Troops Say the US Military is not Taking COVID-19 Seriously

What the U.S. military is telling troops about how to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is all over the map. 

The Pentagon continues to insist that commanders can determine the best approach to stopping the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in their units, resulting in confused messaging to troops and their families that often conflicts with federal guidelines to stop the virus' spread.

Army recruits have been told they are safer in the fresh air than in their barracks. Marines have been told they still need to report to work even though their children's schools are closed. And one Army commander assured soldiers and families that they should not be worried about coronavirus because young, healthy people are at a low risk.

Meanwhile, the number of U.S. troops confirmed positive for the virus nearly doubled from 67 on Friday to 133 on Monday. Another 41 service members had tested positive for the disease by Tuesday. Currently, the U.S. has had more than 46,000 total confirmed cases and more than 590 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, edging out only China and Italy with more cases.