Is Covid-19 a Threat to National Security?

There is no doubt that the recent coronavirus pandemic poses a serious threat to the national security of the United States. In order to combat the spread of the virus, the Americans have implemented strict quarantine measures, including self-isolation, and the military help to control the situation. There are many reasons why Covid-19 is dangerous not only for the economy and healthcare but for the army as well. Nevertheless, the use of the military is necessary to recover from the pandemic.

First of all, the sudden spread of Covid-19 is a trial for the health care system, which includes testing the countrys defense against biological weapons. In addition, the U.S. intelligence community made a report, according to which, the worldwide vulnerability to a large-scale outbreak of contagious disease among the top threats facing the country¹. As for direct military threat, Military Times Poll discovered that half of the active-duty troops believe that the coronavirus pandemic represents a significant threat to military readiness and operations². In such circumstances, the country has to impose strict rules for the military, especially for those who work in small spaces. Most of the measures are related to the establishment of the necessary social distance.

It should be noted, however, that even though the spread of the disease in the army threatens the security of the state, the military continues to help in the fight against the epidemic. The troops were among the first establishments that responded to the pandemic. For instance, they have been exchanging firearms for food supplies and medicine. Nevertheless, coronavirus is still forcing the United States to scale back military operations and impose restrictive measures. It is not an easy task since the army has to ensure that there is enough supply of personal protective equipment while continuing to provide medical personnel to support the civilian healthcare system³. The pandemic has also forced the military troops to reduce the scale and activity of military training.

At the first glance, it can be seen as a good way to slow down the spread of infection; however, it makes untrained units weaker. Therefore, as researchers state, commanders will still have to think about decreasing the influence of coronavirus on training and overall readiness of troops⁴. There is no doubt that national security is not measured by the size of the countrys armed forces. Nevertheless, the U.S. military budget is also reduced in order to invest in healthcare, which means that the army cannot afford to do as much as it could before.

Another military problem that comes from the pandemic is that the situation in conflict zones becomes extremely dangerous due to unsanitary conditions, short supplies, and a lack of proper healthcare. It would be more difficult to support troops because of restrictions on crossing borders⁵. The lack of testing also poses a risk not only to the armed forces themselves but also to citizens. The reason for this is that while the military is helping local authorities, soldiers inevitably contact citizens. In the case where they are unknowingly infected, they become a threat to the population. A full check of the military personnel will probably help to understand the scale of the problem; however, this initiative requires high expenditures.

In conclusion, it would appear that the described above facts confirm that Covid-19 is a serious threat to the U.S. army and overall national security. It demonstrates that the wars changed significantly and it became difficult to be prepared. For this reason, this issue requires further attention in order to provide a strategy that could resolve it. Researchers agree on the fact that the government should identify a clear aim, priorities, measurable benchmarks, and available tools⁶. It is expected that the United States begin to build up strategic reserves and mobilization reserves. This is a convenient time to undermine stability, that is why spreading panic and mistrust will substantially disrupt security.

References

Clarke, Colin P., Klarevas, Louis. 2020. COVID-19 Is a Threat to National Security. Lets Start Treating It as Such. Just Security. Web.

Monaco, Lisa. 2020. Pandemic Disease Is a threat to National Security. Foreign Affairs.

Morell, Michael., 2020. Analysis: The national security implications of COVID-19. CBS News.

Oshewolo, Segun, and Agaptus Nwozor. 2020. COVID-19: Projecting the National Security Dimensions of Pandemics. Strategic Analysis. 1-7.

Shane, Leo. 2020. Half of Troops See Coronavirus as a Major Threat for the Military: Poll. Military Times.

Starr, Barbara. 2020. How the Coronavirus Pandemic has Shaken the US Military. CNN.

Footnotes

Monaco, Lisa. 2020. Pandemic Disease Is a threat to National Security. Foreign Affairs. 3
Shane, Leo. 2020. Half of Troops See Coronavirus as a Major Threat for the Military: Poll. Military Times. 7
Starr, Barbara. 2020. How the Coronavirus Pandemic has Shaken the US Military. CNN.
Oshewolo, Segun, and Agaptus Nwozor. 2020. COVID-19: Projecting the National Security Dimensions of Pandemics. Strategic Analysis. 5.
Morell, Michael., 2020. Analysis: The national security implications of COVID-19. CBS News. 3.
Clarke, Colin P., Klarevas, Louis. 2020. COVID-19 Is a Threat to National Security. Lets Start Treating It as Such. Just Security. 7.

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