{"id":35373,"date":"2021-08-13T16:48:45","date_gmt":"2021-08-13T16:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/08\/13\/heres-what-the-space-forces-no-2-officer-learned-from-having-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:05:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:05:57","slug":"heres-what-the-space-forces-no-2-officer-learned-from-having-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/08\/13\/heres-what-the-space-forces-no-2-officer-learned-from-having-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s what the Space Force\u2019s No. 2 officer learned from having COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly a year after contracting the coronavirus, Gen. David \u201cDT\u201d Thompson has a warning for his fellow Americans: don\u2019t gamble with your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson, who as the Space Force\u2019s vice chief of space operations is the second highest-ranking officer in the newest military branch, tested positive for the coronavirus on Oct. 28, 2020 after coming into close contact with an infected family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He became the third senior military official with a confirmed case of COVID-19 so far in the pandemic, after former Coast Guard Vice Commandant Adm. Charles Ray and Assistant Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Gary Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/coronavirus\/2020\/10\/29\/space-force-vice-chief-tests-positive-for-covid-19\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6139035.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Space Force vice chief tests positive for COVID-19<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Gen. David Thompson is the latest top military official to test positive for coronavirus or quarantine this month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The positive result came as a surprise, Thompson said \u2014 he was asymptomatic and wouldn\u2019t have known he\u2019d contracted the virus otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[There was] nothing I did for myself that made that difference,\u201d he told Air Force Times in an interview Thursday. \u201cIt was just the accident of my biology and, I don\u2019t know, my DNA or whatever it is that said that was the case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 36 million Americans have been infected as of Friday, and more than 617,000 have died, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#datatracker-home\">according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. The CDC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/hcp\/planning-scenarios.html\">estimates 30 percent<\/a> of COVID-19 cases in the United States may be asymptomatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He returned to work at the Pentagon Nov. 9, 2020 after an 11-day quarantine at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s not what did happen during Thompson\u2019s own bout of COVID-19 that left an impression on the four-star general: it\u2019s the bullet he dodged, and his first-hand knowledge of how the virus continues to affect the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a senior official, Thompson receives each notification of a service member, civilian employee or contractor who dies of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/08\/09\/service-leaders-have-a-month-come-up-with-a-plan-to-vaccinate-all-troops-against-covid-19\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21168647861223.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Service leaders have a month to come up with a plan to vaccinate all troops against COVID-19<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#039;s memo calls for the services to develop mandatory vaccination plans.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you come in in the morning, \u2026 and it has started again \u2013 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 individual notifications of yet another 50-, 60-, 70-year-old civilian or contractor who has died of COVID \u2013 that smacks you in the face every single day,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s probably had the most impact on me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly 400 military personnel, civilian workers, contractors and their dependents have died from COVID-19 so far, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/Explore\/Spotlight\/Coronavirus-DOD-Response\/\">according to Pentagon data<\/a>. That includes 262 civilians, 88 contractors, 29 military members and 16 dependents as of 6 a.m. on Wednesday. The most recent troop killed was Army Lt. Col. Scott Flanders, a 56-year-old I Corps operations officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, who died Aug. 2 of complications caused by the coronavirus, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2021\/08\/13\/lieutenant-colonel-at-jblm-is-29th-troop-to-die-of-the-coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\">Army Times reported Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Defense Department has also reported 326,604 total cases and 4,534 hospitalizations as of Wednesday morning. The Department of the Air Force, which includes the Space Force, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/News\/Article-Display\/Article\/2184415\/air-force-update-for-covid-19\/\">had logged 60,708 cases<\/a>, 29 hospitalizations and 97 deaths as of Aug. 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson is 58 years old, squarely in the target demographic of those military employees killed by the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was frankly blessed and lucky,\u201d he said. \u201cI could have been one of those reports.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier that same October, Thompson wrestled with whether to invite his 83-year-old mother to his promotion ceremony to four-star general, but opted not to include her. He now recalls that event with relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/07\/28\/two-us-sailors-died-of-covid-19-in-the-past-week\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/corby-ropp.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Two US sailors died of COVID-19 in the past week<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">They are believed to be the eighth and ninth COVID deaths in the fleet, but the Navy stopped publishing a tally of COVID infections and deaths.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s very possible that had she participated in that ceremony, that she would have contracted COVID, and the outcome would not have been the same as mine,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He cautioned troops against carelessness as the virus\u2019s delta variant sweeps around the country, causing a spike in cases particularly among unvaccinated Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly 285,000 uniformed airmen and guardians were fully vaccinated as of Aug. 11, according to the Pentagon. Another 30,000 or so have received a partial dose. Together, they account for about 60 percent of the 512,000 total service members in the active-duty Air Force and Space Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNobody anywhere should be rolling the dice with, \u2018It\u2019s OK if I get it, I\u2019ll be one of the ones who\u2019s not impacted,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about protecting me, it\u2019s about protecting everybody else around me who may have that severe and unfortunately deadly reaction to the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cNobody anywhere should be rolling the dice with, &#8216;It&#8217;s OK if I get it, I&#8217;ll be one of the ones who&#8217;s not impacted,&#8217;\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":48200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home","coronavirus"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[64,101,24,88,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3392],"class_list":["post-35373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coronavirus","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"PSV6TDUQ2ZFQXLLAJ4NCUEMDAM","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/08\/13\/heres-what-the-space-forces-no-2-officer-learned-from-having-covid-19\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Here\u2019s what the Space Force\u2019s No. 2 officer learned from having COVID-19 - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cNobody anywhere should be rolling the dice with, &#039;It&#039;s OK if I get it, I&#039;ll be one of the ones who&#039;s not impacted,&#039;\u201d Thompson said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Here\u2019s what the Space Force\u2019s No. 2 officer learned from having COVID-19\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cNobody anywhere should be rolling the dice with, &#039;It&#039;s OK if I get it, I&#039;ll be one of the ones who&#039;s not impacted,&#039;\u201d Thompson said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/08\/13\/heres-what-the-space-forces-no-2-officer-learned-from-having-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-13T16:48:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:05:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. 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