U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground's vital mission continues despite COVID-19 fears

Photo By Mark Schauer | U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Commander Col. Ross Poppenberger has emphasized that the safety and security of YPG personnel is the highest priority of the proving ground’s leadership, and that YPG’s vital mission in support of the warfighter will continue despite COVID-19 fears. "Although we will use extreme caution, implement better hygiene practices, and practice social distancing, we will remain open and do the hard work we do every day,” he said.  

YUMA PROVING GROUND, AZ, UNITED STATES

03.25.2020

Story by Mark Schauer 

U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz.-- From the beginning of the nation’s mass mobilization to arrest the spread of the COVID-19 virus on March 13, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) commander Col. Ross Poppenberger emphasized that the safety and security of YPG personnel was the highest priority of the proving ground’s leadership, and that YPG’s vital mission in support of the warfighter would continue.

“YPG will remain open and conduct business as applicable given the constraints outlined in senior-level guidance,” he said. “Although we will use extreme caution, implement better hygiene practices, and practice social distancing, we will remain open and do the hard work we do every day.”

The YPG workforce met the opening weeks of the panic with calm, flexibility, and creativity, and their resiliency was readily apparent. In the first week, 30% of the workforce utilized telework, a number that increased to 40% by the second week. Increased hygiene and social distancing measures were implemented among those personnel for whom telework wasn’t practical or possible. Soldiers were restricted to local leave only, and civilian personnel were encouraged to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and not travel outside of the local area.

“We’re working as hard as we can to keep people safe without losing sight of our mission,” said Jeff Rogers, Air Combat Systems Director.

In-person meetings were limited to 10 participants or fewer, with six feet of distance between those physically in attendance. Phone bridges and video teleconferencing were utilized to minimize the number of in-person participants. On the range, weapons operators and other test personnel who routinely hold after-action huddles at the end of the day conducted the briefs by email instead. Lunchrooms in workshops were empty.

“We’re keeping the lunchrooms clear,” said Wayne Schilders, weapons operation chief. “Most of our guys like eating outside in the nice weather, anyway.”

In the first week, there was an 18% decline in expected versus actual tests conducted at the proving ground, largely as a result of a Department of Defense-wide official travel restriction that prevented testers from other parts of the country from journeying here. To make up for the shortfall, wherever possible YPG planners took the opportunity to move ahead with work such as routine lot acceptance tests of already-fielded munitions.

“We’re trying to execute programs that were in the queue as lower priorities to fill any gap,” said Omar Silva, Range Operations and Training Division Chief.

YPG’s leadership emphasized that the vital work in support of Army modernization efforts would ramp back up in due course.

“We are open for business and continue to conduct testing,” said Poppenberger. “Once we are beyond this hopefully short-term crisis, our program customers will still have a lot of work they will be counting on us to perform.”

“Our number one priority is our workforce,” added Command Sgt. Maj. Jamathon Nelson. “Without our workforce, we can’t meet our mission. It’s in times like these that you define for your personnel how you feel about them through your actions.”

So far as the general public was concerned, disruptions such as the temporary closing of the Heritage Center Museum and the cancellation of various Yuma-based community events that YPG routinely participates in, such as the Yuma Air Show and Yuma’s Military Appreciation Day, were sorely noticed.

Efforts to prevent COVID-19 transmission also impacted the workforce’s and post residents’ community life. The post library and gymnasium closed for the duration of the crisis, and all restaurants on post closed dining rooms and converted to carry-out orders only. YPG personnel looking forward to the post’s Women’s History Month luncheon, in which Deputy Mayor Karen Watts was to have served as keynote speaker, were disappointed in its cancellation after months of planning. Likewise those looking forward to the annual best pie competition for Pi Day, the celebration of the mathematical constant so important to technical work, which was also cancelled.

Though these are difficult times, Yuma County and Arizona’s intense efforts to halt the spread of the virus that began prior to even a single presumptive case being identified in Yuma County puts the community in a strong position to weather the storm, provided hygiene and social distancing guidance is followed.

“I truly believe in the processes the Centers of Disease Control have been advocating,” said Poppenberger. “These measures are in place to buy us time in developing solutions to this problem. We will carry on and get through this together.”

Links to the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and the federal, Department of Defense, State of Arizona, and Yuma County efforts to arrest the spread of the virus can be found at:
https://www.atec.army.mil/ypg/corona.html

• Date Taken: 03.25.2020
• Date Posted: 03.25.2020 12:52
• Story ID: 365853
• Location: YUMA PROVING GROUND, AZ, US