- Absolutely, COVID has changed
the way that we operate on base,
how we bring recruits in
with the initial 14 day ROM offsite,
to how we manage our operations
while they're in the barracks.
- Recruit Training Command reached out
to our Public Works Officer to assist
in designing a requirement to support recruits
in our living facility outside of a traditional ship,
It's what they refer to as a barracks.
- So we were tasked with providing a solution
to implement additional housing,
additional berthing for sailors.
- [Lesley] What we ended up doing
is converted actual drill halls,
where the former recruit graduations occurred,
into a living facility.
- The request for us, was to move 690 racks
to Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall
and Pac Fleet, Pacific Fleet Drill Hall.
We utilized two flatbed trucks, and a big box truck,
and we had forklifts, we had different teams
pulling those out of the different ships.
- [Cmdr. Keppen] We took occupancy,
and have been using the drill halls
as a restriction of movement quarantine facility
since 1 July.
- [Eric] We have a lot of THU,
which is temporary holding unit sailors, sailor power,
to help us be safety observers, do odds and ends.
- [Ens. Eleiott] We poured concrete and epoxied the floor,
we did cell drains, and all this was done
with the intent of making it reversible
so that, once it's time us this as a drill hall again,
we can pretty quickly pivot.
It was truly impressive to see it go up.
(upbeat music)
(bugle plays)