US freezes overseas troop movements in virus lockdown

(FILES) In this image released by the US Defense Department, paratroopers and equipment assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division load aircraft bound for the US Central Command area of operations from Fort Bragg, North Carolina on January 4, 2019. – The US Defense Department (DoD) has issued a 60-day freeze to troop deployments. “Secretary of Defense Mark Esper enacted a 60-day stop movement order for all DoD uniformed and civilian personnel and their sponsored family members overseas. This measure is taken to aid in further prevention of the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), to protect U.S. personnel and preserve the operational readiness of our global force,” DoD said in a statement released March 25, 2020. (Photo by Hubert Delaney III / US Department of Defense / AFP)

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 in further prevention of the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), to protect US personnel and preserve the operational readiness of our global force,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

The statement said Esper’s order “is not expected to impact” the drawdown of some 4,000 US troops in Afghanistan targeted to be completed within 135 days of the February 29 peace pact with the Taliban.

As of Wednesday morning, the Pentagon said there was 435 current and recovered COVID-19 cases among military personnel, civilians, contractors, and their families.

One Defense Department contractor died from the disease.

© Agence France-Presse

Related Post

This website uses cookies.