» Military academies: COVID-19 is enemy to be defeated,
As eight ANNAPOLIS, MD.—
Navy midshipmen file into theireconomicsclass, instructorKurtisSwopepoints tothe antibacterial wipes on the desk. “Did you grabwipes?” he asks, then tells each one to take two, wipe down the desk when they arrive and againwhenthey leave. “That should be your process.”
As chairman of U.S. Naval Academy’seconomicsdepartment, Swope broke his class into two sections, so every student could attend in person. Down the hall another instructor, flflanked by chemistry equipment, stands in frontoftwocomputersteaching in an empty classroom. And another instructor sits in her offiffice, talking to a grid of camo-cladstudentsonher laptop.
Underthe siegeofthe coronavirus pandemic, classes havebegunattheNavalAcademy, the Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy atWestPoint. Butunlike atmany colleges around the country, moststudentsareon campusandmanywill attend classes in person.
Thisislargelyduetoadvantages the military schools have. They’re small, each with about 4,500 students who know that joining the militarymeansthey’resubject tomorecontrolandexpected to follow orders. Their military leaders, meanwhile, are treating the virus like an enemythatmustbedetected, deterred and defeated. They viewthe students as thenext generation of commanders whomustlearntoleadtroops through any crisis, including this one.
“If you look at COVID as a threat, it helps you frame it in a way that I think you can then conduct action against it,” saidBrig. Gen. CurtisBuzzard, West Point’s commandant. The cadets, he said, are getting lessons in “leading through uncertainty and adversity. I’ve had to do that throughoutmy career in the Army, particularly in combat, and they’re getting a little dose of it.”
The virus outbreak sent most academy students home to fifinish spring semester online. Air Force seniors stayed and graduated early.
Now student s hav e returned, and 1% to 2% tested COVID-19 positive on arrival and went into isolation. Since then, offifficials say they’ve seen fewnewcases. The Navy and Air Force will randomlytest 15% of students weekly; West Point will test 15% to 20% monthly.
Because they need dozens of on- campus rooms to potentially isolateCOVIDstudentsorquarantinethosewho comeincontactwithinfected persons, the Navy and Air Force academies are renting space offffffffffff-site for healthy students. TheNavy, inAnnapolis, Maryland, is putting 375 students at St. John’s College and the Air Force, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will put 400inthree local hotels.
“We know that with this populationthat about90% of this age group is asymptomatic,” saidBrig. Gen. LinellA. Letendre, AirForceAcademy dean. “That’s what’s really scaryabout this disease. How do we fifind those individuals who have itwhen they don’t even know they have it.”
To limit any spread, the academies made physical and academic changes. At the Navy’s Michelson Hall, blue tape marks seats that must remainempty, redtape formslargearrowsontheflflflflflfloor showing studentswhichway to go, and stairways are designated up or down. Signs remindstudents about social distancing. Librarybooksborrowedonlinesitinpaperbags for pick-up.
The Navy has the smallest campus, but two large tents werewedgednexttothedorm fordining. The Air Force and Army, however, have been able to create large outdoor classroomsandmeetingareas.
“I wanted outdoor classrooms for a long time and we’re fifinally getting them,” saidLetendre. “I neverwaste a good crisis.”
Academy officials said roughly 50% of their classes will be in-person, the restwill be online or amix.