{"id":37808,"date":"2020-03-17T20:21:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T20:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/17\/troops-are-safer-in-the-field-during-outbreak-101st-leaders-say\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:12:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:12:44","slug":"troops-are-safer-in-the-field-during-outbreak-101st-leaders-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/03\/17\/troops-are-safer-in-the-field-during-outbreak-101st-leaders-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Troops are safer in the field during outbreak, 101st leaders say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Troops from the 101st Airborne Division<\/a> will continue training and hitting the gym amid the novel coronavirus outbreak<\/a>, the commanding general said Monday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the division\u2019s brigade combat teams<\/a> are currently in training cycles and plan to continue visiting various ranges on post while following Center for Disease Control guidelines, leadership said. If virus cases begin to appear, they\u2019ll reassess as necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe soldiers out in the field conducting collective training is, one, critically important for readiness,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Winski, 101st commander, during a town hall event<\/a> at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. \u201cAnd, two, the way they\u2019re arrayed and dispersed, they\u2019re fundamentally at less risk than soldiers in garrison or who are traveling and in contact with a lot more people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because there have been no cases in the local area, the risk of contracting coronavirus in the field is minimal, said division Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan Barker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post officials have tested roughly a dozen personnel for coronavirus, but have so far not had any positive cases on base or in the surrounding counties. There have been just more than 50 cases about 60 miles southeast of post in the Nashville area, though none involved Fort Campbell soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally, our soldiers have less risk of exposure if they\u2019re out in the field with their platoon, company, battery or troop,” Barker said. “That measure itself is reducing their exposure to the greater community. … They\u2019re actually more secure and isolated in that field environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, division leadership said soldiers can\u2019t risk taking time off from training if the coronavirus pandemic continues on for weeks or even months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soldiers from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade are deploying this June to the Korean peninsula, Europe and Afghanistan, Winski said. Also, the division\u2019s 1st and 2nd brigades are on training paths for JRTC rotations in August and September to prepare for contingency response force duties, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\t