WASHINGTON _ Soldiers who usually mend parachutes and rigging are turning those skills to sewing much-needed coronavirus surgical masks.
Parachute riggers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord over the last week have used their sewing machines to produce more than 1,000 surgical masks, said Master Sgt. Taylor Cathey, a senior airdrop operations noncommissioned officer with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at the Washington state military base.
"Every parachute rigger that comes into the Army in our advanced individual training does receive training on sewing and maintenance procedures," said Cathey, who is leading a team of about 15 soldiers to sew the surgical masks. "So it's kind of like riding a bike. Once you get back behind it, it's a little wobbly at first, but once you get into it, it's pretty simple."
