Seven brigades have deployments scheduled in late spring and summer, Army Headquarters announced Thursday.
Officials from some of the deploying units pointed Army Times to Europe- and Middle East-based service officials concerning how the deployment process will work during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We are awaiting published guidance from CENTCOM regarding quarantine periods for all future deployers," Army Central spokeswoman Col. Angela Funaro said Friday.
Army Europe added Saturday that they’re still working to lock down dates and locations for some of the deploying units.
“Many things are still unknown in our current environment, such as host nation quarantine requirements," Army Europe officials said in a statement. "We will provide more information once the details are finalized.”
The Pentagon has also said it hopes to be able to test 60,000 service members a day for coronavirus by June, using a tiered system to prioitize those in critical roles first.
Here are the Army units tapped for deployments:
The 101st Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, will replace the 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade and will participate in exercise Atlantic Resolve in Europe.
The 4th Security Forces Assistance Brigade stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, will replace the 3rd Security Forces Assistance Brigade as part of Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will replace the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria.
The 4th Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, will replace the 10th Mountain Division Combat Aviation Brigade as part of Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, will replace the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, from the North Carolina Army National Guard, as part of Operation Spartan Shield in Kuwait.
The 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, will replace the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters as the Atlantic Resolve Division Headquarters in Poznan, Poland.
The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, will replace 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division as part of exercise Atlantic Resolve in Europe. Most of the personnel from 2nd BCT are already in Europe.
“The unit originally deployed in February to participate in exercise DEFENDER-Europe 20. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions it became necessary to adjust force deployments," an Army Europe spokesman said.
Stop-movement orders
Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team are also still in Kuwait following a no-notice deployment during the rapid increase in tensions between the United States and Iran in late December.
Though roughly 800 of the paratroopers were brought home in February, the remainder of the brigade is still in theater, partially due to the coronavirus pandemic and partially because tensions are still intermittently flaring up with Iran, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley.
“But we are monitoring — almost daily, actually — to determine exactly when to bring them home," Milley said April 9. “The secretary is very keen on bringing them home, but it’s dependent on the overall security situation between Iraq and Iran.”
The Pentagon has also issued a military-wide travel ban that was recently extended to June 30 to stem the spread of coronavirus. That policy will be reviewed every 15 days, officials said, and the policy could be lifted earlier.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
