COVID-19
Navy Updates ID Card Guidance
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — After announcing temporary changes to ID Card office procedures, the Navy has issued additional guidance April 20.
NAVADMIN 114/20 provides an update for Navy personnel who require Common Access Cards (CAC) and Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card services during the COVID-19 pandemic. These additional measures provide greater flexibility for ensuring installation and facility physical access and means to remotely update information technology certifications, all to maintain continuity of operations while minimizing non-essential visits to ID card facilities.
Service personnel and family members who possess expired ID cards and who are still eligible for benefits due to sufficient service affiliation can continue to use their expired cards until Sept. 30, 2020. While all will still be screened at base entry control points, electronic ID card scanners will be used to verify eligibility and if valid, base access will be granted.
CAC cards with an expiration date of April 16, 2020 (or later) may continue to be used through Sept. 30, 2020 after cardholders renew their credentials online. Access to the ID Card Office Online is available at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/self_service. Step-by-step instructions are available at https://www.cac.mil/coronavirus.
The following additional temporary policy changes announced in the message are effective until Sept. 30, 2020:
- The minimum age to get a USID card has been raised to 14 years old.
- As long as a cardholder’s affiliation with their service has not changed, USID cards that expired on or after Jan. 1, 2020 can continue to be used (base access, commissary, exchange, etc.).
- Service members can remotely enroll newly acquired dependents (spouse, child, stepchild, adopted child, etc.) for healthcare coverage. Contact MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) Contact Center at (833) 330-6622 or via email at askmncc@navy.mil for specific guidance.
- USID cards can be reissued via the postal service for those unable to get an appointment at a RAPIDS site. Service members who want to use this option must first contact their nearest ID card office and can find this information at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil.
All Navy Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) sites will continue to issue and re-issue CACs that expire within 30 days by appointment only. However, CACs will not be reissued for routine information changes (promotion, name change, etc). DOD civilian employees will keep their CAC when transitioning to a new service. CAC PIN resets will continue to be provided on a walk-in basis.
To check the status of a RAPIDS site or to schedule an appointment go to the RAPIDS Appointment Scheduler at https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil. More information can be found at www.cac.mil/coronavirus.
Promotion Board Update
There are a lot of questions about the promotion boards that were paused. Here is the update from the recently released consolidated COVID-19 NAVADMIN:
3.R. Selection Boards. Reference (ag) provided initial guidance on postponement of selection boards. The MyNavy HR Team is actively working the plan to resume selection boards in light of positive trends related to COVID-19. A tentative plan is expected to be released by mid-May 2020 and will include the execution of all promotion, advancement and administrative selection boards by the end of calendar year 2020. Navy remains committed to a fair and impartial selection board process for all eligible Sailors and is also committed to the health and wellness of Sailors who serve as members on these selection boards. Once the board schedule is finalized, details will be promulgated to the Fleet.
Navy-Specific Travel Guidance
The SECDEF extended the world-wide Stop Movement through 30 June 2020 and the Acting SECNAV released an associated ALNAV. As such, the Navy updated its consolidated COVID-19 NAVADMIN to reflect the new stop movement date, and provided updated information on a number of topics, to ensure the NAVADMIN is a “one-stop shop” reference for our Navy leadership, Sailors, civilians, and their families.
Major updates include:
- Consolidates guidance.
- Incorporates Fleet feedback and provides clarifying language throughout.
- Incorporates updated force health protection guidance.
- Addresses Fleet mission essential training and Midshipmen summer training.
- Addresses pregnancy, leave, Common Access Cards (CACs)/ID cards, Navy Medicine service updates, selection boards, and casualty and mortuary affairs.
- Provides a bibliography of other important COVID-19 policy updates.
- Moves reporting criteria and requirements to a separate and stand-alone NAVADMIN.
I will have more than a few e-mails and phone calls today to try and sort out what this all practically means for those coming into and leaving GME, promotion boards, etc. and will put out specific guidance on those topics once I can. I wanted to get this out there, but I may not have answers to your questions right away.
As always, if you have questions about your orders your Detailer is your go-to resource, not this blog. My Detailer hat is 5 years old.
Comfort Admits Patients From New Jersey
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Scott Bigley,
NEW YORK (NNS) — The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) began admitting patients from hospitals in New Jersey April 17 in an effort to expand its support of the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.
New Jersey state hospitals coordinated with Comfort doctors to ensure patients could be effectively transferred across state lines and aboard the ship to receive care.
“Every one of those that we pull from the community or from the city hospitals is one more open bed for New Jersey hospitals to refill,” said Capt. Patrick Amersbach, commanding officer of the medical treatment facility aboard Comfort. “I’m very proud of the crew, our medical providers, nurses, support staff that are providing outstanding care to the people of New York City and New Jersey. We look at it as one patient at a time.”
Moored in New York, the ship serves as a referral hospital for critical and non-critical patients without regard to their COVID-19 status. Comfort is working with Javits New York Medical Station, federal and state officials as an integrated system to relieve the medical systems for both New York City, as well as nearby New Jersey, in support of U.S. Northern Command’s Defense Support of Civil Authorities as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comfort is a seagoing medical treatment facility that currently has more than 1,200 personnel embarked for the New York mission including Navy medical and support staff assembled from 22 commands, as well as over civil service mariners.
