Military/Defense Archive

Military/Defense Archives

November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020

November 2020

The number of new COVID-19 cases involving U.S. military personnel in Okinawa Prefecture hit a record high on Monday, with the Marines reporting 72 infections amid a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan.
A North Dakota Army National Guardsman is the 12th service member to die of COVID-19 complications and the fourth reported service member to die this month from complications of the virus.
As part of OWS, the DoD and HHS agreed to pay $375 million to Eli Lilly for 300,000 doses of its antibody therapeutic, bamlanivimab.
State officials have launched investigations into a COVID-19 outbreak at a veterans nursing home in Illinois that has infected nearly 200 residents and staff members, and killed 27 veterans. As of Tuesday morning, 40 residents and 24 staff members were positive for the virus. There are currently 101 residents at the home.
The most recent COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update (Nov. 25) is available here.
Officials from the Trump Administration met with President-elect Biden this week for the first in a series of COVID-19 transition briefings about OWS. The focus of the initial meeting was on COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and distribution.
Chief Operating Officer of OWS, Gen. Perna, said that the U.S. federal government aims to distribute 6.4 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to states 24 hours after it gets emergency approval, and that officials are in the midst of dry runs to prepare for the shipments.
Anthony Tata, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, tested positive for COVID-19 last week after meeting with Lithuanian Minister of Defence Raimundas Karoblis on Nov. 13.
The DoD awarded Ology Bioservices a $37 million contract for the advanced development of anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibody cocktail.
To combat the rise in COVID-19 cases at the Pentagon, the Pentagon will impose new COVID restrictions, cutting maximum occupancy to 40 percent and increasing the number of temperature checks on workers entering the building beginning Nov. 26.
An 11th service member, A 52-year-old Air Guardsman, has died from COVID-19 complications, the Hawaii National Guard confirmed.
The DoD confirmed that U.S. troops won't be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine before a vaccine is approved by the FDA.
Nearly one in four sailors aboard USS Michael Murphy have contracted COVID-19.
- The ship has been in port in Hawaii, so there is limited operational impact.
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter on a counter-narcotics patrol was forced to return to its base in California on Wednesday, after 11 crew members tested positive for COVID-19.
The Pentagon's top weapons buyer, Ellen Lord, expressed confidence that defense companies would remain open throughout the winter and keep weapons production on track, despite spikes in COVID-19 cases.
Today, Pentagon officials briefed the House Armed Services Committee on the impact of COVID-19 on defense IT systems, focusing on the DoD's technology vulnerabilities and their work to secure information networks.
Military health officials from the DoD and U.S. Coast Guard stated that, despite the pandemic, the effort to roll out an electronic health record program remains on track for full deployment by 2023 and ready for COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Nearly one in four sailors aboard USS Michael Murphy have contracted COVID-19. The ship has been in port in Hawaii, so there is limited operational impact.
The military reported its tenth COVID-19 related death on Monday, a 45-year-old Army reservist.
Active COVID-19 cases among VA patients reached their 14th consecutive day of record-high levels over the weekend, surpassing 10,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The military reported nine new COVID-19 cases at bases across Japan.
While Germany has cut back its quarantine time to 10 days, the U.S. military will stick with a two-week quarantine, meaning the American military community in Germany won’t be seeing shorter times in quarantine.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced a $6.2 million contract with Medline Industries to increase the domestic production of surgical masks, which will bring their production capacity to 36 million masks a month by May 2021.
Last week, seven military installations reinstated travel restrictions, the highest since mid-August.
- - The bases are Grand Forks Air Force Base and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Tennessee, and Naval Air Station Sigonella and Naval Support Activity in Italy.
A new study released Wednesday revealed that many military personnel and recruits who test positive for COVID-19 show no symptoms at all, suggesting that asymptomatic spread has likely played a big role in outbreaks.
A new study on the COVID-19 outbreak that spread on the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, determined that transmission was facilitated by close-quarters conditions and asymptomatic and presymptomatic infected crew members.
A public health expert whom President-elect Biden named to his coronavirus advisory board said Tuesday that he is “concerned” about military plans to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Remember, this vaccine has to be kept at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit ... we don't have refrigeration operations like that out here and there have been very few resources provided to states and local health departments to go beyond the initial planning."
According to a new VA report, suicides and suicide attempts among veterans declined during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This news follows previous reporting that showed a 30 percent spike in active duty suicides in the Army and a 20 percent increase in overall military suicides this year.
In a project unveiled Tuesday, researchers are RTI are working with Garmin with the support of DARPA to determine if collecting more data from wearable devices at more frequent intervals improves disease detection.
According to an analysis by ProPublica, most states aren’t ready to distribute Pfizer’s vaccine, citing the vaccine’s requirement to be stored in ultra-cold temperatures.
The Utah National Guard is now coordinating with the state to help expand testing and contact tracing related to Utah’s new COVID-19 emergency order.
The VA is seeing a record high number of COVID-19 cases, with 6,454 active cases as of Tuesday.
- As military infections near 59,000, a ninth US service member has died from COVID-19.
As part of OWS, the San Antonio Military Health System is seeking volunteers among its beneficiaries to take part in its COVID-19 vaccine trial.
On Thursday, the USFK announced that 10 more service members have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of USFK-related cases to 288.
The Army is adapting its infrared sensor technology to help stop the spread of COVID-19 at some military bases and government agencies.
Last week, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command selected Fitbit as part of a $2.5 million contract to develop wearable technology that can assist in early detection of COVID-19.
The Army is distributing 1.6 million flu vaccines to soldiers, their families, and retirees as part of its fight against COVID-19.
This weekend’s Air Force/Army football game has been canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
DARPA is looking for new ways to detect COVID-19 and put out a call on Tuesday for technology that can detect COVID-19 in the air.
The commissary at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor was shut down Tuesday after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Tinker Air Force Base declared a health emergency on Thursday and has implemented mandatory mask use on base as COVID-19 infections continue to rise in the Oklahoma City area.

