ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The global COVID–19 pandemic has forced many members of the New Mexico National Guard to work from home.
Due to the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham imposed a stay-at-home mandate, closed non-essential businesses and approved Albuquerque Public Schools closing campuses for the rest of the semester. This has forced many members of the New Mexico Air National Guard to telework and take care of children who will not be attending class in person for the school year.
“The pandemic has put part of my household out of work, myself teleworking and my children in homeschool with little preparation,” said Tech. Sgt. Eddie O’Brien. “We are choosing to not panic, trust that there are enough people going through this and we will get through it together, and we are avoiding long term exposure to the news.”
O’Brien said one of the brighter sides of the health crisis is spending more time with his children.
“This has made my children’s relationship stronger and given my family time together, good and bad, that we would have not otherwise had,” he said. “We are learning a lot about one another and doing our part to stop the spread of COVID–19 by physical distancing. A healthy routine for each of us has really helped everyone stay busy and get through each day. Knowing the arguments are likely due to the unusual circumstances we are all in, with hardly any outlets, really helps understanding what we are all going through together.”
Many members of the Guard who are in a full-time status are being transitioned to working electronically from home. This extended time at home has forced more creative ideas to pass the time.
“One way we stay resilient is through archery,” Master Sgt. Marci Montoya said. “It lets us get outdoors in the sunshine and it is a great stress reliever.”
With the many changes members of the New Mexico Air National Guard and their families are going through, resilience will be more relevant to daily life. So far, many New Mexico Guard members have been able to find their own ways of being resilient while still staying safe.