RIA answered the call for help during pandemic
As the world battled the pandemic last year, the Rock Island Arsenal was on the coronavirus frontlines in ways big and small, and near and far.
“The Army Sustainment Command (ASC) was called upon by Department of Defense and Health and Human Services to help address covid across the nation,” said Matthew Sannito, deputy to the Commanding General for ASC.
As the coronavirus first raged, Sannito said it was ASC – headquartered on the Arsenal -- that built Army quarantine facilities nationwide.
In just 14 days, ASC built a quarantine site at Fort Bragg to serve soldiers returning from missions overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. The quarantine sites provided a space where soldiers could sleep, work out, eat and have access to basic services.
“We’re pretty proud that the nation turned to us here in Rock Island and through various contracts put these quarantine capabilities at various installations,” Sannito said.
Within the first 100 days of the outbreak, ASC also mobilized to build a temporary hospital in New Jersey. “Once you walked in you wouldn’t have known you were in a temporary hospital,” Sannito said. “It had all the capability that you would expect to see. We were proud to do that because that helped alleviate pressure elsewhere within the broader New Jersey/New York City area.”
While the Rock Island Arsenal had employees who unfortunately got COVID-19, Sannito said “after they recovered, they stepped up to the call as we were looking at therapeutics. They donated their plasma to the cause to help get some of the therapeutics we have out there right now.”
The Arsenal later contributed to Operation Warp Speed by setting up 100 clinical sites nationwide for COVID-19 vaccines to be administered.
RIA has unlimited potential based in strong relationships with community
Col. Todd Allison, U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island Arsenal commander, offered three key reasons that the Arsenal has a strong future ahead as well as unlimited potential. “The Rock Island Arsenal is an Army priority. There are extremely important organizations here that have an impact not only locally and regionally but across the globe. The other one is that we’re an economic driver in the region.”
Those are important factors in how the Army decides “on where they base their soldiers and units.”
Lastly, Allison said, “None of those first two points would be relevant if it wasn’t founded on a strong relationship with the community.”
The Rock Island Arsenal is one of the Quad Cities’ largest employers with a total workforce of 6,146 military, civilians and contract employees and more than 60 Department of Defense organizations and private companies. It has a local economic impact of more than $1.2 billion a year and impacts more than 14,000 jobs across the region.
Allison noted that the Arsenal is working on providing better access to outside businesses including delivery services as well as visitors to its historic landmarks.
The Arsenal will host two separate Industry Day planning events over the next month. The first will be on May 26, as the Arsenal pursues a leasing action for Quarters 1, the golf clubhouse, and the golf course and associated facilities. This event is to gauge interest from prospective bidders and provide more information. The second is a virtual Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry, hosted by ASC, on June 9. The focus will be on the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise, known as EAGLE program. EAGLE Basic Ordering Agreement holders and other contractors interested in the program have been provided with information on upcoming requirements and opportunities to become holders. Those wishing to register can email ASC at [email protected].
“The silver lining of COVID-19,” Allison said “has been its brought this Arsenal, installation and partners on this installation close to the community.”