Pentagon must improve response to coronavirus
For all the horrors of the ongoing tragedy of the USS Theodore Roosevelt — nearly 700 sailors diagnosed with COVID-19, the death of a sailor, the removal of Capt. Brett Crozier — perhaps most unsettling is how long it’s taken to test everyone aboard. As of Monday, 24 days after the first diagnoses, hundreds of crew members remain untested.
The inability to test sailors on the most potent viral hotspot in the military is shocking. On an Armed Services Committee call with senior DOD officials Wednesday, I asked, “The military has a measure for everything. Do you have a metric for a successful testing protocol?” The response was, to paraphrase, “We are dealing with limited supply and massive demand, so we haven’t developed a testing metric yet.”
While I appreciated their candor, I could hardly believe my ears. The DOD, charged with defending the nation, does not have a protocol over who must be tested as we enter the fourth month of this pandemic. That means no one can measure the effectiveness of their efforts or make decisions about what resources they need.
I understand severe shortages are hampering effectiveness. But that is no reason for not setting the optimal goal and striving to reach it. Should all deployed or scheduled for deployment be tested? Should those with underlying health conditions be tested? Or all who exhibit symptoms? There needs to be an evidence-based, epidemiologically sound standard, and the DOD must report to Congress and the American public whether or not they are meeting the standard. And if they can’t meet it, they need to tell us why and how they propose to fix it.
The problem in the military relates to the broader national issue. All agree that the United States has been an abysmal failure at deploying testing. Together with the president downplaying the risk for six to eight weeks, the absence of testing capacity in the most powerful nation on earth is a central reason why we now lead the world in deaths. And all agree a more powerful testing program is key to saving lives and reopening the American economy, along with social distancing and other hygiene practices.
But there is still no clear goal announced by this administration about what an optimal testing program would look like. Instead, we hear inaccurate promises that “everyone can get a test” or platitudes about how much better we are doing or will be doing in the near future. Just saying “we are doing more” isn’t enough. We need a high standard to shoot for, and then we need daily and weekly reports about how well our nation is progressing toward the goal, including how we will act on the testing information we receive to reduce the spread and save lives. Without a plan for action, we are stumbling in the dark.
When our troops are vulnerable, the defense of the nation is vulnerable. A clear goal set by the military can be communicated and measured in real time. Setting the goal will inform the national dialogue, shape the budget, and likely lead to strategies that can be replicated among the civilian population.
Congress can provide DOD the tools to make this happen. The CARES Act has significant resources for the DOD, but applying the resources without a clear testing goal is wasteful, especially in the current situation where so many decisions about how to control the spread of the virus are delegated down the chain of command. In the forthcoming National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations discussions, Congress should push the DOD to be a leader in pandemic preparedness if for no other reason than to keep our troops, our DOD civilians, our contractors and their families safe. Their safety is critical to the nation’s defense. By doing that, the DOD can help lead the country out of the humiliating and life-threatening position we’re now in.
Tim Kaine,