Concerns about COVID-19 infection have reached the highest levels of the military, with one member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff going into self-quarantine and another testing positive on May 9 and then testing negative twice. Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, ...
Current predictions show a COVID-19 vaccine is still 18 months away, so the Air Force must find ways to survive and operate in a world where the virus keeps coming back, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein wrote in an April 28 letter to commanders. ...
The military has finished testing its top-tier forces and is planning to test a selection of asymptomatic personnel across the force to understand how the virus has spread through the ranks. The Pentagon announced a four-tier testing plan, starting with key strategic and homeland defense ...
The Pentagon is adjusting its COVID-19 testing policy, with a new emphasis on screening service members in its highest priority missions in addition to diagnosing troops who are already sick. As the new coronavirus outbreak spread, the Defense Department used its limited testing resources to ...
The Air Force on April 17 signed a $13 million research and development blanket purchase agreement with healthcare startup Curative Inc., to employ and scale a Food and Drug Administration-authorized, saliva-based COVID-19 test that can yield results in about one day, USAF announced April 20. ...
The Guard has begun to see COVID-19 cases among civilians, contractors, and dependents, National Guard Bureau Chief Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel confirmed on April 8. In addition to 349 cases recorded among Guard personnel as of the afternoon briefing, Lengyel said at least four ...
The new coronavirus is starting to have operational impacts in the Indo-Pacific, as the Navy sidelines a carrier that was previously underway. There were 280 current U.S. military cases of COVID-19 as of March 26—73 more than the previous day—and 600 cases total, including civilians, ...
The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq has suspended its training mission as the new coronavirus outbreak spreads. The training mission in Afghanistan is continuing with changes to mitigate risks. However, the military has stopped deployments to Afghanistan, a move that will keep some service members in ...
National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel said a federal activation of the National Guard to fight the COVID-19 pandemic would be an illogical and inefficient move. “I think you can get everything you need from the National Guard more efficiently and more effectively if ...
Air Force Basic Military Training might not be on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s getting some major, immediate changes to halt the coronavirus’ spread. Starting March 18, incoming recruits will now undergo a two-week-long restriction of movement (or ROM) at the start ...
The Pentagon reported having 49 military personnel who have tested positive for the new coronavirus, as well as 19 dependents, 14 civilian employees, and seven contractors, as of 5 a.m. March 18. The total has risen from 37 confirmed cases as of March 16. Brig. ...
The Air Force’s rapid global mobility mission has ramped up to address the outbreak of the new coronavirus, with USAF aircraft ferrying test kits in support of the Department of Health and Human Services while the U.S. tries to stem the COVID-19 threat. Chief of ...