SAVE THE DATE
BELVOIR
February 11
QUARTERLY TOWN HALL Fort Belvoir hosts a Quarterly Town Hall, Tuesday, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Thurman Auditorium. All Fort Belvoir residents are welcome to attend.
www.belvoireagleonline.com
February 6, 2020
DoD issues coronavirus guidelines By Defense Department
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he Defense Department has issued guidance to personnel aimed at reducing the potential threat of the novel coronavirus. “I approved a directive apprising our forces about precautions they should take, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the virus,” said Mark Esper, defense secretary. “The Department of Defense continues to work closely with our interagency partners as we monitor the situation and protect our Service members and their families, which is my highest priority.” Due to the threat of novel coronavirus, the Department of State recently adjusted a travel advisory for China to a Level 4, meaning people should not travel there. The department also has requested all non-essential U.S. Government personnel defer travel to China, in light of the novel coronavirus. Commanders of individually affected geographic commands will issue specific guidance to their forces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also adjusted its travel advisory to a Level 3, recommending travelers avoid all non-essential travel to China. This outbreak is of high-risk to travelers and there are no precautions available to protect against the identified increased threat. DoD officials are monitoring the outbreak of the virus, first detected in Wuhan City, China; and is coordinating with interagency partners. DoD personnel are encouraged to follow guidance at defense.gov and cdc.gov and get international travel information from travel. state.gov.
Photo by Paul Lara
From left, Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, IMCOM commanding general; Jeanine Womble, staffer with House Armed Services Committee; and Col. Brandon Robbins, JFHQ-NCR/MDW during a meeting with displaced Belvoir Families, Jan. 30.
IMCOM CG: Rebuild trust with Belvoir Families them know about maintenance fatigue. “I think the repetitive nature of the quality of repairs on the houses is really taxing on the families,” he said. “You get one thing repaired, and if it’s not done right, you have to come back, and families have to take off work. That’s been pretty enormous for my family.” Womble noted one of their tasks is to standardize procedures throughout the military. “We would like it to be consistent across the enterprise, because we live in a world of joint bases; we live in a world where, by being in the military, you’re going to move from place to place. But, it’s as likely as not that your next installation will be a joint base operated by the Air Force or the Navy,” said Womble, adding it’s important that families know what to expect.
By Paul Lara Belvoir Eagle
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ouse Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee staff came to Belvoir, Jan. 30, with Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, commanding general, Installation Management Command, to better understand residents’ housing concerns and find the best way forward. Jeanine Womble and John Muller met with more than a dozen displaced Service members and spouses at the Officers’ Club to hear their experiences. Gabram, just a week into his new command, spoke to the complexities faced by the Army. “The challenge for us is to connect the dots and find a rootcause. That is what we’re trying to do,” said Gabram. A displaced Soldier addressed the staffers, and wanted to let
Muller noted that the latest Defense Authorization Bill included a new Tenant Bill of Rights, which will help set baselines, clarify residents’ rights, and set ground rules of who will pay for what. One resident said she was impressed with the garrison quality assurance inspectors, relating that, during a recent home inspection, an industrial hygienist answered her questions and said, for the first time, she had some security in knowing what was happening. According to Womble, Belvoir’s QA model is being used at other installations, so residents have an independent validator beyond the partner doing the work. In a subsequent tour of two homes, representatives of Michaels and Clark, privatized housing partners, showed a home under repair, explained the steps See IMCOM, page A2
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