The top U.S. military general warns U.S. adversaries that U.S. defenses are not slackening, despite the fact that he and other top officers were forced to self-quarantine due to a coronavirus.
Admiral Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a message on Twitter Thursday (Oct. 8) that the quarantine has “no impact” on the Pentagon’s ability to defend the U.S. and its allies.
“The United States is capable and prepared,” Milley said in the statement. “During the quarantine, the Senate and I were in constant communication and the chain of command remained intact.”
According to information provided by the Pentagon, Milley, along with Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral John Hayden and the top chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, self-quarantined themselves beginning earlier this week “out of extreme caution” after learning that another senior military official, Vice Admiral Charles Ray, had been infected with the neoconavirus.
Charles Ray tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, followed by Marine Corps Assistant Commandant Gen. Gary Thomas, who tested positive on Tuesday, officials said.
All of those officers, along with National Guard Bureau chief Gen. Daniel Hockenson, Cyber Command commander Gen. Paul Nakasone and members of the subordinate Joint Staff, participated in a series of meetings at the Pentagon last week, officials said.
The Pentagon said it is unclear how Ray, who began showing mild symptoms late last week, contracted the coronavirus.
Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, told the media Thursday that “from the data that I have available, the top leadership of the Department of Defense is following and has followed all the norms to keep themselves and their staff safe.”
“What this really shows is that while we have adopted best practices that we think we know how to control this virus, it’s not 100 percent effective,” he said. “It further tells us that we must continue to be vigilant as complacency becomes a greater risk factor around the world, and especially in the United States.”
Since Sept. 27, Milley, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and senior Defense Department officials have been regularly tested. On that day, they attended a reception at the White House for the families of fallen soldiers who received “gold stars. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also attended the event. They tested positive for the coronavirus later that week.
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