The US Military Coronavirus Response

The U.S. military’s coronavirus response includes protection help for service members and families, along with resources and many announced cancellations. Like the response from civilian officials nationwide, the military’s plans change day-by-day.

Military.com is staying up-to-date with the latest coronavirus changes and resources available from Defense Department officials. Check back often for the latest or subscribe to our newsletters for weekly updates.

Military Coronavirus Resources and Information

Learn how veterans and Tricare users can get tested for the coronavirus.

View the latest coronavirus-related changes and cancellations for military exercises, training, boot camp, Reserve and Guard units, academies and bases.

See how the coronavirus stop-movement order impacts military families.

Find military mental health resources for dealing with coronavirus-related stress.

See an updated list of military coronavirus cases.

Find ideas for dealing with coronavirus-related military move delays.

Learn how to stay fit while social distancing.

What Is the Novel Coronavirus?

The novel coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can spread between people. Symptoms can include a fever, dry cough, body aches and difficulty breathing.

Officials have asked those who have traveled to a high-risk area or who have come in contact with someone known to be infected with the virus to self-isolate for 14 days. Self isolation or quarantine should include staying home from school or work, avoiding contact with others and watching for signs of infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coronavirus News

(Lance Cpl. Rebecca Elmy/U.S. Marine Corps photo)

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The New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park in Edison

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COVID-19 vaccine shots at Dover Air Force Base

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New Marines conduct uniform maintenance in preparation for Family Day

Marine Corps Cammie Items Are Back in Stock After Shortages Due to Pandemic-Related Supply Disruptions

Doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine arrive at Naval Medical Center San Diego

Navy SEALs, Sailors Who Refused COVID Vaccine Will Have Records Expunged After Legal Settlement

A Filipino Catholic wearing a face mask and shield to protect against coronavirus

Pentagon Stands by Secret Anti-Vaccination Disinformation Campaign in Philippines After Reuters Report

Airman receives his first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

Supreme Court Rejects Military Chaplains' Lawsuit Claiming Refusal of COVID-19 Vaccine Hurt Their Careers

Navy Corpsmen prepare Influenza vaccines and COVID-19 booster shots on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

Pentagon Complied with COVID-19 Waiver Rules According to Watchdog But Services Moved Slowly

National Personnel Records Center in Spanish Lake, Mo.

This photo shows the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni headquarters building.

Marine Veteran Who Refused COVID-19 Vaccine Detained at Former Duty Station, Transferred to Japanese Authorities

Air Force Officer Accused of Threatening to Shoot Airline Captain Fought Military's COVID Vaccine Mandate to Supreme Court

An airman provides a patient with the COVID-19 vaccine at MacDill

Troops Suing Defense Department over Vaccine Mandate Reach $1.8 Million Settlement

U.S. Army veteran receives shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination

VA Expects COVID-19 Boosters This Week, Urges Patients and Employees to Vax Up

Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island

No More Banking 120 Days of Leave: The Navy Is Beginning to Rein In Those COVID-Era Rules

Army specialist performs COVID-19 testing at the mobile lab.

Pentagon COVID-19 Case Registry Is Riddled with Errors, Watchdog Finds

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., joined by Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.,, left, speaks

House Panel Approves Defense Bill with Highest Pay Raise in Decades After Culture War Brawl

Protections for Troops Booted over COVID Vaccine Mandate Added to House Defense Bill

Air Force veteran Willie Williams, 63, looks to cross the street outside the Soldiers' Home, on April 6, 2020, in Chelsea, Mass. The families of three residents of the veterans' care facility who died after contracting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic say in a federal lawsuit that the deaths were ‘premature and preventable’ and the result of ‘unsanitary, unfit, and unacceptable living conditions’ at the facility.

Researchers Say Older Vets with COVID-19 Had Higher Survival Rates in VA Hospitals

How Has the Military Responded to the Coronavirus?

The U.S. military's coronavirus response started well before the first cases were reported in the U.S.

With roughly 375,000 civilian and uniformed personnel stationed in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. military has been aggressive in its efforts to protect against COVID-19, which originated in China's Wuhan province.

Joint exercises with South Korea were postponed in February 2020 due to the virus, and the Daegu Army Garrison executed a self-quarantine for certain soldiers to guard against contagion.

The effects of protective measures reached beyond Asia as well, with U.S. Central Command issuing a temporary prohibition on travel for troops stationed in the Middle East and military commanders in Europe bracing for base lockdowns in Germany as cases spread worldwide.

Despite protective posturing, the two first U.S. military coronavirus cases were confirmed in late February: the widow of a retired soldier living in South Korea and a 23-year-old soldier stationed at South Korea's Camp Carroll.

On March 13, a global stop-movement order was issued for all U.S. military personnel, and military family PCS and TDY travel was also halted.