COVID-19
USO’s online programs prove popular with troops during coronavirus lockdowns
“I think we are busier now than before the pandemic,” Yokota USO manager Mardie Marqueze-Velasquez said Wednesday. “We can’t reach them physically, but we have great teams across the globe of volunteers and staff.”
Air Force restarts ‘eco tours’ at Tokyo recreation area as on-base COVID-19 cases wane
The tours, which began in 2006 and happen only periodically, are a way for Japanese citizens to see what’s behind the barbed wire fence surrounding Tama Hills, the U.S. military-operated recreation area located on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Army colonel who oversaw ‘ground zero’ for US military’s COVID-19 cases is retiring
Col. Edward Ballanco wrapped up his final assignment as U.S. Army Garrison Daegu’s commander at Camp Walker. He will be retiring after 25 years of military service to settle in Montana, where he and his wife plan to launch a travel tour business.
Two civilians banned from Sasebo after being found at off-base bar in violation of coronavirus rules
Security personnel checking bars and clubs frequented by Sasebo service members found the civilians in the bar on Friday, according to a base spokesman.
USS Roosevelt has nearly 1,000 virus cases after Navy reassesses how it determines who’s still sick
The initial testing of all 4,800 crew members aboard the USS Roosevelt has been complete as of Monday, according to the Navy.
Okinawa Marines go on lockdown after dozens test positive for coronavirus
After months with no confirmed infections on the island, “this week the Marine Corps experienced two localized clusters of individuals who tested positive for the virus,” a statement on Facebook said.
Number of coronavirus-infected US troops arriving in South Korea mounts
South Korea has expressed concern over the growing numbers, although U.S. Forces Korea insists that mandatory testing and two-week quarantine procedures have helped contain the problem.