Two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the chairman, have tested positive for the coronavirus, Pentagon officials said on Monday.
Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who is vaccinated and boosted, tested positive on Sunday and is isolating, said his spokesman, Col. Dave Butler. “He is experiencing very minor symptoms and can perform all of his duties from the remote location,” Colonel Butler said.
Gen. David H. Berger, the commandant of the Marine Corps, who is also vaccinated, is following a similar protocol after his positive test on Sunday. “The performance of his duties will remain unaffected,” Maj. Eric D. Flanagan, a spokesman, said on Monday.
General Milley and President Biden came into contact on Wednesday at a funeral for Raymond T. Odierno, a four-star Army general, Colonel Butler said. But the Joint Chiefs chairman tested negative in the days before and after the funeral, until Sunday. All the other chiefs tested negative on Sunday.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff comprises eight members: the chairman, the vice chairman, the Army chief of staff, the naval operations chief, the Air Force chief of staff, the Marine Corps commandant, the National Guard Bureau chief and the space operations chief.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III also tested positive for the virus this month. He experienced mild symptoms and attended key meetings from home. Mr. Austin attributed his less severe case to being vaccinated and boosted.
“I am grateful,” he said at the time, adding that vaccines are a requirement for the military. “The vaccines work.”
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