At the end of her workday, Lt. Bradley walks into the garage first.
She takes off her shoes, then scrubs, and then sanitizes her hands. She collects all her clothes in one hand, and opens the house door with the other ─ straight to the washing machine, followed immediately by a trip to the sink. She starts her laundry, then re-traces her steps, wiping all of the handles and surfaces she’s touched since entering her house. Now that she’s done sanitizing for her roommates that may come in behind her, she can take a shower.
This is the life of U.S. Navy Lt. Tiffany Bradley, a medical-surgical nurse assigned to 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. Actually, it’s the norm for many nurses and Hospital Corpsmen, currently in Guam assisting Sailors assigned to aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in their battle against COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am absolutely honored to be helping out in Guam right now, during such a critical time. I am glad that my nursing skills lend to being able to help my fellow service members, members of the Guam community, and ultimately in the service of my country,” Bradley said.
To most people, the stress of COVID-19 has been substantial. But when asked about her thoughts on her current mission, Bradley said, “Occupational hazards are just a necessary part of my job. I am not anxious about contracting the COVID-19 infection because I have been well trained to take the necessary precautions with personal protective equipment, and more importantly, how to reduce the spread of the infection to others.”
Bradley currently has nearly 300 COVID-positive patients in her care, with whom she comes in contact with daily. A patient of hers, who will remain anonymous, said, “Her absolute dedication, professionalism, and compassion in the face of adversity and uncertainty have been more than we ever could have asked for. She and her staff have worked tirelessly to the point of exhaustion, and even then still put our health and well-being first. Simply put, they are heroes to us, just as brave and courageous in the face of this pandemic, as any other service member you would typically describe as being on the ‘tip of the spear.’” They quickly followed with, “That’s not fluff. That’s the God’s honest truth.”
There are over 260 Marines and Sailors from Okinawa, Japan, helping Theodore Roosevelt in the recovery of COVID-positive patients. They have taken on a multitude of tasks to support those Theodore Roosevelt Sailors that are off ship, including swabbing Theodore Roosevelt Sailors for the virus, documenting and helping manage COVID-19 symptoms, providing daily medical checks, and being on call for round-the-clock care.
Bradley, a native of Savannah, Ga., said, “The health of my patients, my Corpsmen, and myself are my main priority, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their safety and care.”
While there is no solidified end date for Bradley and the 3rd Medical Battalion team to return home, they continue to stay healthy, motivated and are eager to ensure the Theodore Roosevelt crew is able to safely get the ship underway once again.