October 2020

Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington recently acquired an ultraviolet light-emitting robot specifically designed to eradicate infectious diseases like COVID-19 and is currently in the last stages of staff training before implementation.
Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations, tested positive Wednesday for COVID-19, the third senior military official to test positive.
Twenty-seven people at the Alaska Military Youth Academy are in isolation after nine of the youths tested positive for COVID-19.
On Thursday, Naval Air Force Atlantic officials announced that a small number of sailors on USS Gerald R. Ford have tested posted for COVID-19.
Army researchers at the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center are trying to understand how COVID-19 attacks human lungs.
The DoD and HHS are spending $375 million on 300,000 doses of a COVID-19 treatment made by Eli Lilly. Federal researchers said it shows no improvement in hospitalized patients, but the company maintains it could help treat patients with milder cases.
The military is rolling out a smartwatch that can monitor for early indicators of infection and illnesses such as COVID-19.
The U.S. military base on the Marshall Islands recorded its first two COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
On Saturday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) requested to use a medical center at Fort Bliss for non-COVID-19 patients as cases surge in the El Paso area.
HHS stated that the military will not be administering COVID-19 vaccines once one is available, and that its role will instead be logistics-focused.
Starting next month, passengers flying out of Seattle-Tacoma and Baltimore-Washington airports on military-contracted commercial flights will be randomly tested for COVID-19.
The DoD's Defense Health Agency is tapping the commercial sector for technologies that can automatically perform contact tracing, holding an industry pitch day on Nov. 10.
According to Pentagon statistics and analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, COVID-19 cases in the military doubled last week over the prior week, and four more deaths have occurred.
The Montana National Guard has been activated to contain a COVID-19 outbreak at a state prison.
On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchinson said that COVID-19 is not affecting NATO's military readiness.
The DoD awarded a $6.98 million contract to Teel Plastics for COVID-19 test swabs, increasing Teel Plastics' production capability to 50 million per month for each swab stick type by March 2021.
HASC Chairman Adam Smith (D-CA) told reporters Wednesday that Democratic lawmakers remain opposed to giving the DoD more money to help the industrial basing, stating that they "remain concerned that COVID relief money isn't getting to the right people."
New Mexico Military Institute is under quarantine until Oct. 29 after 63 employees and cadets tested positive for COVID-19.
Seven more service members with U.S. Forces Korea have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to over a dozen USFK service members infected this month.
Six Coast Guard Academy football players are in isolation on campus after testing positive for COVID-19.
Top military leaders have been cleared to return to work at the Pentagon after self-quarantining following the positive COVID-19 test of a senior Coast Guard official in early October.
In a memo released last week, the Office of Inspector General, the Pentagon’s internal watchdog, announced that it will audit whether the DoD misused COVID-19 relief funds.
In a discussion with National Defense Magazine last Thursday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville stated that changes to training and safety procedures have not affected the Army’s readiness.
- Gen. McConville also stated that the Army’s weapons programs have remained on track, although some milestones and intermediate steps may have shifted
Last week, the Pentagon announced plans to boost its COVID-19 testing capacity by acquiring 6 million test kits from Cue Health.
Two sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for COVID-19 and have been evacuated.
Despite COVID-19, the Navy met its enlisted recruiting goals. Defense Sec. Mark Esper stated that COVID-19 forced the military to modernize its recruitment process.
The Air Force and DoD exceeded its COVID-19 convalescent plasma collection goal in hopes that blood plasma containing antibodies for COVID-19 may boost immune responses to COVID-19.
Researchers with the U.S. Army Futures Command are working to develop alternative methods to measure COVID-19 antibody levels, resulting in a process that is faster and more cost effective than to use on a large scale.
