US orders a 60-day freeze on overseas troop movements due to coronavirus pandemic

[left-of-center2012]

Source: CNN

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has signed an order freezing the movements of all US troops overseas for 60 days due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to three defense officials. It means all US service members overseas or currently scheduled to deploy from the US will stay in their current locations for the next 60 days.

The freeze-in-place order will affect 90,000 expected scheduled deployments, including both troops scheduled to return home and troops scheduled to deploy overseas. There will be several exceptions including for naval vessels scheduled to return to the US.

The new order is just the latest step the Pentagon has taken to protect its troops and civilian personnel from the virus as the number of cases in the military continues to grow. On Wednesday, Esper raised the health protection status for all defense installations worldwide in response to the outbreak, limiting access and encouraging teleworking across the defense department.

The Pentagon said there are now 227 US service members who have tested positive for the virus in addition to 67 dependents, 81 Defense Department civilians and 40 defense contractors.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/us-troop-movement-freeze-coronavirus/index.html

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Top US military medical official said the Pentagon's modeling shows the pandemic is likely going to "continue to grow" in the next three weeks, the farthest out he said they were able to model, despite President Donald Trump's comments that he wanted the country "opened up" by Easter.

Joint Staff Surgeon Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday
"I don't think there's a great deal of value in speculating on a particular day."

[ffr]

1. Wait, the American military has been told to shelter in place, but not its citizens

The optics on this are horrifying. That's a KGOP death panel in plain sight.

So basically, the Russians, I mean rePuticans, I mean reThugs, I mean republicons, are prioritizing military families over civilian families. It's okay for civilians to die, but we don't want our military members to die needlessly.

Do I have that about right?

[TomSlick]

2. The military is going to do "force protection" - taking care of military personnel - irrespective

of what the rest of the government does. Whether the rest of the government takes care of the civilian population is not in the military's portfolio.

[Baclava]

3. Yeah smart move, don't want troops going/coming from bases all over Europe, SKorea in infected zones

[rockfordfile]

4. 60 days is way to long.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. 60 days is probably the first stab - the minimum.

I'd expect it to be extended, though it's going to increase the PTSD among those with extended deployments.

[Bayard]

5. They are playing the numbers

My niece is in Germany, her husband is an Army Ranger, communications specialist. She's quite upset that he is being forced to work alongside people who have already tested positive.

[lostnfound]

6. Taking bets on Putin exploiting this as an opportunity to gain territory? Nt