The measure is by far the Protection Division’s most sweeping up to now and can have an effect on forces world wide.
Esper stated in an interview that the order utilized to all U.S. troops, civilian personnel and households, however famous that there could be some exceptions.“The purpose is to make sure that we’re not bringing the virus back home, infecting others, that we’re not spreading it around the military,” Esper stated.
Esper stated one exception to the order could be the drawdown beneath means in Afghanistan, which can proceed.
The US has stated it’s dedicated to lowering the variety of its troops in Afghanistan to eight,600 from 13,000 inside 135 days of signing the cope with the Taliban final month.
A full withdrawal of all U.S. and coalition forces would happen inside 14 months of the deal getting signed, if the Taliban holds up its finish of the deal.
“That (stop movement order) should not impact that,” Esper stated of the withdrawal.
The cease motion order illustrates the Pentagon’s growing concern concerning the speedy unfold of the virus, which has already contaminated 227 U.S. troops – a determine that has climbed by about 30 p.c in simply the previous day.
The U.S. navy stated earlier on Wednesday it was additionally elevating its well being safety situation, or HPCON, at bases world wide to Charlie, its second highest degree, which suggests sustained neighborhood transmission.
“Our curve is not flattening. And that’s why we went to HPCON Charlie today, which includes restrictions on large gatherings and includes additional social distancing,” Air Drive Brigadier Basic Paul Friedrichs, the joint employees surgeon, advised a information convention.
Because the an infection charges climb and navy workout routines are canceled, alongside many different group actions, Pentagon officers are more and more acknowledging that the coronavirus pandemic might have an effect on navy readiness for a battle or disaster.
However Esper and U.S. Military Basic Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, have careworn navy leaders will search to mitigate that threat and demand the U.S. armed forces will nonetheless be capable of perform its missions.
A kind of missions, more and more, is aiding the U.S. authorities’s home response to the coronavirus pandemic.
To this point, the navy has stated that it was getting ready to deploy subject hospitals to Seattle and New York, and has put further items on prepare-to-deploy orders.
A Navy hospital ship is on its method to Los Angeles and one other one is predicted to be headed to New York Metropolis, every with a capability of about 1,000 beds for non-coronavirus sufferers.
The Military Corps of Engineers is working in New York to see the way it can improve mattress capability and the Corps has stated it’s taking a look at changing greater than 10,000 New York rooms, doubtlessly in lodges and school dorms.
Esper stated the navy was ready to supply extra sources if requested for New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, which has contaminated greater than 59,000 individuals throughout the nation and killed 812. Extra medical items had been placed on alert to attempt to keep forward of the demand, he stated.
Coronavirus: Pentagon orders halt abroad motion for US navy
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