A LETTER TO THE CLOVIS CHAMBER FROM CANNON AIRFORCE BASE
In a letter addressed to the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, the 27th special operation wing commander Col. Robert Masaitis, is asking the City of Clovis to encourage our residents to cooperate in the state mandated covid-19 guidelines. More specifically, local businesses. In order to protect his airmen and their families, business must ensure they are practicing strict mask wearing, adhere to occupancy levels, and accept closure if applicable. Col. Masaitis goes on to say, that he understands the hardship this has been on our community and businesses, but without them we are creating an environment of unacceptable risk to Cannon’s personnel, families, and mission. As members of America’s armed forces, they are required to maintain their high state of readiness. In order to ensure that readiness he is considering temporarily designating local business and establishments “off limits” to Cannon AFB personnel if they are not in compliance with the state’s COVID-safe practice guidelines. He lastly states, “Clovis and Portales communities have always enjoyed strong ties with one another. As there is no magic barrier at the gates of Cannon, our mission is directly tied to the health of or local community. Now more than ever, we are all in this together.”