Story floating around today that @EsperDoD flubbed coronavirus response.

It does usual DC story thing where some opposition members and officials, on-background, armchair quarterback the Admin response.

No hate, that's the game, but here's why Esper's been (truly) outstanding.

Let's put aside the fact that opinions of 2-3 ppl rarely capture sentiment of a Dept of 3+ million.

When Coronavirus hit Italy, Sec Esper engaged fast with EUCOM commanders. Troops there locked down. And still today have drastically fewer cases than outside the base wire.

In the middle of corona absolutely ravaging that country, USAF C-17s flew in half a million test kits direct from Italy to Memphis, TN -- where a FedEx hub quickly distributed them nationwide. The mission continued from a red hot epicenter of the outbreak https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2020/03/us-air-force-flew-half-million-coronavirus-test-kits-italy-tennessee/163879/

During the first week of March, DoD issued public guidance that noted they'd been planning for corona *for the past six weeks*. So while most of govt was still asleep in mid-January, Esper's team had pivoted and were drawing up and modifying their existing virus response plans.

As early as January, DoD began rapidly reposturing itself to protect its 3 million+ employees, continue the national security mission, and start fighting back.

On Jan 31, March Air Reserve Base was quickly activated as a quarantine site for Americans returning from China.

That day, DoD also activated secondary bases for additional quarantine capacity: Fort Carson, CO; Travis Air Force Base, CA; Lackland Air Force Base, TX; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA

All have demanding active duty missions, but adjusted immediately.

In early March, DoD moved fast to create "protective bubbles" around bases in South Korea. Thanks to their quick action, there have only been 17 cases among tens of thousands of servicemembers and civilian contractors there -- despite Korea being hit hard and early by the virus.

March 9: DoD gave local commanders full authorities to disrupt, change, modify existing regulations and training requirements.

Some in the story criticized DoD for not micromanaging commanders.

But giving flexibility to Colonels early was one of the best decisions they made.

First week of March, Esper switches most meetings to video telecon (vice giant staff meetings) to avoid transmission, issues instructions to his department of over 3 million military members, contractors, and federal workers to continue a no-fail mission despite global pandemic.

By early-mid March, DoD announced that all 14 of their labs were fully activated to do coronavirus testing. They further announced the mobilization of guard units and hospital ships, the transfer of millions of masks and 2000 ventilators from their stockpile to HHS.

Same week and earlier, at leadership's direction Ft. Dettrick MD had dropped everything to focus wholly on a coronavirus vaccine.

By Mid-March, before the national shutdown, DoD had instituted maximum telework policies, cancellation of major meetings and gathering, and started taking temperatures in key facilities.

Military doesn't have the luxury of not showing up to work.

On hospital ship criticisms, here's Esper last month: "One of the ways you could use the field hospitals, hospital ships or things in between is to take the pressure off civilian hospitals when it comes to trauma cases to open up civilian hospital rooms for infectious disease."

Mid March, Army Corps of Engineers said they had worked with Govenors and identified a host of sites for makeshift hospitals.

Consider that in 72hrs, the Javits Center in NYC was turned into a 1000 bed hospital.

There's vacancy in these facilities because DoD is AHEAD OF IT.

Consider this. DoD is the largest employer in the country. They are deployed in Asia and Europe, the two continental epicenters of the virus. Their employees work in close proximity, many cannot telework. Despite this, DoD leadership is STILL DOING its mission.

There are still aircraft in the skies right now. There are still forces deployed in CENTCOM. There are still Navy ships at sea. There are still troops sitting alert in nuclear silos and submarines. Despite the risks, they are still out there. Do people appreciate this??

I do find it aggravating when the same people who have advocated slashing the Pentagon's budget for years suddenly wail and moan that the military, which has been superb in this crisis, start grabbing every challenge and hurdle as evidence that they have failed in their duties.

When you consider that Russia/China are opportunists who would LOVE to take advantage of our troubles, and consider how fast and effectively DoD has responded despite having to keep their gloves up against those threats, the boos from the cheap seats are just astounding to me.

We're damn lucky to have a military this professional and capable. They are well trained, well disciplined, and yes well-led. Don't let the wails of few DC insiders, who wail at everything from the rising of the sun to the color of the Pentagon hallway paint, distract from that.