Wear a mask, soldier. General tells JBLM community to follow Gov. Inslee’s mask order
Soldiers and airmen on Joint Base Lewis-McChord will need to wear a mask in public areas, according to a statement from the base’s commanding general.
In a letter to the JBLM community, Lt. Gen. Randy George encouraged service members to read the statewide order mandating every person in Washington to cover their nose and mouth in indoor or outdoor public settings where social distancing cannot be maintained.
“Each and every one of us must personally commit ourselves to supporting Washington state in all its efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19,” George said.
During JBLM’s Facebook Live virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, George said the base has seen “comparable increases” in positive COVID-19 cases to those in other parts of the state, including Pierce County, and added he expects the JBLM community to act as leaders by wearing masks or other face coverings.
“I know there’s been other areas that have had to take a step back with some of their measures,” George said. “We don’t want to do that, and we ask for everybody’s team play and personal discipline in that respect.”
George has been hosting weekly virtual town hall meetings on the base Facebook page since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, he announced the meetings will move to every other week with the next town hall on July 14 at 3 p.m.. There is also a 24-hour hotline for COVID-19 questions and concerns as well as updated information about resources on base available on the JBLM website.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 8:39 AM.
