Armed Services v COVID-19

For John, BLUF:  The military should not always be the "Go To" people in a crisis.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why militarizing the coronavirus response is a bad idea…for now anyway

From the Lawfire Blog, by Professor Charlie Dunlap, 19 March 2020.

Here is the lede plus one:

With rattled governors calling out the National Guard, politicians demanding the mobilization of the military, pundits characterizing the coronavirus emergency as a national security threat, analysts claiming that “battling a pandemic is a job for the military,” and even talk of “martial law”, the pressure is growing to further militarize the coronavirus response.

In a sense, this is understandable given the high-standing of the military in the eyes of the American people.  But while there are some things the armed forces can and should do now, a significant militarization of the coronavirus response (at this point anyway) is a bad idea. Allow me to explain why.

Here are the author's seven key points:

1) The military needs to be ready to counter any adversary who seeks to exploit the situation.

2) Military health capabilities are more limited than many suppose

3) Civilian leaders and agencies are better suited for what is needed now.

4) There are perils to characterizing even a serious national health issue as a “national security” threat.

5) This particular threat is not one for which the military – and military families – ought to disproportionately bear the burden

6) We are not yet in extremis

7) The military has to be reserved – and preserved – for the worst case scenario.

I think Professor Dunlap does an excellent job of explaining the interface of the military and the response to the Coronavirus.

The author is a retired Air Force Major General, a former deputy judge advocate general of the United States Air Force.  In July 2010 he joined the Duke Law faculty, where he is a professor of the practice of law and Executive Director of the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security.

Regards  —  Cliff