An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN THE NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS | May 15, 2020

'I made it’: Fort Jackson trainees recover from COVID-19, graduate

By Alexandra Shea Fort Jackson Public Affairs Office

“I woke up in the morning and felt horrible. I had a high fever, and I had slight pain,” said Pvt. Carlos Mora. “I told the drill sergeants, and they took me to the hospital. I spent a week in quarantine when I found out I officially had COVID-19.”

“I have no idea how I got the virus,” said Spc. Juan Guajardo, 36. “I got a fever, really weak and I had aches. I coughed a lot and when I blew my nose I had red spots. I went to the hospital and they did the test. I was positive.”

Mora and Guajardo would become two of the first Fort Jackson trainees to contract the 2019 novel coronavirus. On May 14, Mora and Guajardo walked across Hilton Field as their friends and Family members tuned in through the Fort Jackson Facebook page.

They were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment when they began feeling ill. They would soon be joined by another handful of fellow battalion members in quarantine.

“I wasn’t too bad, I was out of breath and had a cough,” said Mora, a 21-year-old from Puerto Rico. “Others had it worse. It scared me because they were about my age too.”

“When we got our phones back I called my mom first and she was very worried about me,” Guajardo said. “She’s in Mexico and its bad there. I’m scared for her, but she is staying inside and away from people.”

After two weeks, both were feeling better and were again tested for the virus using Bio-Fire and GeneXpert equipment recently acquired by Moncrief Army Health Clinic. Within a day the two tested negative and were able to continue their training.

Since both had missed roughly three weeks of training, they were reassigned to 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment. Their typical 10-week basic training cycle had become 13 weeks.

“It took me an extra week to breathe right again,” Mora said of his return to training. “I made it though.”

“I really wanted to graduate with my old company,” Guajardo said. “I’m looking forward to starting Advanced Individual Training and being able to talk to my Family every day again.”

Guajardo is an Army Reserve Soldier who will attend AIT at Fort Gordon, Georgia, to become an Information Technology Specialist. After he graduates, he will return to his hometown of Tampa, Florida, and his wife.

Mora will become a 91B – Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic after he graduates AIT at Fort Lee, Virginia.

Both said they are taking the battle against the spread and containment of the virus seriously and are encouraging Family members and friends to do the same.

“I don’t wish this on them,” Mora said. “After talking to a friend back home and telling her I had COVID-19, she wrote me a letter saying she is using hand sanitizer and masks more.”

Since the virus was first detected at Fort Jackson, daily operations began changing swiftly as post leadership implemented health and safety measures such as daily temperature monitoring, additional cleaning of personal living spaces and company areas, the use of cloth face coverings and issued neck gators, and restricting Family members and friends from attending graduation and Family Day events.

Due to these measures, no Soldier from 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment has tested positive for the virus.

“We have had no individuals test positive …,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Collins, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment commander. “I think it’s a testament to the safeguards and mitigation measures that we have in place here on Fort Jackson.”

“Those two were identified early, isolated from the rest of the trainee population and were taken well care of throughout their time in quarantine by all the Moncrief medical staff.”

Collins also said the health and safety measures his cadre exhibit and enforce helps keep Soldiers safe and can ease Family members’ fears of their loved ones health.

“Our cadre have done a phenomenal job,” Collins said. “All the credit goes to them.”

Through mutual coordination between Fort Jackson and Training and Doctrine Command, Mora and Guajardo are expected to arrive at their AIT sites within a week. As for Collins and his cadre, they will take a much needed break before resetting the battalion’s supplies, living space, and training aids in anticipation of the next training cycle.