. Updates that were rapidly changing from John being in stable condition to being unsure if he was going to make it through the night. For months these updates were given through close family friends of John’s on Facebook. However, the last update came on March 19th, over 100 days after John had been in the hospital. The update started in big bold words “INCREDIBLE NEWS” as John was now in rehab and had a release date to go back home and hug his family. Before John got Covid, it felt like it was all just numbers. Increasing numbers of mortality, increasing numbers of positive tests. However, after watching the struggle John and his family faced for over 100 days as he battled Covid, the numbers became heavier and Covid was no longer a disease that seemed far away, covid was my next-door neighbor. The 17,000 people who have passed away from covid in Arizona were just like John, but their family and friends never got an update with incredible news. The weight of Covid has largely impacted everyone from those who have fought Covid, to their loved ones, to their communities. Covid was once something that was promised to go away in two weeks, now it is the root of many families’ struggle and grief.
• 
  2021-04-03

  Armani Richard Oral History, 2021/04/03

  Conversation with Armani Richard and the impact of COVID-19 on Arizona education. Currently studying at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and fulfilling a promising career in the Army.
• 
  2021-01-16

  Guard troops deployed throughout downtown Sacramento in advance of expected violence

  California National Guard troops were deployed throughout downtown Sacramento early Saturday in advance of expected protests and violence that the FBI warns could last through Inauguration Day. At the state Capitol — which is expected to be the site of protests Sunday and Wednesday as well as unrest between supporters of President Trump and antifacist groups — armed soldiers, Guard trucks and armored Humvees were stationed on streets around the building. Soliders and vehicles were positioned around other buildings, including the federal courthouse and the Superior Court building, as well as the Leland Stanford Mansion and buildings along Capitol Mall.
• 
  2021-01-30

  Protesters March to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office

  Hundreds of protesters marched to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in St. Paul to demand President Biden direct them to revoke Line 3's water crossing permit. The additional carbon emissions from the proposed Line 3 expansion is equivalent to operating 50 new coal plants over thirty to fifty years. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found if global emissions continue to follow their current trajectory, the global temperature will rise roughly 5.4 degrees (F) by century’s end, resulting in catastrophic changes to the planet.
• 
  03/12/2021

  Anonymous Marine Oral History, 2021/03/12

  Interview with a Marine that details going through Basic Training during COVID-19.
• 
  2021-01-21

  Nearly 1 in 5 Defendants in Capitol Riot Cases Served in the Military

  The article discusses the Capitol riots and the veterans who participated in them, as well as recent extremist behavior within the military and the government's response.
• 
  2021-02-05

  Defense Department sending 1,000 troops to assist with vaccinations

  The article discusses the federal government's aid in California, where they would be sending troops to assist with vaccinations, as well as open two federally run vaccination sites in order to ensure that anyone wanting a COVID-19 vaccine would be able to get one.
• 
  2020-05-15

  "PCSing in the time of COVID-19: Four families share their stories"

  This story follows four military families as they prepare for Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. The process is further complicated due to COVID-19 restrictions. Each family shares how they had to adjust routine travel plans; taking into account state-by-state orders as well as trying to navigate schooling for children. While PCS orders are a reality of all military members, during 2020 there were significant changes delivered by the Department of Defense.
• 
  2021-02-05

  Troops to Help with Vaccine Roll-Out

  The White House announced that 1,000 troops will be deployed to California in the next few weeks to aid with the vaccine roll out process. This is a single part of the Biden administration's "whole government" approach to ended the virus. The administration is already setting the goal of 1 million doses per day and may up that to 1.5 million.
• 
  2020-12-17

  SARS-CoV-2 Transmission among Marine Recruits during Quarantine

  This is an academic article that discusses the transmission of Covid-19 among Marine recruits in quarantine. Due to the pandemic, recruits have been forced to quarantine before they were able to begin their basic training. Marines were sent to a college campus where they practiced social distancing for two weeks before going to training. This study shows the effectiveness of quarantining, social distancing, and mask-wearing
• 
  2020-03-01

  Daily life at an Air Force Major Command

  Daily life at Head Quarters (HQ) Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) before COVID-19 and its restrictions was full of sounds and constant movement. It was customary to walk the halls and hear keypads beeping, and door locks clicking or overhear conversations as you pass people in the halls. Meetings were full of people, and the subtle roar of conversation was only stopped by the entrance of a General officer or other meeting chairpeople. As the restrictions for COVID-19 began to roll across the country, AFGSC was quick to implement them. First came a stop movement for personnel and a restriction of movements. There would be no or severely limited Permeant Change of Stations, and all temporary duty (TDY) was canceled for the foreseeable future. All personnel was to limit their office spaces to allow for six feet of distances and, if not capable of initiating telework procedures (which was an accomplishment in itself). This was the moment that life changed at HQ AFGSC. There would be fewer beeps and clicks. There would be no hallway conversations overheard because the hallways were nearly empty on a day-to-day basis. There were no more in-person meetings resulting in the muting of the subtle roars of conversations and the sudden silences created as meetings started. However, there was a new element created from COVID-19, a smell everywhere you went. Cleaning and self-sanitization ramped up at AFGSC. Every office you entered now had a hand sanitization station on a post or a wall. The restrooms and common areas cleaning increased, resulting in a lasting scent of bleach and other strong cleaners. But still, the most surprising thing was the silence that COVID-19 created in an ordinarily bustling Command.
• 2020-08-08

