Americans will always pull together during crisis

America is at its best when we pull together for a common cause. That’s what Americans have always done – work together to overcome challenges. While unprecedented in many ways, the coronavirus pandemic is no exception – we will overcome this… together.

As someone who has served as a volunteer firefighter/paramedic, physician, Brigadier General in the Army Reserve, and a member of Congress – I know firsthand how vital service is to the health and security of our nation. America’s spirit of service – embedded in our national DNA – is on full display as public servants at all levels, military service members, and volunteers are working tirelessly to stem the spread of this deadly virus.

County health employees are working around the clock to identify those who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. National Institutes of Health scientists, along with private sector partners, are expediting the development of a vaccine and treatments. National Guard units across the country are supporting medical providers and public safety officials. National service members are staffing emergency response centers, delivering meals to students and homebound seniors, and supporting food banks and other nonprofits.

As we mobilize to overcome this present challenge, we must also consider ways to make America more prepared and resilient for future emergencies. That’s one reason Congress created the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service: to develop recommendations for strengthening and expanding all forms of service to address critical domestic and national security challenges.

Our report, Inspired to Serve, will be delivered to Congress this week and contains a series of recommendations to strengthen our government systems designed to respond to national emergencies, ensure federal agencies have qualified employees with critical skills, and build surge capacity to be ready when the next public health crisis or disaster strikes.

To strengthen preparedness, we call for designating officials at the Department of Defense and the National Security Council to lead national mobilization planning, renewed emphasis on exercises involving the whole-of-government response, establishing an interagency council at the White House to coordinate service efforts across the government, and creation of a national roster of Americans with critical skills ready to serve in an emergency.

Federal agencies have vital responsibilities in this and future crises, and they need highly qualified workers to tackle these challenges. How do we ensure the public sector hires and retains needed talent, especially new generations of Americans with critical skills? Our recommendations would improve hiring processes, allow more flexibility to use short-term appointments of Americans willing to perform public service, and create more robust, flexible work policies that enable large-scale remote work at any time. Fixes like these will improve our reaction time in a crisis.

Workforce shortages directly impact the current crisis. For example, the Veterans Health Administration currently has 49,000 vacant positions and is struggling to retain employees of all skill levels—from medical center directors to housekeepers who disinfect hospital rooms. Our proposal to replace VHA’s three personnel systems with one streamlined system with competitive pay would help.

National service is a flexible and proven surge force for responding to natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. By growing national service programs like FEMA Corps and National Civilian Community Corps, we enhance national preparedness and resilience. Acting at the local level, national service members could support emergency response efforts and provide services to the homeless, homebound seniors, and other vulnerable populations impacted the most by disasters and emergencies.

We call on Congress and the president, state, local and tribal governments to consider our recommendations and take action to bolster America’s culture of service in pursuit of a stronger, safer, more resilient nation.

And we call on you. Meeting this challenge will require every American to do their part. Be responsible. Follow public health guidelines. Practice social distancing. And as you stay safe, you can also help others. Check on an elderly neighbor. Donate food or hygiene items to a homeless shelter. Give blood. You can even tutor students virtually who are not in the classroom right now.

Especially in these extraordinary times, let’s work together to build a culture where every American is inspired and eager to serve.

Dr. Joe Heck is chairman of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. He is a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve and represented Nevada’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives from 2011-2017.