National Aerospace Solutions donates supplies to local health department.

ARNOLD AFB, Tenn. – To support the local fight against COVID-19, National Aerospace Solutions recently donated a large quantity of personal protection equipment to the Coffee County Health Department in Manchester.

Bechtel, the parent company of NAS, has been providing disaster relief supplies from existing inventory at the Bechtel Equipment Operations center in Texas to company projects, such as NAS, located throughout the country. The supplies were provided to these company projects to serve as donations to local medical facilities and first responders.

Leadership within NAS, the Test Operations and Sustainment contractor at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., worked with Bechtel Equipment Operations to secure multiple cases of N95 masks, nitrile gloves and coveralls in various sizes, spray bottles, disinfectants, toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer.

When NAS General Manager Dr. Rich Tighe learned NAS would be receiving the supplies, he tasked NAS Executive Officer Justin Garrard with finding out where they would be put to the best use.

“As part of the AEDC Team, I’m very pleased that NAS and its parent company Bechtel can help medical providers in the local community in their work to combat COVID-19,” Tighe said.

Garrard contacted the Coffee County Health Department (CCHD), which is part of a 13-county COVID-19 response group. Health care facilities within this group have been sharing supplies.

“When the CCHD found out NAS and Bechtel were donating that material, they were very grateful and said they would make sure it got to the best place, where it was needed,” Garrard said.

As the PPE arrived, Garrard and fellow NAS employee Mike Hollowell delivered it to the health department over three days, making one delivery on April 2, one on April 8 and two deliveries on April 9.

Each case of masks contained 10 masks, each case of gloves contained 100 gloves, each case of coveralls contained 25 pairs, each case of toilet paper contained 96 rolls, and each case of paper towels contained 30 rolls. The health department received multiple cases of each of these items, as well as multiple cases of the sanitizer and disinfectants.

In all, Bechtel Equipment Operations shipped 1,358 pounds in disaster relief items to NAS for donation to the CCHD.

Garrard said those at the CCHD were very appreciative of the donation.
“They were extremely grateful,” he said. “They said, ‘I’d give you a hug, but we’ve got to social distance.’”

Madison Toney, assessment and planning coordinator and public information officer for the Tennessee Department of Health South Central Regional Office, said those at the CCHD and the TDH regional office wished to express their “sincerest thanks” for the PPE provided by NAS.

“The donated masks and gloves will continue to help to protect not only our staff in the health departments but also our patients and community members that we assess and treat,” she said. “We are working diligently to slow the spread of COVID-19 and appreciate the support from local community members and agencies.

“We would also like to thank the Arnold Air Force Base and all of the community members for all of your hard work and dedication in following the recommended ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With all of us working together to protect ourselves and our fellow community members, we will slow the spread and lessen the effects of COVID-19.”