Pentagon Exercises, Deployments Suspended Following 60-day Stop Movement Order

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper enacted a 60-day stop movement order for all DoD uniformed and civilian personnel and their sponsored family members overseas.

This stop movement order will impact exercises, deployments, redeployments and other global force management activities. Approximately 90,000 Service Members slated to deploy or redeploy over the next 60 days will likely be impacted by this stop movement order.

“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,” a Pentagon release said Tuesday.

The order builds upon previously enacted movement restrictions governing foreign travel, permanent change of station moves, temporary duty and personal leave.

Embedded within the order are mechanisms by which exceptions can be granted. Authorized exceptions to the order include:

Travel by patients and medical providers for the purposes of medical treatment for DoD personnel and their families.

Scheduled deployments / redeployments of U.S. navy vessels and embarked units, provided they are in transit for 14 days and have met the restriction of movement (ROM) requirements associated with current force health protection guidance.

Individuals who have already initiated travel. Individuals whose TDY ends while this order is in effect are authorized to return to their home station.

Currently, this order is not expected to impact the continued drawdown of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, which is scheduled to be complete within 135 days following the signed agreement.

Meanwhile, a US Marine stationed at the Pentagon was tested positive for Coronavirus Tuesday and has been isolated, a release said.