Congress Told Virus Is Impacting US Military In Europe

Roll Call reports:

The spread of the coronavirus in Europe is affecting operations and services on some U.S. military bases in Italy, and precautions could soon extend to the thousands of personnel stationed in Germany, the general in charge of the military’s activity on that continent told senators on Tuesday.

Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, who leads U.S. European Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that a “fair amount” of the military’s 35,000 soldiers in Italy are staying home to avoid the virus.

Wolters estimated that there are up to 7,000 troops stationed in Vicenza, with as many as 80 percent of those troops having spouses and children. The base acts as the headquarters for the U.S. Army’s Africa operations and also hosts members of the Army’s 173rd Airborne unit.