KRISTINA WONG 12 Mar 202066
Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on Wednesday evening new travel restrictions for 60 days for troops, civilians, and families traveling to and from Level 3 countries, due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Effective March 13, the changes mean defense personnel traveling to, from, or through these countries must halt movement for 60 days. This includes travel due to Permanent Change of Station (PCS), temporary duty, and government-funded leave. For military personnel, this includes personal leave and other non-official travel.
Esper said in a statement:
The Department of Defense’s top priority remains the protection and welfare of our people. While directing this prudent action, I continue to delegate all necessary authority to commanders to make further decisions based on their assessments to protect their people and ensure mission readiness. While we deal with this fluid and evolving situation, I remain confident in our ability to protect our service members, civilians and families.