A new military-led study showed that there is a low risk of contracting COVID-19 on large commercial aircrafts due to advanced filtration systems.
Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, the commander of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson banned active duty airmen from bars.
The Army wants the defense industry to maintain COVID-19 social distancing measures in factories even after the pandemic ends.
DoD acquisition officials expressed concerned about the declining number of small businesses in its supplier base due COVID-19.
- The comments came amid congressional scrutiny and reports that it awarded contracts for medical gowns to inexperienced companies despite bids from more than 100 vendors with track records of completing procurement contracts.
Due to a steady decline in COVID-19 cases within the DoD, the military is downgrading its health condition levels from Condition C to Condition B. While this transition eases the social distancing requirements, officials stated that a return to more restrictive measures is possible.
The Air Force plans to test hundreds of active-duty volunteers at Edwards Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base, Hanscom Air Force Base, and Hill Air Force Base to determine whether additional protective measures are needed in work areas.
As of Friday, Virginia Military Institute is reporting 42 active COVID-19 cases, with nearly 200 cadets in quarantine.
U.S. Forces Korea announced Tuesday that, between Sept. 25 and Oct. 9, 22 service members tested positive for COVID-19 in South Korea.
On a call last Thursday, the DoD stated that it has paused its efforts to send 190,000 Tricare beneficiaries into the private sector due to COVID-19.
As a result of a partnership between Care.com and Armed Services YMCA, free childcare on Election Day will be provided at 27 locations near military installations across the U.S.
The Pentagon said on Tuesday that top military officials are quarantining after one of the Coast Guard service chiefs tested positive for COVID-19.
- On Wednesday night, officials announced that Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Gary Thomas tested positive for COVID-19, the second top military official to have contracted the virus.
- The Defense Health Agency stated senior military leaders will have the same access to COVID-19 treatments as President Trump.
In a video released Wednesday on Twitter, President Trump suggested that the military will help distribute Regeneron, the experimental drug he credits for his recovery.
Following reports that military suicides have increased during the pandemic, President Trump ordered various federal agencies, including the DoD and VA, to develop a plan to address mental health issues exacerbated by COVID-19.
The Army has suspended the Army Combat Fitness Test requirement to graduate initial military training through next year.
As travel limits continue to ease, the U.S. military in Japan reported two new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, one at the Kadena Air Base and another at the Naval Air Facility Atsugi.
The White House threatened to veto Democrats' $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package, which included funds for the Defense Health Agency, DoD, and VA.
After the House initially stated that it would not investigate how the Pentagon spent its CARES Act funds, the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the Financial Services Committee, and the select subcommittee of the coronavirus crisis announced a joint investigation into the Pentagon's COVID-19 relief spending.
The COVID-19 Joint Acquisition Task Force, set up by the Pentagon, will be transitioning to a permanent office.
Airmen and soldiers from the Connecticut National Guard helped both the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security distribute masks to school districts throughout the state as many students and teachers transition back to in-person or hybrid learning.
At least four top generals may have been exposed to COVID-19 during a Gold Star family event at the White House on Sunday.
The new $2.2 trillion relief package unveiled by the House on Wednesday contains $2.2 billion for the DoD and $613 million for the VA.
- This includes $705 million to the Defense Health Agency to underwrite drug manufacturing capabilities for COVID-19 treatments
Gen. D.T. Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations, expressed concerns that COVID-19 may result in space supply chain disruptions, especially for commercial startups.
The Pentagon said this morning that there had been no changes to alert levels for American troops worldwide, and that military analysts had not detected any unusual activity from potential adversaries resulting from the announcement that President Trump had tested positive for COVID-19.

