Photo By Dorie Heyer | 200408-A-FV109-1009 CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. Logan Robinson, Letterkenny Army Depot...... read more read more
CHAMBERSBURG, Pennsylvania – The upholstery shop at Letterkenny Army Depot began production of cloth face coverings for employees in accordance with Department of Defense guidance. On April 5, Secretary of Defense, Mark T. Esper, issued guidance for the wearing of a cloth face covering for all individuals on DoD installations when they cannot maintain six feet of social distancing. “The upholstery shop is in the process of making face coverings for the entire depot,” LEAD Commander, Col. Gregory K. Gibbons said in a message to the workforce. “Every employee on the depot will have a face covering this week, and should keep it on their person at all times while at work.”
Letterkenny’s Directorate of Industrial Operations authorized the upholstery shop to begin production of the face coverings on April 8, using a stockpile of unused T-shirt material to fuel the initial production. From the available 1,200 shirts, employees are able to produce four masks per shirt, at a rate of ten masks per minute according to Jerod Weilacher, director of the Directorate of Supply and Transportation, LEAD. Within two days, depot upholsters cut 4,800 face coverings which will provide two coverings each, to employees and tenants on the installation. Additional material to support continued mask production is due to be delivered in the upcoming week.
Currently, production is focused on supplying employees of Letterkenny and its tenants with the required personal protection equipment, but continuing production to support outside agencies will be considered once internal demand is met.
Readapting current missions, and repurposing existing facilities and resources is one way that Letterkenny is supporting the whole-of-nation effort in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Gibbons also emphasizes the importance in prioritizing the protection of the force to maintain mission readiness. “While many of the workforce maintain social distancing in their areas, it is very important to be prepared to cover your face as needed. Remember, you are not only protecting yourselves, you are protecting your peers and their families by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations with the use of these simple cloth face coverings,” stated Gibbons. “My priorities remain to keep this team safe, execute our mission, and to navigate through change daily. We are learning and responding every day, so that we get through this together.”
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2020 16:14 |
| Story ID: | 367021 |
| Location: | CHAMBERSBURG, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 606 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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