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DOD medical officials outline COVID-19 testing approach
July 31, 2020 — Though the rate of confirmed positive COVID-19 tests among those in uniform is lower than that of the nation's civilian population, the most junior service members have a slightly higher rate than that of their civilian counterparts, the medical advisor to the Defense Department's coronavirus task force said... MORE

A soldier with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade receives a test for COVID-19 at a mobilization station at Fort Hood, Texas, July 9, 2020.

Esper thanks diversity, inclusion board for tackling tough subjects
July 16, 2020 — At its first meeting July 15, the Defense Department's Board on Diversity and Inclusion pledged to rid the department of systemic discrimination. ... MORE

U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper speaks during a lunch with Airmen at RAF Mildenhall.

San Antonio Military Health System expands COVID-19 critical care capabilities
July 14, 2020 — The San Antonio Military Health System is expanding its ability to care for critically injured and ill community members to help ease the COVID-19 burden on the local healthcare system... MORE

Members of the 555th Forward Surgical Team rush a simulated trauma patient to surgery during training with the Strategic Trauma Readiness Center of San Antonio, or STaRC, at Brooke Army Medical Center.

ARNORTH to oversee military COVID-19 operations in Texas, California
July 13, 2020 — At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state officials, approximately 740 Department of Defense medical and support professionals from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force are assigned as part of DOD’s ongoing COVID-19 operations in Texas and California. As part of the whole-of-America response, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Forces Land Component Command, will oversee the military operation in support of federal efforts and the state... MORE

Army Capt. Stacey Johnson, critical care nurse from Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force-627, provides positioning aids to a COVID-19 patient

'Strength of the Nation' assists wildland firefighting operations
July 2, 2020 — The primary mission of U.S. Army North is homeland defense, however, when requested, their forces may deploy to provide Defense Support to Civil Authorities for disasters and emergencies, such as wildland fires... MORE

A U.S. Army Soldier deployed in support of wildland firefighting for the National Interagency Fire Center helps complete mop-up operations that are important to extinguishing and containing wildland fires.

DOD updates travel restrictions, releases list of 'green locations'
June 9, 2020 — The Secretary of Defense recently signed a memo, moving to a conditions-based, phased approach to personnel movement and travel... MORE

JBSA one of seven DOD installations named as sites for second round of 5G technology testing, experimentation
June 3, 2020 — Joint Base San Antonio has been named by the Department of Defense as one of seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct fifth-generation (5G) communications technology experimentation and testing... MORE

The Department of Defense has named seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct fifth-generation (5G) communications technology experimentation and testing.

DOD officials unveil COVID-related personnel, move guidance
May 28, 2020 — Defense Department officials outlined a conditions-based approach to relaxing the stop-movement order that has been in effect since early March due to the coronavirus pandemic... MORE

Questions on civilian leave during pandemic answered
April 27, 2020 — The Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, or SAF/AAR, has answered frequently asked questions regarding civilian employee use or lose leave usage and time off award extensions during the 2019 COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic... MORE

AFIMSC enables Air, Space Force to meet COVID-19 challenges
April 21, 2020 — The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is leading the effort to keep installations mission ready as the Air Force and Space Force continue operations while contending with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic... MORE

The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center has been communicating with mission support group leaders across the Air Force and Space Force using Defense Collaboration Services. The four sessions to date focused on ensuring MSG teams receive the help they need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping their missions going by providing guidance, funding solutions and expertise to resolve issues. (U.S. Air Force photo by Malcolm McClendon).

AAFES supports ARNORTH, service members with mobile store at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
April 13, 2020 — To provide necessities for service members and personnel who are supporting operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service opened a Mobile Field Exchange store at the Mission Training Complex at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston April 6. ... MORE

A customer purchases items inside the Mobile Field Exchange trailer at the Mission Training Complex at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

DOD ramps up COVID-19 response efforts from coast to coast
April 11, 2020 — The coronavirus pandemic is slowing down a lot of things, but not the Defense Department’s medical apparatus, which is now operating from coast to coast to bring its medical expertise and capacity to bear on the medical crisis around the nation... MORE

DOD continually examines, modifies COVID-19 response
April 4, 2020 — The Defense Department is adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic and leaders at all levels are looking at resources, processes and personnel needed to fight the virus, said Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, during a Pentagon news conference April 3... MORE

Military OneSource, family and spouse programs still available
March 30, 2020 — Military OneSource is a Department of Defense-funded program that is both a call center and website that provides comprehensive information, support, and resources on every aspect of military life... MORE

DOD establishes task force to meet U.S. medical equipment needs
March 27, 2020 — The Defense Department has established a joint task force to deal with daily requests the department is receiving for medical and personal protective equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, and others... MORE

DOD releases overseas stop movement order in response to COVID-19
March 26, 2020 — Building upon previously enacted movement restrictions governing foreign travel, permanent change of station moves, temporary duty and personal leave, this stop movement order will also impact exercises, deployments, redeployments and other global force management activities. Approximately 90,000 service members slated to deploy or redeploy over the next 60 days will likely be impacted by this stop movement order... MORE

Defense health officials detail COVID-19 aid effort
March 20, 2020 — Senior Department of Defense health officials detailed what the department is doing to support the whole-of-government assault on the coronavirus pandemic... MORE

DOD poised to provide masks, ventilators, labs for coronavirus fight
March 18, 2020 — The Defense Department will make available up to 5 million respirator masks and other personal protective equipment from its strategic reserves to the Department of Health and Human Services for distribution, DOD Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said during a news conference at the Pentagon March 18, adding that the first million masks would be made available immediately... MORE

Air Force BMT, technical and flying training mission essential, to continue with mitigation
March 17, 2020 — The Department of Defense response to the coronavirus outbreak continues to be dynamic and policy may quickly change, but as of March 17, U.S. Air Force's basic military training, technical training and flying training operations have been deemed mission essential and will continue with mitigation for COVID-19, Air Education and Training Command announced... MORE

DOD issues flexible instructions on response to Coronavirus
March 10, 2020 — The Department of Defense issued memos responding to the need for operations to continue during the outbreak. The DOD documents build on messages from the Office of Personnel Management issued March 7... MORE

One hundred forty-seven passengers traveling from China’s Hubei province arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Feb. 7. They evacuated China to avoid infection by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, spreading from the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the global epidemic.