Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, an Army official announced Monday.
“[McConville] is experiencing very mild symptoms similar to seasonal allergies and is currently working remotely while adhering to all [Centers for Disease Control] protocols,” said his spokesperson, Lt. Col Mary Ricks.
Ricks added that the Army’s top general “is fully vaccinated and has received two COVID-19 boosters.”
As the Army’s chief of staff, McConville represents the Army in the highest levels of government and oversees the training and organization of soldiers who aren’t deployed under the control of combatant commanders.
He’s held the role since 2019, guiding the Army’s pivot towards preparing for large-scale combat operations as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan waned. McConville has also advocated for major technological modernization projects that he sees as critical to the service’s future success.
McConville is not the only member of the Joint Chiefs to have contracted the virus in recent months.
Both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, and the Marine Corps’ top general, Gen. David Berger, caught it in January.
The two generals also experienced mild symptoms and were able to keep working as they recovered.
Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.
