The CCFC, from inception to issuance, is slated to take less than one year. It normally takes 18вЂ“24 months for DLA to have the item available for order once the technical description, design, and components are approved and submitted. The CCFC was designed, developed, and produced along an expedited timeline. (Note: Existing guidance on face coverings for current Soldiers remains unchanged and can be found at the end of this article.) The CCFCs will likely be available for purchase at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) uniform stores later in FY2021. At the 152nd AUB, Army officials said that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) will begin issuing two CCFCs to each new Soldier during the second quarter of FY2021. Army Chief of Staff, approved issuing CCFCs to Soldiers at Initial Entry Training (IET) as part of their clothing bag. This past summer, the Army Uniform Board recommended and General James C. In response to the current pandemic, the Army has largely provided disposable or reusable, solid color masks to Soldiers who have also been permitted to use neck gaiters and other cloth items, such as bandanas and scarves, as face coverings. This was one of the updates provided to the Army Uniform Board (AUB) during its 152nd meeting, which occurred on Nov. The official Army-designed, -tested, and -refined face mask вЂ“ the Combat Cloth Face Covering (CCFC) вЂ“ will be provided to new Soldiers during the second quarter of FY2021. It will have a pliable nose bridge and drawstring with a barrel lock. Dan Bailey, 21st Theater Sustainment Command spokesman.The Army's Combat Cloth Face Covering (CCFC) will be a 2-ply cloth covering made of 57% cotton and 43% nylon. The Army on Wednesday said units could start ordering more face coverings through the Defense Logistics Agency, said Master Sgt. вЂњWeвЂ™re kind of treating this like indefinite demand, indefinite quantity,вЂќ Barcomb said. TheyвЂ™re issuing two masks to each soldier and donвЂ™t know how many theyвЂ™ll end up making.

Velcro was the first choice but Vaquero bought it all the BX last week and the shop quickly ran out.

The masks tie in the back with straps the shop uses for rigging. With fabric stores closed locally due to the virus, the soldiers purchased bedsheets in subdued colors at the Ramstein and Baumholder exchange stores, Vaquero said.Д®ach sheet set yields 59 double-layered masks wide enough to cover the mouth and nose, he said. T-shirts didnвЂ™t work the thicker cotton bunched in the sewing machines. The riggers at Rhine Ordnance Barracks had to be creative in finding fabric. On Wednesday, his employees turned out 240 face masks cut from green fabric used to make coveralls. вЂњWe thought (to do this for) preservation of the workforce and support of the soldiers,вЂќ said David Little, the operational division chief of Supply Activity Europe. The unit has had a few confirmed cases of the virus, including a longtime German employee who died after contracting the virus last month. Stitching together face coverings on commercial sewing machines is easier than repairing parachutes and rigging on the industrial-size machines the soldiers typically use, they said, and theyвЂ™re easier to repair when they go down. One mask takes up to about 10 minutes to produce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initially didnвЂ™t recommend wearing masks, changed its guidance this month to lower the risk of people with mild or no symptoms from spreading the virus.ДЄt the riggersвЂ™ workshop, 14 soldiers work on alternating days: five operate sewing machines at a time while two soldiers stencil and cut fabric. The Pentagon earlier this month ordered troops to wear masks when theyвЂ™re unable to maintain 6 feet of social distance, following a sharp rise in coronavirus infections among the ranks.

вЂњWe want people to be as little exposed as possible.вЂќ вЂњObviously, we donвЂ™t want to have those essential operations shut down,вЂќ said Capt. The first batches of masks have been distributed to cooks, gate guards, postal workers and finance specialists - essential workers in jobs where social distancing is difficult, soldiers said this week.

Stenciles for army of two masks