FILE – This March 27, 2008, aerial file photo, shows the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:00 PM PT — Wednesday, March 25, 2020
The U.S. Military has come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has ordered all troops to remain where they are for the next 60 days.
This means there will be no deployments, while troops scheduled to return home will have to stay where they are.
“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,” read a statement from the Defense Department.
Meanwhile, troops will continue to be pulled out of Afghanistan. The Pentagon has said it hopes this will curb the spread of the virus.
The @DeptofDefense will remain prepared to conduct all of our missions. Leadership across the DoD is taking all precautionary measures to make sure we maintain priority number two – mission capabilities. Our first priority is protecting our force, our people, & our dependents. pic.twitter.com/i4BsIefeV1
— Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD) March 25, 2020
Hundreds of service members have tested positive for the virus so far.
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