ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The global COVID–19 pandemic has forced many New Mexico guardsmen to work from home.
Due to the spread of the virus known as COVID–19, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has ordered a “stay at home” mandate, closed all “non-essential” businesses and approved Albuquerque Public Schools to close campuses for the rest of the semester. This has forced many of the members of the New Mexico Air National Guard to telework and take care of children who will not be attending class in person for the school year.
Tech. Sgt. Eddie O’Brien stated how “the pandemic has put part of my household out of work, myself teleworking and my children in homeschool with little preparation. We are choosing to not panic, trust that there are enough people going through this and we will get through it together and we are avoiding long term exposure to the news.”
O’Brien also explained one of the brighter sides is spending more time with his children. “This has made my children’s relationship stronger and given my family time together, good and bad, that we would have not otherwise had. We are learning a lot about one another and doing our part to stop the spread of COVID – 19 by physical distancing. A healthy routine for each of us has really helped everyone stay busy and get through each day. Knowing the arguments are likely due to the unusual circumstances we are all in, with hardly any outlets, really helps understanding what we are all going through together.”
Many guardsmen who are in a full-time status are being transitioned to working electronically from home. This extended time at home has forced more creative ideas to pass the time. Master Sgt. Marci Montoya explained “one way we stay resilient is through archery. It lets us get outdoors in the sunshine and it is a great stress reliever!” This activity combines family time with getting outdoors, which Montoya has shown to be very helpful for their mental health.
With the large amount of changes that have occured to members of the New Mexico Air National Guard and their families, resilience will be more relevant to daily life. So far, many New Mexico guardsmen have been able to find their own ways of being resilient while still staying safe.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2020 16:39 |
| Story ID: | 366912 |
| Location: | ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, How New Mexico guardsmen stay resilient through the COVID-19 pandemic, by SrA Ian Beckley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
