Governor most informed leader in Ariz. on COVID-19

During my time in the U.S. Army, as a senior enlisted leader, there was a four-step Decision Making Process. This process was universally applied by all leaders, General to Lieutenant, during Peacetime and during War. It was automatic (for most). The steps were: Identify the Problem; Gather the information; Identify courses of action; and Make the decision. After the decision was made, it had to be communicated to the leadership level that could implement and enforce that decision.

I mention this because of a media article that stated Gov. Ducey has only a 39% approval rating for his efforts in leading our state during the pandemic. That low approval rating may be accurate as it applies to Maricopa County, which includes the “great” city of Phoenix. Unfortunately, Maricopa County presents an image of Arizona that is comparable to California, Florida, Georgia and other States with dismal leadership. I do not know what Gov. Ducey’s approval rating would be outside of Maricopa County, but logic tells me it would be higher.

I believe the media reports show that the senior leader of the state of Arizona, Gov. Ducey, is the most informed leader in the state on this continually changing pandemic. When the information changes, he identifies any changes in the problem, identifies changes required in any courses of action and makes the decision. His public briefings clearly show his decisions are made on the best current information.

The governor is an astute leader who recognizes that there is a proper level for implementing and enforcing decisions. He does not practice a “one size fits all” approach. His decision not to mandate the wearing of masks but to leave this decision to local leaders is an example of logical leadership. Yuma County stepped up, followed by Yuma City, making masks mandatory. A decision made by local leadership with local enforcement; a level that allows local citizenship involvement. CSM JOHN W. GILLIS, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED Yuma