BELVOIR
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February 11, 2021
The Harlem Hellfighters nickname is now official. Read more of this African American History story on page 6.
Military, medical leaders discuss COVID-19 issues with Service members By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity
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op military and medical officials gathered earlier this month for a virtual town hall meeting with Service members and their families to discuss COVID-19 vaccinations. Among those speaking at the webinar were Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald J. Place, director of the Defense Health Agency. The event was hosted by Blue Star Families and the American Red Cross. In a recorded address, Milley and wife Hollyanne Milley said they are committed to protecting
the military’s 2.3 million men and women and 2.7 million family members from COVID-19. He also noted that the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration have declared the vaccines as “safe and highly effective” but he acknowledged that getting the vaccine is a personal decision. “We both encourage you to consult your primary-care physician to address any concerns ... so you can be well-equipped to make the right decision for you and your family,” Milley said. The global and historic respiratory pandemic is the first in the United States in 102 years, Fauci said. It has killed more than 2 million people worldwide, infected more than 20 million U.S. people,
and left about 430,000 dead. Fauci also said that while the virus appears to be plateauing, the nation is still in its grips. There are still between 100,000 and 200,000 new cases each day and 3,000 to 4,000 deaths per day. The vaccine development has met significant success with 32 million injections being administered, so far, Fauci said. Last week, Johnson & Johnson became the third company to receive an emergency use authorization for a new vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer received authorizations for their vaccines in December, and both are being administered across the country. The Moderna and Pfizer
See Military, page 4
Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson, Hawaii Air National Guard
Spc. Kailee Soares prepares a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a drive to vaccinate Hawaii National Guardsmen assigned to the COVID-19 response in the town of Hanapepe on Hawaii’s Kauai Island, Jan. 12.
Belvoir Fire crew responds to Springfield gas fire, 3 injured By Paul Lara Belvoir Eagle
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Photo courtesy FBFES
Firefighters respond to a gas-line rupture, sending flames shooting 70 feet above Hooes Road in Springfield, Feb. 3. Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services assisted in the response. 3
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nits from Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services were dispatched in support of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Feb. 3, for an explosion and fire in the 8500 block of Hooes Road in Springfield. Three Washington Gas workers were injured, and first responders arrived to find a large fire in the middle of the street, and flames shooting up to 70 feet in the air. The flames were being fed by a six-inch natural gas line, and crews worked quickly to extinguish fires in two of the construction vehicles that resulted from the gas-fed fire, according to a release from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. As incident commanders set up an EMS Task force to deal with multiple injuries, firefighters worked to evacuate and check the interior of eight nearby homes. Firefighters from Fort Belvoir maintained hose line operations to keep the fire in check and cool down any nearby exposures from radiant heat, while Washington Gas crews worked to shut the gas mains down, according to Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services
Captain Corey McGhee, the officer in charge of the Fort Belvoir crew that assisted in the response. “We were sent in to relieve a crew on the south side of the fire to set exposure protection, until the gas can be shut off, and keep the trees and vehicles cool,” McGhee said. “We just held our position to wait for the gas line to stop feeding the flames.” McGhee said that Light and Air 466, a unit from Davison Army Airfield, was also at the scene, and their job was to fill air cylinders on site, as the fire crews were relying on air cylinders for safe, breathable air during the fire suppression operation. As their air cylinders expire, incident leaders would rotate in another crew with full air cylinders during the 25-minute fire suppression. Three construction workers were transported to the hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries, according to the report, and one firefighter sustained a minor injury that was treated on scene. Fairfax County fire investigators determined that the fire was accidental, and started when the gas line was struck during a digging operation, and erupted into a ball of flame. Damages are estimated at $250,000 for the equipment lost due to the fire.
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