The following are the Military Personnel Guidance for Department of Defense Components in Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 and a fact sheet on COVID-19 military personnel, pay and benefits policy issued on March 26, 2020.
From the documents
Military Personnel Guidance for DoD and OSD Component Heads and Military Commanders in Responding to COVID-19 This attachment provides supplemental military personnel guidance to DoD and OSD Component Heads and military commanders (collectively referred to as “commanders”) for the administration of personnel policies and pays and benefits in the context of the effects created by the spread of COVID-19. It is intended to identify flexibilities to help DoD minimize risk to military personnel and their families, respond to evolving situations, as well as ensure the readiness of our force to continue to execute our missions and support our domestic and international partners. Commanders have broad authority to exercise sound judgment in all cases, and this guidance describes available authority and flexibility that can be applied to promote, rather than to restrict, possible solutions.
Members may be affected by COVID-19 in many ways. Members may be affected through exposure or suspected exposure to COVID-19, or through travel to/from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notice (THN) Level 3 designated country or region, and ordered into “restriction of movement” for self-monitoring. Members may be affected by family members being exposed or suspected of being exposed to COVID-19, and these family members may be requested to self-monitor. Circumstances may also require the member to be ordered into restriction of movement for self-monitoring away from family members. COVID-19 may also create extended effects, which affect the member and/or family even though neither have been exposed nor are suspected to have been exposed to COVID-19. A recent example has included the prophylactic closure of entire schools due to potential exposure of one student. Additionally, members already are affected by the spread of COVID-19, as the Secretary of Defense’s memorandum of March 11, 2020 imposed travel restrictions on travel to, from, or through the CDC THN Level 3 designated locations. And the effects were further amplified by the Deputy Secretary of Defense’s subsequent memorandum of March 13, 2020, which imposed additional travel restrictions within the United States and its territories effective March 16, 2020.
Most pay and benefits for military members continue and are unaffected by the effects of COVID-19, and unless addressed by this supplemental guidance, will continue to be paid in accordance with existing laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Download the document here.
Download the document here.
