1st Cav. Div. Shares Information Sources Based on the Most Frequently Asked Questions

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kelsey Miller | Photo retrieved from online sources.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

04.10.2020

Story by Staff Sgt. Kelsey Miller 

1st Cavalry Division

During times of teleworking and virtual town halls, there are questions that demand answers. The 1st Cavalry Division would like to take the time to provide links with information from official sources addressing your frequently asked questions and providing you with more information.

Overall Picture-

Army Senior Leaders hosted a Virtual Town Hall about COVID-19 with the Honorable Ryan McCarthy, Secretary of the Army, Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston. In the video the topics addressed include guidance on the APFT, the holds and current status of deployed Soldiers, information on NCOES and how they are being conducted, Army recruitment, the Child Development Centers, and Army-wide testing capabilities.
https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/videos/660235988044432/

PCS Information-

The Army has rolled out new allowances for Soldiers and families facing official travel delays or in quarantine amid the COVID-19 virus outbreak. A hardship duty pay for restriction of movement, or HDP-ROM, now provides Soldiers who are not currently in a travel status $100 per day -- not to exceed $1,500 -- to defray the cost of additional lodging if a commander restricts them to a self-monitoring period. https://www.army.mil/article/233808/new_allowances_for_soldiers_families_affected_by_covid_19

Soldiers preparing for a permanent change-of-station move can now request to stay at their current duty station for up to a year, as the Army adapts how it moves people during the COVID-19 crisis. New Army guidance says Soldiers can request to defer an assignment and return to their losing unit if they expect to face hardship as a result of a PCS move. https://www.army.mil/article/233880/soldiers_on_pcs_orders_can_now_request_to_stay_extra_year_at_duty_station

Promotion and Retention Information-

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Army has made important changes to enlisted promotion and retention policies to take care of its Soldiers and maintain a ready force. Changes to enlisted promotion policy include virtual promotion boards, suspension of APFT expiration dates, suspension of weapons qualification expiration dates, and suspension of pin-on requirements for the Advanced Leader Course and the Senior Leader Course. https://www.army.mil/article/234150/u_s_army_updates_promotion_and_retention_policies_in_response_to_covid_19?dmd

Face Mask Information-

To mitigate the spread of COVID19, the U.S. Army is implementing U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) guidance on the use of cloth face coverings including wear the neck gaiter and other cloth items, such as bandanas and scarves, as face coverings.

First Team Guidelines on Face Mask wear:
https://www.facebook.com/1stCavDiv/photos/pcb.10156755146640810/10156755146545810/?type=3&theater

US Army Information and Guidelines on Face Mask wear:
https://www.army.mil/article/234288?dmd
https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2138340/dod-guidance-on-the-use-of-cloth-face-coverings/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html

Social Distancing and Staying Connected-

Social distancing, a term used by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, aims to head off the COVID-19 pandemic by advising people to stay at least six feet apart with no large gatherings and as many staying home as possible to slow the spread of the airborne virus. While officials have relied on “social distancing” to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Army’s top chaplain says the term doesn’t mean stopping all contact with friends and family. https://www.army.mil/article/234250/armys_top_chaplain_more_social_distancing_less_disconnection

Other Information-

The Army has also established a website to address Soldier’s and Family Member’s concerns, as well as outline what the Army’s response is to the pandemic. Due to the developing nature of the situation, updates will be made to this site as well. The site contains information on PCS and training delays, travel guidance, Army response efforts, Army medical research and development, and a message to the force from Army senior leaders.
https://www.army.mil/covid-19/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established a landing page on their website with the latest COVID-19 information from the CDC and the overarching medical community. As new information becomes available it will be updated on this site. We encourage all First Team Family Members to use this site as an official source of information. The page is currently promoting information on how it spreads, symptoms, prevention and treatment, stigma and COVID-19, what to do if you are sick, and frequently asked questions.
https://www.coronavirus.gov

The 1st Cavalry Division remains committed to protecting our Troopers, Family members, neighbors, and veterans as we all work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As we move forward, this pandemic is impacting all of us in some way, including the delay of planned moves and cancellation of professional military education courses for many Soldiers and Families.

We will continue to post and communicate the latest guidance from the CDC and the Department of Defense, and I urge each of you to communicate with your chain of command, SFRGs and relevant installation experts to mitigate the personal difficulties and individual questions associated with these precautionary measures.

• Date Taken: 04.10.2020
• Date Posted: 04.10.2020 11:40
• Story ID: 367116
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US