The Pentagon reportedly asked top military commanders for advance notice before they take action to protect troops from coronavirus
- Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has directed combatant commanders to provide advanced notice before taking action to protect troops from the coronavirus, The New York Times reported.
- The directive is reportedly intended to ensure that the government is communicating in one voice on this pressing public health issue, as well as make sure that responses do not come as a surprise to the White House.
- The US military has not been severely affected by the coronavirus so far, but military leaders have been taking increasingly drastic measures to protect US troops in impacted countries like South Korea.
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As the deadly coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China spreads, the US military is having to act quickly, especially in places like South Korea, Italy, and Japan, where thousands of US troops are based.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, however, has instructed combatant commanders not to make coronavirus response decisions without providing advanced notice to Pentagon leadership to ensure that their actions and messaging is consistent with that of the Trump administration and does not come as a surprise to the White House, The New York Times reported Monday, citing US officials.
President Donald Trump, even as the situation worsens at home with more than 100 infections and half a dozen deaths, has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the outbreak.
Esper's directive was reportedly delivered during a teleconference last week. During a Pentagon press briefing Monday, Esper discussed briefly his recent talks with military leaders on the virus and necessary responses.
"At the end of last week," the defense secretary said Monday, "I did a deep dive with DOD civilian and military leadership, including all the service secretaries, the COCOM commanders, to ensure the entire department is equipped for all scenarios."
"Commanders of individually affected geographic commands have all the authority they need and will provide specific guidance to their troops as the situation continues to evolve," Esper said, adding that his number one priority "remains to protect our forces and their families."
The purpose of Esper's reported directive is to, one defense official told The Times, ensure that the US government, to include the military, is communicating with one voice.
The Times reported that in one exchange during last week's teleconference, Gen. Robert Abrams, head of US Forces Korea, told Esper that he would try to provide advanced notice of his responses to the coronavirus but noted that the current situation may require making emergency decisions before receiving approval.
South Korea, home to roughly 28,000 US troops, has been severely affected by the coronavirus, which has infected more than 4,000 people.
The first member of the US military to contract the coronavirus did so while serving on the Korean peninsula.
In response to recent developments, the US military has had to take drastic measures to combat the coronavirus and protect US military personnel in South Korea.
USFK, for instance, has prohibited service members from attending non-essential off-base activities and social events, such as dining out or going to the movies. US Indo-Pacific Command has temporarily banned all non-essential travel to South Korea, and one planned joint military exercise with South Korea has been postponed.
"Right now," Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Monday, "the overall broad impact to the uniformed US military is very, very minimal. It's not to say it's zero, but it's very, very minimal."