Small Wars Journal

Military Memo from 2017 Warned of Pandemic’s Impact on Combat Readiness and Risk of War

Wed, 04/01/2020 - 9:07pm

Military Memo from 2017 Warned of Pandemic’s Impact on Combat Readiness and Risk of WarMilitary Times Staff

An internal Pentagon document from 2017 warned about the potentially catastrophic impact of a pandemic like the coronavirus, one that could “result in debilitating illness in military forces at levels significant enough to degrade combat readiness.”

The internal Defense Department document, first reported by The Nation magazine on Wednesday, says a pandemic like the one currently spreading across the United States may impact U.S. Northern Command’s “operating environment for up to 24 months,” according to the document made available online.

The 103-page document published by U.S. NORTHCOM, titled “Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Disease Response” and dated January 2017, reveals the extent to which the military has been planning and bracing for a widespread pandemic.

It paints a dire picture of the impact a pandemic can have on military readiness and national security…

Read on.