North Korea Hijacs U.S. Naval Vessel 1968
This nameplate was used in 1968
Troopers block Bama Schools 1963
This nameplate was used in 1963

COVID-19

LaDonna Spivey, a personal trainer and volunteer for the USO at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, leads a workout via Facebook Live.

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.”

A Navy public affairs officer poses for a photo with children at the Dorothea's Project Legacies Charity Center, Danang, Vietnam, during the USS Theodore Roosevelt's port call March 6, 2020.

USS Theodore Roosevelt’s fateful Vietnam port call had blessing of Pacific’s highest commanders

The decision to move forward with the port call was made by high-ranking Pacific military officials only after a thorough analysis of risks posed at that point in the spread of the virus, according to a written statement provided to Stars and Stripes by Pacific Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Myers Vasquez.

The Samaritan Shopper Program for people in quarantine was launched at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, in summer 2020 and remained active until summer 2021, when vaccinations became widespread, and demand dropped off.

Volunteer shoppers resurface at US bases in Japan as COVID-19 surges

A new, record-breaking surge of COVID-19 infections in Japan led to a resurgence of a program to help deliver groceries to those in quarantine at Yokosuka Naval Base.

High-priority beneficiaries wait in line at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in January 2021, to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. A newly released Pentagon Inspector General report said vaccine rollouts overseas were hampered by insufficient data, among other problems.

Distribution lagged for months at overseas US military bases during COVID-19 vaccine rollout, IG says

The Army and Air Force didn’t prioritize overseas service members and dependents who had no other COVID-19 vaccination options, leading to long distribution delays at many U.S. bases last year, a Pentagon Inspector General’s report said.

U.S. and South Korea troops take part in a ruck march at Camp Casey, South Korea, April 22, 2022.

US military drops COVID-19 mask requirement in South Korea

Masks are no longer required on any US military installation or facility in South Korea, although individual commanders may mandate them in high-traffic indoor areas.

U.S. Forces Korea updated its COVID-19 policy on Thursday, March 24, 2022, to allow nonessential travel to Seoul, South Korea.

US military lifts Seoul travel ban as South Korea continues to wrestle with COVID-19

U.S. Forces Korea did away with the ban on Thursday, according to a news release. The command is responsible for about 28,500 service members, along with civilian employees, contractors and their families.

Pvt. Daija Gillam, 22, of the 25th Transportation Battalion, screens drivers before allowing them to enter Camp Walker in the coronavirus-hit city of Daegu, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.

First US service member to contract coronavirus has recovered in South Korea, military says

The first U.S. service member to test positive for coronavirus has recovered and been released after 49 days in isolation in South Korea, the military said Thursday.