September 2020

Last week, SOUTHCOM donated a field hospital to Jamaica to support its response to COVID-19. Overall, the U.S. has provided Jamaica $2 million and the whole region $17 million in supplies and other resource to assist in COVID-19 response.
Military suicides are up 20 percent in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. While officials can't attribute this increase to COVID-19, there is a direct correlation from when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Despite calls from some House Democrats, Congress announced that they will not be investigating how the Pentagon spent its CARES Act funds and stated that the Pentagon did not misuse its funds because they addressed COVID-related impacts in the industrial base.
According to data released Monday, an eighth U.S. service member has died from COVID-19, the first since late August.
A union representing teachers and other staff members of schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has called for officials to immediately shift all schools to remote learning after the death of a counselor at Fort Knox Middle/High School from COVID-19.
As Congress debates a continuing resolution (CR) this week, the defense industry is concerned that the long-term funding patch will delay both new procurement programs and emergency COVID-19 funding into next year.
Brett Crozier, the dismissed captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, said he knew he was jeopardizing his military career when he broke protocol and sent a now-famous email warning of a COVID-19 outbreak on board the aircraft carrier.
After U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro lost a tenth of its crew to quarantine, 16 students from the academy, some of whom had never been on a ship before, were brought up to serve on the ship.
The Pentagon is reportedly starting to rewrite its pandemic playbook after an internal review found failings in the department's initial response to COVID-19. The Joint Chiefs of Staff is revising the plans, last updated by U.S. Northern Command in 2013, and is building on “lessons learned” from the COVID-19 response.
The DoD’s updated COVID-19 Travel Restriction Installation Status Update can be found here. Travel restrictions have been lifted at 113 of 231 installations (49 percent).
Authorities in southern Germany have recorded three more COVID-19 cases in people who frequented bars visited by a 26-year-old woman suspected of breaking quarantine rules in the Alpine resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. There are now 59 cases in the town, including 25 staff at the U.S. military-run Edelweiss Lodge and Resort.
- The general commanding American troops in Bavaria met with local officials in the town to reassure them of the U.S. military’s commitment to COVID-19 precautions.
VA officials reported 2,945 active COVID-19 cases, the lowest level in nearly three months.
- However, the department is on pace to add another 600 deaths from COVID-19 by the end of the month.
The president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, Eric Fanning, penned an op-ed calling on Congress to pass the annual defense authorization and appropriations bills as soon as possible.
Three individuals on Guam died from COVID-19 in less than 24 hours. Of the 2,013 recorded COVID-19 cases on Guam, 261 have been U.S. service members.
The DoD has updated their Operation Warp Speed dashboard.
The Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, Adm. Charles “Chas” Richard, spoke with reporters about his command’s mission set amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Referring to the pre-pandemic status quo, Adm. Richard said he is “not sure that we’re ever going to go back to the way we were before.”
The DoD signed contracts with nine American businesses for the delivery of 73 million COVID-19 disposable isolation gowns at a cost of $335 million. The contracts will support the replenishment of the HHS-managed SNS and deliver by January 2021.
The Hawaii National Guard Joint Task Force continues to administer COVID-19 surge testing on freeways in Honolulu.
Officials in southern Germany are considering imposing fines against a 26-year-old American woman linked to a cluster of coronavirus cases in the Alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, including at a hotel that caters to U.S. military personnel.
The commander of the largest U.S. naval base in Japan lowered the installation’s health-alert level Monday and lifted some travel and activity restrictions on its personnel.
The DoD has updated their Operation Warp Speed dashboard.
Wearing masks, wiping down work spaces and quarantine periods have presented a fringe benefit to military operations, most notably in the basic training environment. Fewer troops are coming down with communicable diseases, which take them out of the fight for days or even weeks.
The damage to the defense industry caused by the pandemic has yet to be fully measured, and companies may soon be facing more-severe delayed effects. Ellen Lord, the Pentagon's acquisition chief, said the Pentagon plans to collect pandemic data on the tens of thousands of companies that make up the industrial base for the time period of March 15 through September 15 in hopes of better documentation and a lifeline from Congress.
DoD announced two DPA Title III actions to sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical small businesses. The Department says these actions will help to retain critical workforce capabilities throughout the disruption caused by COVID-19 and to restore some jobs lost because of the pandemic.
DoD, on behalf of HHS, signed contracts with a maximum value of $136 million with five American businesses to manufacture up to 15 million COVID-19 reusable isolation gowns for the replenishment of the HHS-managed SNS. Delivery of the gowns will be complete by January 2021 ensuring HHS is poised to meet the Nation’s critical medical needs. Announcement here.
Updated DoD case totals are included in the first figure below.
The Senate Republicans' slimmed-down COVID-19 relief bill released today does not include emergency funding for the DoD.
- An earlier Senate GOP stimulus proposal released in July would have provided $30 billion in emergency funding for the DoD.
U.S. commands around the globe have donated millions of dollars in supplies including field hospitals, PPE, and medical equipment to support COVID-19 relief efforts in partner nations.
The Marine Corps will resume its physical fitness and combat fitness tests nearly five months after the tests were halted on April 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arlington National Cemetery will reopen to the public tomorrow roughly six months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cemetery to close in March.
Eight veterans have died from COVID-19 at Yukio Okutso State Veterans Home in Hilo, Hawaii. 58 of the facility’s 74 residents have now tested positive for COVID-19.
The DoD’s acquisition chief Ellen Lord said she could be requesting up to $20 billion in emergency funding for the defense industry to cover the costs of COVID-19 disruptions.
A bipartisan group of 18 senators from the Senate National Guard Caucus sent a letter to President Trump requesting the restoration of full federal funding for the National Guard’s COVID-19 mission.
- In August, the President ordered most states to begin covering 25% of the cost for National Guard COVID-19 response missions.
In a Military Times poll, nearly half of active-duty troops said the COVID-19 pandemic represents a significant threat to military readiness and operations.
- 48 percent of respondents did not believe service leaders have taken the appropriate steps in response to the pandemic, while 46% of respondents said service leaders have done so.
The U.S. military in Japan will relax some public health restrictions for personnel in Tokyo and on Okinawa as COVID-19 cases among the ranks continue to drop.
The DoD has selected five military installations to conduct a Phase III clinical trial for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
- The sites are Naval Medical Center San Diego in California, Joint Base San Antonio Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia.
DoD’s latest COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update can be found here. Travel restrictions have been lifted at 104 of 231 installations (45 percent).
The Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support will hold a hearing on supply chain integrity with Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen M. Lord on October 1, 2020.
An Army reservist from Florida is the seventh U.S. service member to die from complications related to COVID-19.
Soldiers from the Indiana National Guard have been helping operate Miami Correctional Facility after several prison workers contracted COVID-19.
The VA reported more deaths from COVID-19 patients in August than any other month of the pandemic. As of Monday evening, at least 2,935 VA patients have died from COVID-19.