Update to Travel Restrictions
Here is a Military Times article about it and the text of the DoD press release below. Many people will have questions, but until we get the Navy specific guidance (like a NAVADMIN) it will be hard to answer them:
Effective today, Secretary Esper approved an extension to the stop move order through June 30 to aid in the further prevention of the spread of COVID-19. While the Department acknowledges that this order will have great impact on our service members and their families who are looking to proceed with their lives, the rapidly changing environment has created significant risks to service members, as the DOD continues personnel movements and travel. The decision was made in order to protect U.S. personnel and preserve the operational readiness of our global force. The Department now has procedures in place to allow for additional waivers and the resumption of travel for several categories of travelers that were previously suspended, including deployments.
The guidance can be found here and helpful information can be found here.
Update to Restriction of Movement (ROM) Guidance and PCS Moves
While we have no official policy yet on PCS restrictions, the following story from Military.com seems to indicate we’ll get it soon:
Military Travel Ban Extended Until June 30; Some Restrictions Eased
We have a new NAVADMIN, though, about restriction of movement (ROM) with a press release here:
From Commander, Navy Installations Command Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) — Even during unprecedented times, defending the nation is what the Navy does best, while ensuring those who don the uniform remain safe.
In an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep Sailors healthy, unit commanders now have the authority to place personnel on a 14-day Restriction of Movement (ROM) period prior to deploying, getting underway or conducting operations.
According to NAVADMIN 113/20, which provides an update to previous guidance regarding ROM, unit commanders can also place new personnel on ROM status prior to integrating them with their shipmates.
When personnel are on ROM, they will be directed to remain in their homes, quarters such as unaccompanied housing, or temporary lodging that meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 guidance. Sailors in a ROM period may conduct essential tasks, such as laundry and outdoor exercise, while maintaining six feet from others.
Complete details are available in NAVADMIN 113/20, which was released April 17.
Message from the SG – The Power of Navy Medicine
Esteemed Navy Medicine Shipmates,
I have never been more proud of our organization and the amazing work you do in support of our Nation and the U.S. Navy. The power of Navy Medicine is one of the most important weapons in our country’s arsenal and we are making a difference by bringing it to bear against this invisible adversary all across the globe. In his update to all Navy Flag Officers and Senior Executive Service personnel the Vice Chief of Naval Operations wrote yesterday: “Our Surgeon General, and the entire Navy Medicine team have been working 24/7 since this pandemic began, and even with Navy providing over 70% of DoD’s deployed medical forces, they are leading DoD research efforts on COVID prevention, testing and immunization solutions.” You are doing an incredible job during these challenging times and your effort and impact in this fight are recognized daily throughout the Navy and Marine Corps.
We are a solution-focused organization which leverages high-velocity learning to be resourceful and innovative, especially in the face of our current national emergency. As our One Navy Medicine team continues to learn more about the coronavirus, the scientific and medical counsel we provide to our Sailors, Marines, and their families will evolve as well. We will also improve our processes for how we marshal and deploy our forces; maintain, transport and deliver vital supplies; improve communications up and down our chain-of-command; and how we can take better care of our people.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, I recently challenged our Clinical Communities to take a hard look at how we can provide additional support by employing all qualified providers directly in COVID-19 care, irrespective of their specific specialties. Not surprising, they responded. We are seeing great examples of our clinicians stepping out of their traditional roles to fulfill boots on the ground support and standing watch to help meet the growing demand for COVID-19 health care support. Below are a few concrete examples. In the coming weeks I will share and highlight more with you:
- Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton: Dental officers stand ready to care for any urgent dental needs AND have integrated with their medical colleagues to serve a vital role in the hospital’s COVID-19 response plan. They are now serving on the “front line” in the flu tents and providing essential screening and triage to patients.
- Naval Hospital Bremerton. Expanded partnerships with the state’s Northwest Healthcare Response Network and the Washington State Hospital Association to develop a crisis standard of care flow path, which improves closer coordination in triage and send patients to available beds.
The imperative to move out of our comfort zones is not new. This is what we do, and I am confident you feel the same way. During my career, particularly in operational settings, I leaned heavily on my experience as a GMO and undersea and diving medical officer to care for patients, long after I became an orthopedic surgeon. Although we have many subspecialized doctors, nurses, corpsmen and ancillary support personnel we are all care-givers at heart. I appreciate your ability to reconnect to those fundamental skills that initially attracted you to a medical career, especially your caring and compassion as we work to defeat this adversary. I am greatly encouraged by the use of virtual health, particularly in psychological health, to ensure continuity of care for patients. All of us are under tremendous stress, and the availability of support services is reassuring — particularly during this crisis.
I encourage you to visit https://navylive.dodlive.mil/2020/03/15/u-s-navy-covid-19-updates/ and familiarize yourself with the U. S. Navy COVID-19 Mitigation Framework and the U. S. Navy COVID-19 Prevention Framework. Both documents provide our operational leaders with actionable information, help protect the Force, and preserve warfighting readiness. Importantly, they reflect the critical support that our Navy Medicine public health, research and development, and emergency preparedness experts, along with many others, have and continue to provide. Now more than ever, our leaders are relying on us for sound force health protection advice and recommendations.
In closing, I want you to know that while we are operating far from our comfort zone, our strength as a team of dedicated expeditionary medical professionals will see us through this crisis and we will emerge even stronger and more mission ready. My heartfelt best wishes to you, your loved ones and the American people fortunate to have you in their corner.
With my continued respect and admiration,
SG Sends
Bruce L. Gillingham, MD, CPE, AOA
RADM, MC, USN
Surgeon General, U.S. Navy
Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
120 Day Special Leave Accrual for Service Members
Today, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan signed a department-wide authorization for service members to accrue and retain an additional leave balance of up to 120 days. The department’s actions to stem the spread of COVID-19 has significantly limited the ability of service members to take leave during this national emergency, and we know that leave is vital to the health and welfare of our force.
The memo can be found here.
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