‘Dangerously Wrong’: Don’t Test US Military During Pandemic, Leaders Warn Adversaries

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley at a news conference at the Pentagon the day after it was announced that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S. raid in Syria Oct. 28, 2019 in Arlington, Virginia. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The top military leaders have warned adversaries not to test U.S. military strength and resolve during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If our adversaries think this is our moment of weakness, they are dangerously wrong,” said Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist on April 9. “To those who wish us harm, make no mistake: even with the challenges that this disease has brought to our shores, the Department of Defense stands ready to meet any threat and defend our nation.”