The Growing U.S. Military Role In Responding To The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

A military health worker at a drive-through coronavirus testing center on Staten Island. Defense officials opened up a range of military capabilities this week. Photo: mike segar/Reuters

Wall Street Journal: Military Role Widens in Pandemic Response

Officials are preparing for engineering, medical, logistics missions, including makeshift hospitals.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. military said Friday it is preparing plans to take over hotels and other buildings if necessary to add to the nation’s supply of hospital rooms, part of its response to the coronavirus emergency.

Pentagon officials detailed the plans as they opened up the range of military capabilities and forces this week, with preparations for deploying thousands of National Guard troops, providing hospital ships and ferrying medical equipment.

The head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers outlined plans for taking over as many as 10,000 hotel rooms, college dormitories and other spaces in New York to provide medical services to accommodate the exponential increase of virus-related hospitalizations.

Based on a request from state officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which is coordinating the crisis response for the White House, the Corps would forge contracts with hotels, colleges and possibly sports arenas—all of which are largely empty anyway—to begin to transform them into medical facilities, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite said.

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WNU Editor: Of course the U.S. military will not rescue the US from the Covid-19 pandemic .... The Military Alone Can't Rescue the US From Coronavirus (Foreign Policy). But they are a tremendous resource that is going to help a lot of people during this difficult time.

More News On The Growing U.S. Military Role In Responding To The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Army Employs All-Out Effort to Combat COVID-19 -- US Department of Defense
The U.S. Military Is on the Frontlines in the Battle Against the Coronavirus -- Popular Mechanics
US military says it is working to convert buildings into hospitals in three or four weeks -- CNN
With coronavirus spreading, the US military is dealing with a social-distancing problem -- Business Insider
How the US Military Should—and Shouldn’t—Be Used to Defeat Coronavirus -- Steven Bucci, Daily Signal