Train as we fight becomes real during pandemic

Photo By Alain M. Polynice | The U.S. Army Health Clinic Hohenfels kicked off its 2019 pandemic influenza exercise today called Pandemic Drive Thru Flu, Oct. 21, 2019, at Gate 1, U.S. Army Garrison Hohenfels. The exercise is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Oct. 21 to Oct. 24. During this time active duty military, dependents, TRICARE beneficiaries and individuals 12 years of age and over are able to "drive thru" and get their free flu shots. The clinic's goal is to vaccinate more than 95 percent of its military population. (U.S. Army photo by Alain M. Polynice)  

HOHENFELS, BY, GERMANY

03.17.2020

Story by Joyce Costello 

Joint Multinational Readiness Center

HOHENFELS, Germany —When the US Army Health Clinic Hohenfels conducted their pandemic exercise in October 2019, they had no idea that the measures they had taken then would become a critical advantage in March 2020 in the fight against COVID-19. Lt. Col. Samuel Preston, US Army Health Clinic- Hohenfels commander, had his team sit down months ago and ask the difficult question of ‘if Hohenfels training area had a no kidding pandemic- what would they do?’

“My team developed a plan and enacted it and so when we had a real life pandemic that came to this area- they were prepared and enacted our pandemic exercise and then the pandemic response exactly like we did our pandemic exercise,” said Preston. “It was actually brilliant and it was entirely my team.”

Spc. Alec Spencer, a health care specialist assigned to US Army Health Clinic, had taken part in the pandemic exercise and now the pandemic response, said that the experience he gained during the pandemic exercise helped prepare him for the real deal.

“The exercise gave me the understanding of what the flu is and how the vaccine would help and I am using that knowledge now with COVID-19 as the symptoms that are similar to the flu so you can correlate them and decide what if they have COVID-19 or if it’s the regular flu,” said Spencer.

Preston added that he was extremely proud of how his team was able to take lessons learned from the exercise and apply it to a real world situation.

“It just goes to show, if you take these opportunities the Army gives us- and conduct a pandemic exercise and you take it seriously- if you really do that- then you’re prepared in the future and I really believe because my clinic took it seriously, we’re prepared for this,” said Preston.

• Date Taken: 03.17.2020
• Date Posted: 03.18.2020 07:52
• Story ID: 365346
• Location: HOHENFELS, BY, DE