August 2020

Two of the six candidate vaccines for COVID-19 are now in Phase III trials.
- HHS deputy chief of staff for policy Paul Mango said Operation Warp Speed has identified half of the 30,000 participants required for Phase III trials.
The unemployment rate for veterans has more than tripled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving nearly 800,000 veterans searching for work.
Service members based in Guam are sheltering-in-place for a second time after the island shuttered all non-essential businesses again.
An American family that violated COVID-19 restrictions in Japan has been banned from all U.S. military installations for 10 years.
The Air Mobility Command transported a shipment of 500 ventilators from the U.S. to Indonesia.
The DoD released its COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update. Travel restrictions have been lifted at 103 of 231 installations (45 percent).
Louisiana National Guardsmen have put their COVID-19 response on hold as they mobilize for Hurricane Laura.
Nine Senate Democrats sent a letter to Defense Sec. Mark Esper demanding more details on the DoD’s strategy for protecting troops and their families from COVID-19.
A Pearl Harbor ceremony to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the end of WWII will be limited to local veterans in Hawaii due to COVID-19 concerns.
The VA surpassed 50,000 COVID-19 cases among its patients since the start of the pandemic, with over half of the positive cases being reported in the last 50 days.
Guam extended its public health emergency on the same day the island reported its 10^th COVID-19-related death.
South Korea’s daily COVID-19 case count reached 441, opening the possibility that the nation could face another lockdown. A U.S. service member and DoD civilian contractor tested positive after flying to South Korea from the U.S.
House Democrats introduced a bill to fully fund the National Guard’s COVID-19 mission after 44 states and territories saw federal funding for their Guard deployments reduced by 25 percent over the weekend. Only Texas, Florida, Arizona, California, and Connecticut are currently receiving full federal funding.
A California National Guardsmen died from COVID-19, marking the sixth service member to die from the virus.
Six more American service members tested positive after flying to South Korea from the U.S.
- South Korean President Moon Jae-in warned a lockdown may be necessary after 266 new COVID-19 cases were reported.
Seventh Air Force collaborated with the American Red Cross and Operation Gratitude to deliver care packages for quarantined troops transitioning to new assignments in South Korea.
House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-KY) said additional COVID-19 relief money for the DoD should not be a dealbreaker for a broader stimulus package.
The National Defense Industrial Association and National Small Business Association are seeking to redirect leftover funds in Section 4003 of the CARES act – which designated $17 billion in loans for a limited group of defense contractors – to aid small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
70 Democrats signed a new letter urging President Trump to reverse his decision requiring most states to cover 25 percent of the costs for National Guard deployments in response to COVID-19.
U.S. Forces Korea raised its Health Protection Condition after South Korea reported hundreds of new COVID-19 cases over the weekend.
- The U.S. and South Korea will begin their annual joint military exercises in a scaled-down manner to accommodate COVID-19 precautions.

