US military transport going strong during crisis

USTRANSCOM is successfully operating missions of moving people and equipment around the world in response to the COVID-19 outbreak says the U.S. Transportation Command commander.

Beyond military transportation missions USTRANSCOM is supporting HHS, FEMA and the State in their mobility enterprises.

These efforts include shipments of COVID test swabs to aid in the repatriation of Americans abroad.

"We have flown to date approximately three million COVID test swabs, for example, in support of HHS," U.S. Transportation Command commander General Stephen R. Lyons said in a Pentagon briefing Tuesday via telephone.

"There is more work ongoing for sure," Gen. Lyons said.

Lyons wold not discuss the number of USTRANSCOM forces who have tested positive for the new coronavirus but said, their numbers are in the single digits.  "Single digits across the entire mobility enterprise," Lyons said.

"At this particular moment in time our COVID positive rates are very, very low," he said.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.