Ready or Not: Regaining Military Readiness during COVID19

Authors

Diane DiEuliis, Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University
Laura J. Junor, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Files

Description

This commentary examines how the outbreak of COVID-19 affected the readiness of U.S. military forces and explores strategic and operational challenges in restoring readiness amid the pandemic. The author reviews early impacts, including training disruptions, unit quarantines, and limitations on collective exercises, and describes how the armed services and combatant commands adapted policies to maintain preparedness. The article assesses the implications of prolonged readiness degradation for force posture, deterrence credibility, and alliance commitments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and Europe. It emphasizes that returning to pre-pandemic readiness levels requires not only resuming traditional training but also addressing systemic vulnerabilities exposed by the crisis. Policy options discussed include innovative training modalities, resilience investments, and institutional learning to ensure future readiness under conditions of sustained global health uncertainty

Document Type

Article

Topic(s)

Defense Policy, National Security, Logistics and Readiness

Region(s)

United States, Indo-Pacific, Europe

Publication Date

4-10-2020

Keywords

military readiness, COVID-19, pandemic impacts, U.S. armed forces, training disruption, force preparedness, deterrence credibility, Indo-Pacific, Europe, defense resilience, combatant commands, strategic adaptation

Recommended Citation

DiEuliis, Diane and Junor, Laura J., "Ready or Not: Regaining Military Readiness during COVID19" (2020). Strategic Insights. 15.
https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/strategic-insights/15