Pax Sailors Volunteer to Assemble Face Covers in Response to COVID-19

PATUXENT RIVER, MD, UNITED STATES

04.24.2020

Story by Donna M Cipolloni 

Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Helping to do their part during the COVID-19 crisis, Sailors at NAS Patuxent River have been assembling cloth face covering kits at the Drill Hall for distribution to personnel within NAS commands and departments across the installation with workers on the frontline.

The volunteer effort was coordinated by Chief Aviation Machinist Mate Robert Gilbert and Chief Navy Counselor Norman Patton, who set about finding various materials they could use and then researching their practicality.

“We did a lot of brainstorming and tried cutting up stuff like old uniforms,” Patton said. “We ended up finding some painter’s coveralls in storage made out of polypropylene, so we did some research and found out poly is the stuff surgical masks are made of; we decided that was our product. We went around base and found as many as we could. We put a call out for volunteers, got a good response, and started cutting up painter’s coveralls for our face masks. The CDC requires two layers, so we double up the material layers.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, about 10 volunteer Sailors show up to cut fabric and assemble the three parts that make up each face mask kit: the plastic frame, two pieces of poly fabric, and the string used to tie the mask around the head.

The plastic frame — which was developed by and 3D printed at Naval Air Warfare Center-Aircraft Division’s iHub, and donated for use by the group — secures the fabric in place against the face. Two pieces of poly material enables the user to wear one while cleaning the other using sanitizing wipes or soap and water. The design also allows for people to substitute their own material or filter of choice.

“A problem we had was finding the right rubber band [to hold the mask on the head] because they aren’t one size fits all,” Patton noted. “People were complaining the bands hurt their ears after a while, or pulled the mask too tight to their face. So, we went with burlap-type string. It’s a bit more tedious, but the comfort was worth it and it fit everyone’s needs.”

And though the fabric is not secured to the frame itself, the simple face covering still serves its purpose.

“It’s not a perfect system, but it’s effective,” Patton said. “There was no cost- or time-efficient way for us to build a glued formed mask; but knowing Sailors and their ingenuity, they’ll find ways to secure the fabric to the frame.

Helping with the effort are Reserve Sailors, originally onboard Pax River to set up a program to detect and deny access to unmanned aerial vehicles in the installation’s airspace; but that mission is on hold due to the current situation with the novel coronavirus.

“Masking masks is probably one of our easier missions,” joked Engineman 2nd Class Adam Bandoo, a Reservist from New York City, working with the Security Department, “but it’s still instrumental to the base and I’m happy to be part of it.”

• Date Taken: 04.24.2020
• Date Posted: 04.28.2020 16:39
• Story ID: 368391
• Location: PATUXENT RIVER, MD, US