If an SM contracts Covid at drill and misses time at work, can the Guard put them on orders during their isolation and recovery?

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 21:57:02 -0500

Had a few soldiers ask this question about an upcoming drill and I was wondering if anyone has seen any guidance from NGB on this. If a soldier contracts Covid at drill and is forced to miss time at their civilian employment causing lost pay is there anything the Guard has in place to put them on orders for the duration of their isolation and recovery?

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Jan 4 at 2021 10:10 PM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 22:10:09 -0500

Maj Marty Hogan comments?

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 4 at 2021 10:52 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 22:52:54 -0500

Don't know but the CO ARNG is figuring this out right now. Two ARNG members have the new COVID variant. At least one is subsequent to activation.

Response by SPC Chas Carr made Jan 5 at 2021 12:26 AM

SPC Chas Carr — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 00:26:35 -0500

I’ll say that it’s been 9 years since I was in the NG but when I was in, I was a medic, which is why I’m offering my 2 cents, that and it’s 0018 hrs, I’m awake and can’t sleep...
Any time we had a soldier get injured or become sick while at drill or on orders, flood duty etc, we always documented the crap out of everything for them on the 600’s and forwarded it so it could go to AMED. That way if it became something serious even after drill was over appropriate actions could be taken. I remember we had one NCO had a heart attack one year while at AT. I believe he ended up needing follow up care even after AT was over, he was sent directly to a local civilian hospital, had a stint bypass put in place, and I’m sure he had to be seen a couple months latter by a doctor to see how his recovery was going. Now most of it was above my pay grade at the time as to how orders were amended and what not but I’m sure they made something happen for him since the heart attack occurred while on duty.
I can’t see why something similar isn’t being hashed out for anybody contracting COVID while on orders or at drills etc. It’s all going to come down to, were they sick or exposed prior to coming to drill, and was it documented that they began showing symptoms while at drill, or was there a known exposure? As for pay? Good question, I’d say the unit would be required to fill out a line of duty report and that would be used to come up with some sort of pay but then again I’m not in and wasn’t in the loop on how things got taken care of back then.

Response by Col Tri Trinh made Jan 5 at 2021 2:06 AM

Col Tri Trinh — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 02:06:14 -0500

This is a complex question to address with satisfaction. I can tell you some basics on how to approach this matter. Keep in mind each Service apply their policies differently as well as process cases differently. My line of guidance is from the USAF policy (Air Force Instruction 36-2910) which I worked on. Their was an effort to do a joint guidance back in 2015 but I don’t where where that ended up.
The basics:
A service member could be put on medical continuation order or receive incapacitation pay. This is better explained in the AFI I cited.
I think the challenge here is proving that you incurred COVID while in a duty status at drill.
Additionally, because COVID hits people so differently, it will be handled on a case by case basis. You could have someone with an underlying condition who gets COVID on Saturday and I ends up in the ER as a Tuesday night and needs to be on a ventilator. This person then is obviously entitled to medical care and will need medical continuation orders until such time as they regain their health back.
Then there’s the case where the drill is over and the service member doesn’t have any symptoms until days later and ends up getting hospitalized. You’d have to be able to substantiate and trace it back to the drill as when you incurred COVID. This is a tall order to prove and because there’s a break in the duty status (drill ended), it’s hard to get on long term orders for medical cares, and it’s a heavy burden to provide documentation for incapacitation pay.
I feel for our Guard and Reserve members having to drill during the pandemic.
Surely, the Services need to be tuned in to this matter and be ready to take care of our service members.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2021 7:49 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 07:49:06 -0500

we were told there is no funding in place for this. that's why we have been doing "virtual drill" via MS teams ever since April 2020.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2021 11:56 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 11:56:16 -0500

Here is the current policy memo for NG personnel that contract Covid while on IDT/AT. I contracted Covid while on ADT orders and was told I wasn't authorized for Incapacitation Pay. I have a feeling it will be like pulling teeth to get the Guard to pay for anything if your state leadership isn't proactive in taking care of Soldiers.

Response by SMSgt Bob W. made Jan 5 at 2021 6:00 PM

SMSgt Bob W. — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 18:00:48 -0500

My question is: How do you know you acquired COVID over the week end?

Response by CW3 Michael Bodnar made Jan 5 at 2021 9:15 PM

CW3 Michael Bodnar — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:15:12 -0500

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member There is guidance out from NGB but I think it's going to fall on the individual states to take care of this. For instance, here in MD, we had this come up and we put the soldier on an AT order get him covered pay wise. There are other things you can do like as for unused IDT funds or extra RMA's but if it happens on a large scale, might have to submit funding requests to NGB.