WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon on Thursday announced that the US military would no longer bar people who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 from serving in its ranks. Defense Department personnel head Matthew Donovan said he had “rescinded” rules on the matter, which the military had put in place in early May out of concern over long-term respiratory damage from the disease. “There was some interim and draft guidance… that I rescinded,” Donovan […]
Tag: military
Military helicopter crashes outside Moscow, crew killed: ministry
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A Russian army Mi-8 helicopter crashed outside Moscow during a training flight on Tuesday, killing the crew, the defense ministry said. “As a result of a crash landing the crew of the helicopter died of their wounds,” the defense ministry said. Defense ministry spokespeople, reached by AFP, declined to specify how many crew members had died. But Russian news agencies, citing emergency services, said three people died. The helicopter, which did […]
Pres. Duterte slams NPA for killing soldiers escorting money, food supplies: “I might declare martial law”
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte slammed the continuous killing being done by communist rebels of soldiers and policemen who were just assigned to secure the transportation of food and supplies across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Duterte warned that he might just declare martial law if this continues to stop the New People’s Army (NPA)’s violence and mayhem, he said. “I might declare martial law, and there will be no falling back. […]
US warns China not to ‘exploit’ virus for sea disputes
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Monday warned China not to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to exert itself in the South China Sea after Vietnam said Beijing sank a trawler. Amid the global focus on fighting COVID-19, China has ramped up self-described research stations and landed special military aircraft in the dispute-rife sea, according to the State Department. “We call on the PRC to remain focused on supporting international efforts […]
US cancels Balikatan exercises in the PHL due to virus pandemic
The US military has cancelled a large-scale exercise involving thousands of troops in the Philippines because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to scrap Balikatan 2020 was taken “in light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding COVID-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries’ forces”, US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson said. The war games, scheduled for May 4-15, would have involved more than 10,000 troops from the […]
US freezes overseas troop movements in virus lockdown
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Mark Esper ordered a 60-day freeze Wednesday on moves by US troops and civilian defense employees overseas in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The move stopped the deployment or redeployment of some 90,000 US service members for the next two months. It also freezes in place the families of service members who traveled overseas with their deployments. “This measure is taken to aid […]
Taiwan anger over China military drills during virus outbreak
The self-ruled democratic island has had to scramble its own fighter jets in response to recent Chinese maneuvers, designed to show that Beijing’s military might remains unbowed by the health crisis. But the tactic is winning few friends among the Taiwanese. “As the world grapples with the severity of the COVID19 pandemic, China’s military maneuvers around Taiwan have continued unabated,” President Tsai Ing-wen said in a tweet late Tuesday accompanied by pictures of her visiting […]
Virus kills 2 senior military officers in Egypt
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — A second senior military officer in Egypt has died of the new coronavirus, state television reported Monday, as the officially declared death toll stood at 14 from 327 cases recorded nationwide. Major General Shafee Dawood, head of major infrastructure projects at the military engineering authority, became the latest high-ranking figure in Egypt to die from COVID-19 in hospital. His death comes after Major General Khaled Shaltout, the army’s chief of water […]
AFP: All foreign travels of military personnel suspended unless necessary
(Eagle News)–The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday, March 11, said all foreign travel by military personnel was temporarily suspended unless necessary as a precaution against the novel coronavirus. AFP chief General Felimon Santos also noted that he has directed AFP Health Services Command to “institute preventive measures to ensure that military camps have the necessary and stringent safeguards” from COVID-19. “We have already instituted contingency measures, like body temperature checking before entering key […]
North Korea fires unidentified projectile: South’s military
by Sunghee Hwang SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles on Monday, the South’s military said, weeks after Pyongyang declared its moratorium on long-range missile tests over. The move comes as nuclear negotiations with the United States are at a standstill and as a unilateral deadline Pyongyang set Washington to offer it fresh concessions on sanctions relief expired. The two devices were fired eastwards over the sea from the Wonsan area […]
US, South Korea postpone joint military exercises over virus
by Sunghee Hwang SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The US and South Korean militaries on Thursday postponed forthcoming joint exercises due to the coronavirus outbreak in the Asian country as the number of cases surged by a quarter. The decision to delay the training was made after Seoul declared its highest “severe” alert level over the virus, Combined Forces Command said, adding the postponement was “until further notice”. The United States has 28,500 troops in […]
US military reports South Korea virus case
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — An American soldier stationed in South Korea has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, commanders said Wednesday, as the country’s case total jumped again. The soldier, a 23-year-old man, is the first infection among the 28,500 troops Washington stations in the South to defend it against the nuclear-armed North. Based at Camp Carroll 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Daegu, the serviceman has been put in self-quarantine at his home, […]