  Sensory Limitations While Job Seeking in a COVID Environment

  In March of 2020 I made the decision to leave Active Duty Army and pursue a new career in the civilian world. I submitted my resignation and began a six month process to transition out. It was immediately after this drastic step that the effects of COVID-19 on our daily lives began. My state (Maryland) shut down, and my mission essential job that I was in the process of leaving required me to pick up the extra work from at-risk employees. The applications to different government agencies that I had submitted were placed on hold due to the inability of those agencies to conduct in-person events. With less time available, my ability to apply for more jobs was also limited. After a delay of four months, and with only a few more to go before inevitable unemployment, agencies slowly began reinstating their hiring processes. It was at this time that the sensory impacts of a COVID-19 hiring market began to show. Most smaller agencies resorted to telephonic interviews or at the most, video conference calls. Those that did ask for an in-person interview were still heavily controlled with COVID-19 risk mitigation practices. Regardless of the medium enacted, the effects on the senses were the same. Visual senses not withstanding (the inability to see my interviewer was disconcerting, but at least I got to wear jeans), the tactile and auditory senses were also greatly impacted. In every interview conducted pre-COVID, the procedures consisted of shaking hands at the beginning of an interview (i.e. establishing trust through that time-worn gesture), sitting in close proximity to an interviewer with whom you are able to hear clearly, and who can hear you clearly, and in whom you can read facial expressions indicating when you may have said too much or not enough. The interview would then be over and you would seal that act through a final handshake and a smile. None of these basic tenants of interviews occur during a COVID-19 mitigated interview. In my first interview with a federal law enforcement agency, my interview panel and myself were required to wear masks, I was welcomed into the room without any of the standard greetings (handshakes and smiles) and seated behind a plexiglass barrier 8-10 feet from any of the interviewers. Not only did the interview lack the physical interaction that ceremonially marks the beginning and end of the interview, but due to masks, the conduct of the interview was also strained. Questions from interviewers were difficult to hear and understand due to the distance, glass, and masks, therefore requiring awkward repetitions which cast doubt on my competence and confidence. My responses were likewise muffled, which led to doubts as to whether my answers were fully understood by the interviewers. Both assaults on the auditory ability and tactile senses taken for granted in a pre-COVID world lead to an autocatalytic attack on my nerves. The lack of hearing and the absence of a reassuring touch eroded any confidence I may have had going into the interview that would have otherwise remained until I left. COVID-19 mitigation measures reduced what is normally a very personal interaction between human beings to a robotic and numbing experience lacking in all the sensory elements that enables the humanity of an interview. I conducted six more interviews in similar limited sensory manners, eventually evolving my expectations and re-learning a process before finally securing a position.
• 2021-01-10

  A COVID Virus Christmas

  Christmas of 2020 is approaching fast. Faster than usually, as this year has seemingly sped by quicker than any year before. Perhaps the first sign of the coming Christmas season is when I open the fridge to find a bottle of Califia brand eggnog. Just as I think that Christmas will be perfectly normal this year, I hear some disappointing news. My cousin Michael is coming home from the Marines... With COVID. This means that I will not be going to my cousins house in Burbank like always, but that I will be spending Christmas at my own house. I don't like the idea of Christmas away from my cousins at all. I have been going to Burbank for Christmas for as long as I can remember. That being said, I can't do anything about my cousin getting COVID. On Christmas Eve, my mom grilled some steaks for dinner that she had gotten from Gelsons market, and we watched Four Christmases and Die Hard. In the morning, I woke up without the usual anticipation and excitement that comes with a typical Christmas morning. I walked down the stairs to discover the presents my parents had ordered online. I opened them, thanked my parents for the wonderful gifts, and started playing the new game I had got: Call of Duty Cold War. The rest of the day seemed like any other, and so did the rest of the week, and rest of the month, and the rest of the year at that. Now it's 2021. Everyone is filled with hope that this year will be far greater than the last, but I seriously doubt it. Especially with the news we all got on Tuesday, January 5th. That said, all we can do is stay positive and keep our heads up. As Winston Churchill once said, "If you're going through hell, keep going."