July 2020

The military has increased COVID-19 safety precautions at 21 bases in recent weeks as the number of cases among service members continues to rise.
The National Defense Industrial Association, along with seven other trade groups, sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to extend the window for reimbursing government contractors for COVID-19-related expenses from September 30 to December 21.
The DoD and HHS awarded a $7.6 million contract to Hologic, Inc. to expand domestic production of custom sample collection and processing consumables for COVID-19 tests.
The Federal Education Association urged parents of students at DoD schools to select the online learning option for the new school year, citing inadequate safety precautions at schools.
The Marine Corps on Okinawa announced that it had no new COVID-19 cases to report within the last 24 hours and would be relaxing certain off-base restrictions for essential services.
Nearly 70 sailors deployed to Texas to support the COVID-19 response in civilian hospitals.
The Marine Corps on Okinawa reported one new COVID-19 case, brining the total from two clusters to 142.
- Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing announced a third active COVID-19 cases at its base in western Tokyo, which also serves as headquarters for U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force.
- The number of COVID-19 cases affiliated with U.S. Forces Korea rose to 111, with 12 more troops and a dependent testing positive after travelling from the U.S. to South Korea over the past two weeks.
Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper said the frenzy to prevent a collapse of key suppliers during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic must prompt the DoD to develop a supply chain strategy that incentivizes industry to build a more diverse and resilient supply chain.
There are now 6,356 active COVID-19 cases within the VA health system, an 11 percent increase in the last week.
- VA Sec. Robert Wilkie said the department is handling the recent nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases and is preparing for a potentially larger wave of cases in the Fall.
The Army became the first military service to surpass 7,000 COVID-19 cases, less than a week after reaching 6,000. There are over 21,000 total cases across the five services.
U.S. military bases in Japan reported three new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases associated with a cluster outbreak on two Marine bases there to 136.
740 military medical and support personnel are deploying to Texas and California to aid the states’ COVID-19 responses as cases continue to rise. Troops from the Army, Navy, and Air Force were sent at the request of FEMA and state officials.
There are now 94 positive COVID-19 cases across multiple military bases on the Okinawa prefecture, where a cluster outbreak surfaced last week.
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said the agency’s telehealth services at Walmart stores will expand in areas with limited access to VA hospitals.
The U.S. military is sending around 50 medical and support personnel to the San Antonio area to provide assistance amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Texas.
The Space Force has revoked six stimulus contracts designed to aid small launch providers after the contracts were awarded on June 16th. The Space and Missile Systems Center released a statement saying the government “is re-evaluating its strategy on how best to proceed with this action”.
Soldiers with the Florida National Guard supported local and state authorities operating two community-based COVID-19 testing sites in Broward County amid surging cases in the state.
- There are still more than 30,000 National Guardsmen activated for the COVID-19 pandemic response and the head of the National Guard Bureau said there is no sign of slowing down soon.

June 2020

Lockheed Martin has sent $1.1 billion in accelerated payments to support its network of suppliers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The defense contracting company has also hired 8,300 employees since March and plans to hire 3,200 more before the end of the year.
The deliveries of new submarines and helicopters from Europe and the U.S. to Singapore have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Forces Korea reported three new COVID-19 cases involving personnel arriving from the U.S.
The DoD and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) today signed a joint memorandum of agreement to spend $100 million of the department's CARES Act money to subsidize federal loans to ensure domestic industrial-based capabilities that support the national COVID-19 response.
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said nearly all companies of the defense industrial base have reopened for business after closing for COVID-19.
- The full press conference with Undersecretary Lord can be found here.
All four U.S. public shipyards will begin the process of phasing out administrative leave options for high-risk and immuno-compromised individuals on June 24th.
A study at the Army Public Health Center found that most active-duty soldiers who became seriously ill after contracting COVID-19 had underlying health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure.
The Army will launch an effort later this month to sign up 10,000 recruits in three days. “Army National Hiring Days” seeks to fill the shortage of recruits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seven service members deployed to Andersen Air Force base on Guam have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Marine Corps loosened COVID-19 restrictions for military personnel stationed at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji in Japan.
All personnel at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan were told to shelter in place for 24 hours after members of a visiting aircrew were confirmed to have COVID-19.
The DoD updated its list of locations that meet conditions to lift travel restrictions, subject to the assessment of conditions at individual installations within the areas.
There were nearly 1,000 new COVID-19 cases diagnosed among troops, civilians, dependents, and contractors with the DoD this week.
The DoD’s “Ventilator Challenge” has identified five prototype low-cost ventilators, including CorVent by Coridea, BLU3 Vent by BLU3, iBreather by L3 Harris, FieldVent by Northrop Grumman, and the NAVSEA PRE-Vent by the U.S. Navy. Upon receipt of FDA Emergency Use Authorization, the five designs will be available for production and fielding.
Medical professionals are testing all inbound U.S. military personnel within two hours of their arrival in South Korea.
The shipments of troops’ personal belongings have rebounded to about 80 percent of historical norms for this time of year and could reach 100 percent within weeks, after dropping to 30 percent or less in March when the Pentagon ordered a halt to most global moves.
The Honor Flight Network, which sends veterans to tour the war memorials in Washington, D.C., is canceling all trips through the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis conducted mass rapid oral fluid COVID-19 testing of 7,800 joint active duty personnel. The novel oral swab COVID-19 test from Curative Inc. is expected to aid operational readiness while protecting service members during the pandemic.
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said the DoD may be forced to take funds from its modernization and readiness accounts if Congress does not backfill billions of dollars in pandemic-related claims.
- Lord’s full testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on defense industrial base challenges can be found here.
Army Futures commander Gen. John Murray said he is determining which of the service’s 34 top-priority programs the service may cut back or eliminate due to the budget impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) will propose a billion-dollar pandemic response and preparedness fund in his committee’s version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
The DoD has lifted travel restrictions in 39 states and five host nations.
The aircraft carrier Nimitz and portions of its strike group deployed today. In accordance with the Navy’s new COVID-19 regulations for ships at sea, sailors assigned to the strike group were quarantined on land for 14 days and tested for COVID-19 prior to boarding.
The Pennsylvania National Guard has assembled a task force to conduct point prevalence sampling at nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the commonwealth.
Leaders on the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees introduced the Veterans Economic Recovery Act to provide rapid retraining programs for veterans who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 2020

Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chair and Ranking Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, introduced legislation to expand and strengthen VA services for homeless veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least 171 Air Force pilots have been approved to stay past their original retirement or separation dates as the traditionally higher-paying commercial airline industry struggles amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Trump announced he will extend National Guard orders authorizing domestic COVID-19 response missions through mid-August amid concerns that a previous end date would have complicated state support missions and denied the Guardsmen benefits.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley said some service members who test positive for antibodies may be asked to donate plasma for treatment of their fellow troops.
The Air Force has delayed the date airmen are required to wear certain parts of the new Operational Camouflage Uniform in an effort to reduce stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Army’s newest short-range air defense system, the Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD), will be delayed due to COVID-19.
- Army acquisition head Bruce Jette said programs in the two largest categories of acquisition programs remain on track for first unit equipped.
VA Sec. Robert Wilkie defended the Department’s use of hydroxychloroquine on veterans and promised to continue offering the drug to COVID-19 patients who have no other option.
The DoD has begun lifting its stop-movement order issued across the Department in March. States, districts, and territories will be evaluated based on the White House’s reopening plan with troops and their families allowed to travel once their location is deemed safe. A fact sheet on the DoD’s travel restrictions can be found here.
Officials from the National Guard Association of the United States pressed Congress to act quickly on pending bipartisan legislation that would provide Guardsmen and their families with six months of Tricare coverage after they leave federal Title 32 active duty.
VA Sec. Robert Wilkie is scheduled to testify on Thursday before a House Appropriations subcommittee on the VA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
VA officials said they plan to continue using hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients despite medical studies showing significant health risks associated with the drug. The decision comes as active cases of COVID-19 continue to drop at department hospitals while deaths connected to the illness keep increasing.
Largely due to the dent in manpower from COVID-19, the general helming Army Recruiting Command is preparing a massive virtual hiring event this summer after the Army’s 245th birthday on June 14th.
Travel restrictions and closures related to COVID-19 hit CAE’s civil training and defense segments, fueling a 44.3 percent decline in net income in its fourth quarter.
Director of the DoD’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan said the military’s AI efforts could play a significant role in tracking and spotting pandemics in the future.
Defense Sec. Mark Esper issued guidance that allows military base commanders to begin planning returning to normal operations in the COVID-19 environment.
Defense Under Sec. for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan said the military expects a manning shortfall this year as the COVID-19 pandemic requires the services to reduce their intake of new troops.
VA researchers are launching clinical trials to see whether cancer prostate drug Degarelix (also labeled Firmagon) could help prevent adverse health effects from COVID-19 in men.
The USNS Mercy departed Los Angeles after nearly six weeks of assisting the area’s COVID-19 response.
Five sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive again for COVID-19 after they had already recovered and were allowed to return to the ship.
President Trump’s nominee for Navy Secretary, Kenneth Braithwaite, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
- Mr. Braithwaite vowed to improve public trust in leadership of the service after years of controversies including a recent COVID-19 outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The Military Entrance Processing Command updated its policy for accessing COVID-19 survivors, loosening restrictions to prohibit accession to only those who were hospitalized because of complications.
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said service members should expect a 3 percent pay raise starting next January under the White House’s federal budget plan.
The Navy League today began a five-day virtual conference featuring top Navy leaders outlining research and procurement opportunities for small businesses. The virtual conference takes place daily from 3:00 PM-4:00 PM ET.
Defense Secretary Esper held a virtual conversation with the Brookings Institution on U.S. defense policy, readiness amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the investments needed to fight the wars of the future
- Sec. Esper warned that the U.S. military must adapt to the “new normal” of coronavirus or face larger impacts to readiness in years to come.
Boeing said it expects a $168 million cost overrun on the new Air Force One plans due to workforce shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 2020

