Mountain Home Air Force Base deals with COVID-19 while balancing mission readiness

Mountain Home Air Force base has put in measures to protect their airmen during the COVID-19 pandemic and life on base has been a little different.

FORCE BASE ISDEALING WITHCOVID-19 JUST LIKETHE REST OF US...AND THE AIR FORCEHAS PUT IN SEVERALPROTECTIVEMEASURES... THATHAVE BEEN SIMILARTO THE CIVILIANPOPULATION.BUT AS IDAHO NEWS6 REPORTER STEVEDENT SHOWS US --MILITARY LIFE COMESWITH ITS OWN SET OFUNIQUECHALLENGES.THE AIRMEN -- BYTHE WAY --GENEROUSLYPROVIDED US WITHALL THE VIDEO INTHIS STORY.AT MOUNTAIN HOMEAIR FORCE BASEMISSION READINESSCONTINUES."SO THE MISSION WEARE FLYING SPLITSHIFTS ONE WEEK ONONE WEEK OFF ISWHAT WE ARE DOINGRIGHT NOW."CAPTAIN KELLYWALKER LIVES INBOISE SHE SAYSDURING HER WEEKOF FLYING A 15 HOURDAY HAS BECOMENORMAL BUT ONE OFHER BIGGESTCHALLENGES ISCHILD CARE."ACTUALLY MYSPOUSE IS A NURSEOUT IN BOISE SOGIVEN THEIMPORTANCE OF HERWORK RIGHT NOWAND GIVEN THE FACTTHAT WE ARE STILLHERE FLYING OURMISSION ON BASEWE'VE SPLIT OURSHIFTS SO THATWHEN I'M AT HOME I'MTAKING CARE OF THEKIDS ALL BY MYSELFWHICH IS A NEWCHALLENGE FOR ME."ELSEWHERE ON THEBASE THERE HASBEEN A SHIFT TOWORKING AT HOMEAND CONDUCTINGMEETINGS ONLINEBUT MAJOR KAYLEIGHSTILWELL COMESINTO WORK ONCE AWEEK TO HELP HERHUSBAND CATCH UPON HIS WORK."IT'S BEEN WORKINGOUT AS MUCH AS WECAN OBVIOUSLY MYLEADERSHIP HASBEEN GREAT THEYHAVE BEEN SOFLEXIBLE WITH METHEY EVEN ALLOWME TO BRING MYBABY CODY IN."BUT THE BASE ALSOHAS A UNIQUEDIFFERENCE IN THEMILITARY GYMS AREESSENTIAL SERVICES."GOT TO HAVE FOODAND FITNESS."THE FITNESS CENTERAT THE BASEREMAINS OPEN ON A24 HOUR BASISBECAUSE AIRMENHAVE TO MAINTAINTHEIR PHYSICALFITNESS STANDARDS."STILL EVERYDAYFITNESS IS A REALLYIMPORTANT PART OFOUR JOB AS AFIGHTER AIRCREW."THE BASE PUT EXTRAMEASURES IN PLACETO MAKE THE GYMAND THE DININGFACILITY SAFERBECAUSE THE DFACPROVIDES AIRMENWITHOUT FAMILIESFOOD ON A DAILYBASIS AND IT HASBEEN CONVERTED TOA TAKE OUT FORMAT."WE'VE HAD TO BEVERY CREATIVE INOUR WAYS TOSUPPORT THEPOPULATION ON OURINSTALLATIONTHROUGH MINIMUMMANNINGCHALLENGES FORSURE BUT WE STILLWANT TO GIVE THEMTHE SAME QUALITYOF LIFE THAT THEY'VEHAD BEFORE EVENTHOUGH THEY FEELLIKE THEY ARECONFINED TO THEIRHOMES."AND FOR THOSE WHOLIVE ON BASE THEYDO HAVE THE ABILITYTO LEAVE BUT MOSTCHOOSE NOT TOBECAUSE OF THECORONAVIRUS."THE BASE HASEVERYTHING THATWE NEED THECOMMISSARYPROVIDESEVERYTHING THATWE NEED WE DON'TREALLY GO OFF BASETO GO TOALBERTSONS ORWALMART ORANYTHING LIKE THAT."AND ON BASE THE AIRFORCE WEARSMASKS ANDMAINTAINS SOCIALDISTANCINGPRACTICES AS MUCHAS THEY CAN."THERE AREMAINTENANCE TASKSTHAT HAVE TO BEDONE THAT REQUIREYOU TO GET WITHINTHE BUBBLE BUT WEARE FLYING JETS WEARE BREAKING JETSWE ARE FIXING JETSWE ARE MAINTAININGOUR AIR CREWREADINESS IN CASEWE HAVE TO GO DOTHE JOB."STEVE DENT IDAHONEWS SIX.THE U.S.DEPARTMENT OFDEFENSE HASIMPLEMENTEDTRAVELRESTRICTIONS THATPREVENT MILITARYPERSONNEL FROMCHANGING DUTYSTATIONS...TRAVELING FORCLASSES... ANDDEPLOYING.AIRMEN CAN ONLYTAKE LEAVE -- INTHEIR LOCAL AREAS... AND RESTRICTIONSWILL LAST UNTILJUNE 30TH.