How U.S. Armed Forces are persevering through the pandemic
Here’s how COVID-19 has affected the military — and how branches are operating as close to normal as possible.
The coronavirus spares no one, including members of the U.S. military. Let’s take a look at who has been infected, how the Department of Defense is protecting its forces and what standard operations are being continued despite the outbreak.
Cases across the military
The Department of Defense is confident the curve seems to be flattening in its ranks. New COVID-19 positives within the Department have scaled back to their lowest rate of increase since the beginning of April. Diagnoses in non-service members have decreased, the Pentagon reported; after 80 people tested positive on Monday, 106 tested positive on Tuesday.
The D.O.D tracks four groups: service members, civilians, dependents and contractors. All but service members have seen a significant drop from last week in reported cases, even though these groups have accounted for 93% of the Department’s deaths thus far.
4,359 service members have tested positive through Wednesday; the rate of infection is now 0.27% compared to the American public’s 0.3% rate. The Navy accounts for 1,723 of those positives; the Army has reported 998 cases. 809 National Guard members have tested positive; the Marines have 359 cases and the Air Force has 354.
The Naval debacle
There have been two deployed Naval ships with reported outbreaks, the most infamous being on the U.S.S. Roosevelt, which has 955 active cases of COVID-19. That’s about 20% of its 4,800 service members.
The aircraft carrier has been stationed in Guam since Naval leadership commanded Captain Brett Crozier to dock in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. Crozier was fired after an email leaked where he criticized the Navy’s response to the reported outbreak. He also tested positive for the coronavirus and has since made a full recovery. And Naval leadership recently recommended he be reinstated into his former position following an investigation into his dismissal.
The second outbreak was announced on the guided missile destroyer Kidd this Tuesday as it pulled into dock in San Diego. 64 positives have been reported; the crew has been moved to shore more rapidly in the wake of Roosevelt’s issues. About 63% of the Kidd’s crew has been tested of its 300 service members.
Pentagon releases tiered testing system
The Pentagon announced a tiered testing approach to ensure everyone within the ranks of the D.O.D.’s jurisdiction is tested, as of April 23. Here are the tiers in order and who they include:
- Tier 1: Personnel involved in critical national capabilities, including active duty service members, reserves treating COVID-19 patients and members with critical national security roles.
- Tier 2: Globally fielded personnel — those in contingency roles overseas.
- Tier 3: Forces stationed at bases or preparing to redeploy.
- Tier 4: All other forces.
Mobilized doctors and nurses are considered Tier 0 and will receive priority testing. Tier 1 is expected to be completed in May, according to Air Force General John Hyten, vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. He projected that Tiers 2 and 3 will be finished by early June.
Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist estimated that the D.O.D. will need $50,000 tests per week to meet the Pentagon’s requirements. Previous guidance said to test all individuals exhibiting symptoms, those with underlying health conditions and anyone who is hospitalized. Regular screenings — including temperature checks, exposure tracking and enforced 14-day quarantines — will continue.
Pentagon diverting border wall funds
$545.5 billion will be moved from overseas projects into funding military construction projects which were previously halted by border wall construction, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Monday. In fear that money would’ve been allocated to the border wall, Congressional Democrats had previously withheld funds.
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency last year to fund the construction of the wall, taking $3.6 billion from 127 other defense construction projects — ultimately yielding 175 miles of wall along the nearly 2,000 mile border.
10 of the projects being drained of funding due to this were started under the European Deterrence Initiative, a 2014 act to adequately buffer Russian advances on U.S. allies in Europe. And 22 projects were placed on hold to fund the border wall — some that will receive funding through this recent transfer — including a $95 million engineering center, a $65 million parking structure at West Point and a $62.6 million middle school in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had promised his constituents funding for.
Signing the 60th National Defense Authorization Act
Legislative schedules in Congress have been uncertain during the coronavirus outbreak. But on Tuesday, The House Armed Services Committee — a bipartisan congressional committee — pledged to pass the 60th National Defense Authorization Act by the end of the year.
The Act is responsible for the Department of Defense’s funding for the following fiscal year and has been passed annually every year since 1961. It determines provisions like wages for soldiers funding for bases. The 2020 budget allotted $730 billion, with a significant portion dedicated to the Space Force, however this figure is expected to be impacted heavily by the pandemic response and impending recession.
Trump’s West Point speech
The president has insisted upon holding a speech during the U.S. Military Academy’s commencement this June, bringing 1,000 future graduates back to campus. The Washington Post obtained partial audio of an instructor estimating that about 60% of graduates are likely to have contracted COVID-19 and that “likely all [graduates] will be tested.”
West Point’s Superintendent, Lieutenant General Darryl Williams, said all returning members of the graduating class will be tested off-campus; all who test negative will be monitored for 14 days. Everyone will have their own room and be required to wear masks; they won’t be able to intermix while eating.
Similar military institutions’ graduations have conducted commencements with safety in mind, including the Naval Academy’s virtual celebration and the Air Force Academy’s in-person, socially distanced commencement, where Vice President Mike Pence spoke to graduates. West Point’s commencement is currently scheduled for June 13.
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