On the remote island of Diego Garcia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the threat of COVID-19 to operational readiness is ever-present. For almost two months now, select service members and civilians assigned to Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia, or working for contracted companies, have been quarantined because they were a person under investigation (PUI) of having the virus, or they were in close contact with a PUI. Others have had a 14-day restricted movement order because they had just arrived on island.
“Members of our team were put into precautionary quarantine and isolation and have been cleared to return to the community and to work,” said Capt. Blake Tornga, NAVSUPPFAC Diego Garcia’s Commanding Officer. “Others did the right thing and reported a sneeze or a cough, and were put in quarantine only as a precaution.”
In the coming weeks or months, there’s the possibility many more people will have to endure a prolonged stay-in-quarters period to keep everyone safe.
While they’re not allowed to leave their quarters, service members are still required to stay mission ready - both mentally and physically.
Part of being in the Navy means that Sailors need to stay in optimal physical shape at all times. Quarantine is not an excuse to slack off.
Maintaining a healthy body while in quarantine means healthy eating and home workouts.
Chief Navy Counselor Gary K. Coumbe, Diego Garcia’s command career counselor, used home workouts to stay mission ready when he was placed in preventative quarantine following his return to Diego Garcia after going on leave.
Fitness has always been important to Coumbe. He goes to the gym almost every day. Since he couldn’t go to the gym during quarantine, he did home workouts in his room. Coumbe usually works out with other chiefs, so while he missed out on the social aspects of going to the gym, he did have his friends check in on him.
“Home work out routines kept me sane, and friends coming to check in on me kept me positive,” said Coumbe.
He may not have been able to lift weights or run on the treadmill, but bodyweight exercises can be very beneficial. If a Sailor is unsure where to start when it comes to home workouts, they can search for ideas online. There are plenty of bodyweight exercises that people can do in their rooms such as push-ups, russian twists, burpees, pistol squats, and lunges.
Another aspect of staying mission ready means staying mentally healthy.
A person who is quarantined may be feeling a vast array of emotions such as anger, fear, resentment, frustration, depression, loneness, and boredom. All of this is completely normal while in a stressful environment such as quarantine or isolation. It is important to remember that quarantine will end. It is not forever, it is a temporary precaution put in place for their safety and the safety of others.
Yeoman Seaman Apprentice Behret Steinbauer knows first-hand the mental challenges of quarantine. He was recently quarantined for one week after coming in contact with a PUI. Luckily, the COVID-19 test for that individual was negative and Steinbauer was released from quarantine, but that week of not knowing if he would get sick paired with social isolation was hard for Steinbauer.
“Being separated from my friends and cow
orkers was very difficult for me me,” said Steinbauer. “I was lonely.”
Steinbauer is not alone in struggling during quarantine, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) said that quarantine and worries over COVID-19 can cause anxiety and feelings of isolation.
Service members in quarantine can stay mentally healthy, even if they feel anxiety or sadness. It may be difficult, but Sailors can do hard things.
It is important that Sailors in quarantine attempt to keep their regular schedule, and if possible, work from home.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, sticking to their normal routine will keep people active and less likely to spiral. It will also make it easier for them to readjust to the outside world when it’s time to get back to work.
Sailors who may feel lonely in quarantine should reach out to family members and friends by phone calls or social networking websites.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) said that reaching out to trusted friends and family is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness, and boredom during social distancing, quarantine, and isolation.
Steinbauer appreciated knowing that he had his friends to rely on while in quarantine.
“It was nice to see that my friends cared about me when they checked in on me,” Steinbauer.
No one on Diego Garcia is alone. It is important to the mission that Diego Garcia fights all threats, including a threat of disease together, as a team.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2020 05:21 |
| Story ID: | 368363 |
| Location: | FPO, IO |
| Web Views: | 207 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NSF Diego Garcia Sailors Stay Mission Ready in Isolation, by PO3 Jillian Grady, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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