{"id":49156,"date":"2020-04-19T23:51:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-19T23:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/04\/19\/fort-bragg-soldiers-make-masks-to-fight-coronavirus-pandemic\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:10:11","slug":"fort-bragg-soldiers-make-masks-to-fight-coronavirus-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/04\/19\/fort-bragg-soldiers-make-masks-to-fight-coronavirus-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Bragg soldiers make masks to fight coronavirus pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FORT BRAGG, N.C. \u2014 It\u2019s become a competition for the soldiers of 647th Quartermaster Company to see who can crank out the most face masks during a shift to protect against the coronavirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parachute rigging unit is essential to airborne operations at Fort Bragg. On any given day, their shed is filled with paratroopers in red ball caps, busy packing parachutes and readying supplies for jumps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While that work continues, soldiers across the room are laser focused on tiny pins and buzzing sewing machines. Amid the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>, riggers are now making cloth face masks to fight the virus for personnel around the sprawling Army base in North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, company commander Capt. Anthony Williams set a goal for his soldiers to produce 600 masks a week. \u201cWith the soldiers and their adaptability and their resilience, we\u2019re actually producing 600 masks a day,\u201d Williams told The Associated Press. <\/p>\n\n\n\t