SUPERCARRIER SIDELINED: First, there were three sailors medevaced from the USS Theodore Roosevelt after testing positive for the coronavirus. Then, five more crew members were flown off the ship as it plied the waters of the Pacific. More than a dozen other sailors were put in isolation. And now, all 5,000 sailors on board will be tested as the massive supercarrier sits pierside in Guam, in what the Navy says was a “previously scheduled port visit.”
“We are taking this threat very seriously and are working quickly to identify and isolate positive cases while preventing further spread of the virus aboard the ship,” said acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly. “No sailors have been hospitalized or are seriously ill.”
The Navy has not identified the source of the initial infections, but the sailors began to show symptoms after the ship made a port call in Da Nang, Vietnam, earlier this month.
LOOSE LIPS: The Navy insists that, if needed, the Roosevelt could be quickly deployed, once infected sailors are removed for quarantine. “We are confident that our aggressive response will keep USS Theodore Roosevelt able to respond to any crisis in the region,” Modly said in a statement.
But Defense Secretary Mark Esper is apparently concerned that, in its zeal to be transparent with the American public, the U.S. military may be providing too much intelligence about the state of readiness of U.S. forces around the world. For instance, the United States might not want to broadcast that its most powerful maritime asset in the Pacific is currently, even if only temporarily, sidelined by a viral infection.
In an interview with Reuters, Esper said he wants some of the more “mission-specific information” to be withheld to prevent compromising operational security. “What we want to do is give you aggregated numbers. But we’re not going to disaggregate numbers because it could reveal information about where we may be affected at a higher rate than maybe some other places,” Esper told Reuters.
When the Army reported yesterday it was up 288 confirmed cases of COVID-19, chief of staff Gen. James McConville declined to say where the soldiers were. “I’m not going to get into the exact numbers,” he said at a Pentagon news conference. “They’re pretty much spread out. We have not seen clusters yet.”
At an earlier briefing, Modly said the Navy was “trying to be as responsive and transparent as possible” while at the same time considering operational and privacy concerns. “We will follow the direction of the secretary of defense in terms of this,” he said. “But from our perspective, from my perspective, being as transparent as possible is probably the best path.”
THE MARINES’ ‘UNIQUE’ APPROACH: If the U.S. Marine Corps is known for anything, it’s about having its own unique ethos, and pride of duty. Which explains why the corps has told its commanders to be smart about the extent social distancing is incorporated into training and PT.
“The guidance to them is pretty clear: Our force has to be ready to respond when we’re given the direction to do so. So you need to conduct a training that’s necessary to maintain your readiness,” said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger at a Pentagon briefing yesterday. Berger has directed headquarter staff to telework as much as possible, but when it comes to readiness exercises, he says, there’s a limit to what you can do.
“On a pistol range, on a detail, they’ll spread them out now, just like we are in this room,” Berger told reporters. “If it’s a live-fire exercise, OK, you can only do so much to moderate social distancing when you’re moving down-range.”
Shawn Snow, a reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran, asked the commandant about pictures he said were “flowing in” showing “large-scale mass formations, rifle ranges are still ongoing, exercises still kicking off.” Snow suggested there was a “general sense that the Marine Corps is not being a responsible stakeholder.”
“If the pictures look different to you, son, if they look unique, it’s probably because it’s true,” Berger replied. “The Marine Corps is unique. We are mandated by law to be the nation’s most ready force, and that’s what I think you expect us to be.”
GOT THEM BY THE SHORT HAIRS?: If there’s another thing Marines are known for, it’s their “high and tight” buzz cuts. But the barbers who do the shearing are usually civilians, and some are in states with stay-at-home orders.
“Everybody’s still getting their head shaved as long as the barbers come to work,” Berger said. “But there will come that time if it gets worse and worse and worse, where barbers won’t come to work. In that case, you know, we’ll have to make a decision: Do Marines cut Marines’ hair? Do we make adjustments?”
Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by David Sivak. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: The House is set to pass the historic $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act this morning and send it to President Trump, who has promised to sign it into law right away. The bill includes $10.5 billion in emergency appropriations for the Department of Defense, as well as new authorities to provide flexibility and support to the defense industrial base.
House leaders were hoping to pass the unprecedented measure, which cleared the Senate with a unanimous 96-0 vote, by voice vote, which would not require most lawmakers to return to Washington.
But Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who opposes the measure, is threatening to force a roll-call vote, so members who are able to return are being summoned back to the Capitol to ensure a quorum.
ALSO TODAY: The Pentagon is continuing its practice of not announcing daily briefings until shortly before they happen. But yesterday, Army officials confirmed that Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be conducting an on-the-record, on-camera briefing sometime today.
“Our Army Corps of Engineers is engaged in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, assisting FEMA and state authorities. They are on the ground conducting site assessments for all care facilities,” said Gen. McConville. “Lt. Gen. Semonite will provide a detailed press briefing on the Corps Engineers’ efforts.”
HELP IS ARRIVING: More than 600 Army medical workers are due to arrive in New York today, where the Corps of Engineers has been building a makeshift hospital at the Javits Center in midtown Manhattan to relieve the strain on the city’s overstressed hospitals.
“The 531st Hospital for Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the 9th Hospital from Fort Hood, Texas, will deploy to New York City,” said McConville. “They will set up at the Javits Center this weekend, and they will be operational for non-COVID patients beginning Monday.”
In addition, the Army is sending another 600 personnel from the 627th Hospital from Fort Carson, Colorado, to Seattle, Washington, where officials are still deciding where to set up operations.
In addition, the departure of the hospital ship USNS Comfort has been accelerated, and it’s now due in New York Harbor by the early part of next week. Her sister ship, the USNS Mercy is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles today.
President Trump and Modly are scheduled to be on-hand tomorrow at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, to see the Comfort off.
HPCON DELTA ‘SAFETY BUBBLE’: While the Pentagon has raised its Health Protection Condition, or HPCON, to Charlie around the world, the Army has put some squads of its troops on HPCON Delta, including troops from the elite 82nd Airborne Division.
“Our immediate response forces have assumed HPCOM Delta to remain ready to respond to threats,” said McConville. “We’re putting, in effect, what I would call almost a safety bubble-type mentality.”
“What we really want them to do is limit their exposure to anyone else, and almost create a safety bubble around themselves,” he explained. “You make sure that all the people inside the bubble do not have the virus, and you can protect the force. So, that’s what we’re trying to do with them.”
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: The Army has also put out a call to retired officers, noncommissioned officers, and soldiers who have the skills and expertise to volunteer to assist with its COVID-19 response efforts.
“This is a voluntary opportunity for our medical Soldiers for Life to return to the fight if they so choose, especially if they are not currently assisting their local communities,” said McConville. “So far, the initial responses have been very, very positive.”
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Military tries to calm public fears of martial law
AP: Canada urges US not to put troops at border during pandemic
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Troops Won’t Go To Canada Border
Washington Examiner: Marine Corps readiness outweighs coronavirus hesitance as first Pentagon case reported
Navy Times: Navy OKs Enlistment Extensions, Veteran Re-Entry To Supplement Ranks Amid Covid-19
Military Times: Pentagon Turns Focus Toward Making Masks, Ventilators
Washington Examiner: Space Force blasts off for the first time
Reuters: U.S. Increases Support For Taiwan In Recognition Battle With China
Reuters: U.S. Playing Dangerous Game, China Says, After Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait
Washington Examiner: Trump administration puts $15M bounty on head of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro
Just the News: British navy shadows Russian ships in ‘unusual’ activity in waters around the UK
Marine Corps Times: The Marines Want To Get Rid Of Their Tanks. Here’s Why.
Air Force Magazine: Private Tankers Could Help USAF Keep Up With Demand
AFP: U.S. Cancels Major Philippines War Games Due To Virus
Calendar
NOTE: Most events in Washington have been canceled in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, but the Pentagon has been conducting almost-daily pop-up briefings. Check https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Today-in-DoD/ for updates to the Pentagon’s schedule.
FRIDAY | MARCH 27
TBA, the Pentagon — Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducts an on-the-record, on-camera briefing on the Corps coronavirus response.
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 1
8 a.m. — Defense Writers Group audio conference call with Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you’re going to major hospitals sometimes, they’ll have two ventilators. And now, all of a sudden, they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”
President Trump, telling Sean Hannity on Fox News that he’s skeptical of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s claim that people will needlessly die if he doesn’t have 30,000 more breathing machines within two weeks.