Three major defense contractors reported that they are bracing for economic losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Boeing and General Dynamics both reported sizable revenue decreases in the first quarter of 2020, while Northrop Grumman reduced its projections for the full year by nearly $400 million due to supply chain disruptions.
The USNS Comfort has left Manhattan after spending the last month supporting the region’s COVID-19 efforts.
The Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds will be conducting flyovers over Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta on Saturday to honor essential workers and health care personnel. D.C. residents can expect the flyover at 11:45 am, lasting approximately 20 minutes.
The U.S. Naval Academy announced this year’s commissioning events will be held over a 10-day period with graduating midshipmen separated into five groups to comply with social distancing measures.
There are now 47 confirmed COVID-19 cases among sailors aboard the destroyer USS Kidd, the second Navy ship with a COVID-19 outbreak. The destroyer, which only saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case on April 23^rd, is expected to port in San Diego this week to conduct deep cleaning.
The USNS Mercy offloaded its last remaining patients this weekend as it prepares to leave Manhattan for its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. As of Saturday, the 1,000-bed hospital ship had treated just 182 patients.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday recommended that Capt. Brett Crozier be restored to command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Capt. Crozier was relieved of duty April 2^nd following the leak of his memo pleading to Navy officials for help with a COVID-19 outbreak on the carrier.
- As of today, 840 sailors assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for COVID-19.
The USS Kidd, a Navy destroyer operating near South America, has been forced into port after 18 sailors tested positive for COVID-19.
- This marks the second such instance involving a deployed naval warship sidelined due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Army Sec. Ryan McCarthy said the service expects no delay in the fielding of future weapons despite supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Sec. McCarthy also said a “rigorous” review of acquisition programs for the 2022 budget request is still on schedule.
The DoD reported 3,725 confirmed COVID-19 cases among service members, up 147 from yesterday. The military’s infection rate – 1,773-per-million – is lower than that of the general population – 2,545-per-million.
- With 100 percent of the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s 4,800-sailor crew tested for the virus, 840 tests have come back positive.
The Army said nearly 250 enlisted and officers have requested to withdraw their retirements or resignations as the service offers voluntary extensions to service contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study across VA hospitals nationwide found no evidence that hydroxychloroquine reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Twenty-eight percent of patients who received the drug died, compared with 11 percent of patients who received standard care.
- The fatality rate among VA patients who contract the virus – 6.5 percent – continues to be higher than the general public – 5 percent.
The Marine Corps is cancelling the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) requirement for this semi-annual period in accordance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
The Professional Services Council will host a virtual meeting tomorrow to discuss implementation issues regarding the DoD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program.
The DoD expects to see a three-month delay across the majority of its Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) portfolio due to workforce shortages and supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A DoD spokesperson said most companies in its supply chain will be able to maintain the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for $1,000 per year or less. Under the program, companies will be required to obtain a CMMC assessment from a third-party auditing firm and then a subsequent certification from the newly established CMMC accreditation body before they can win defense contracts. DoD hopes to have CMMC certifications in every defense contract by 2025.
The Navy has established a “rapid action team” to help implement new technologies in shipyards and aboard ships in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team will help Naval Sea Systems Command approve the use of new technology to ensure compliance with health guidelines.
For the first time, the number of new recoveries among service members – 155 – exceeded the number of new cases – 100. Twenty percent of the 2,889 troops diagnosed so far have recovered.
The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is testing three COVID-19 vaccine prototypes on small animals and is preparing to select one candidate for initial human testing.
Dozens of House and Senate Democrats sent a letter to DOJ, DoD, and DHS urging the Trump Administration to halt construction on the southern border wall during the coronavirus pandemic.
DHS and USDA announced a temporary rule change that allows H-2A petitioners with a valid temporary labor certification to employ certain foreign workers who are currently in H-2A status immediately after USCIS receives the H-2A petition. The rule change also allows H-2A workers to stay beyond the three-year maximum allowable period of stay in the U.S.
There are now over 2,800 confirmed COVID-19 cases among service members, up 8 percent from yesterday. DoD’s total COVID-19 cases, which includes troops, civilians, dependents and contractors, is 5,088.
- DoD continues to provide daily updates on total cases across the Department, but does not disclose specific figures at the unit, installation, or combatant command level, citing the need for “operational security.”
The sailor who was aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt and moved to the ICU last week has died from COVID-19. The Navy today reported 585 confirmed COVID-19 cases on USS Theodore Roosevelt, up from roughly 400 on Friday.
DoD on Saturday authorized its first Defense Production Act Title 3 project responding to COVID-19 with a $133 million investment to increase U.S. domestic N95 mask production by 39 million over the next 90 days. Title 3 of the Defense Production Act allows the president “to incentivize the domestic industrial base to expand the production and supply of critical materials and goods.”