Air Force Chief of Staff addresses COVID-19 protections, mission fulfillment

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein recently provided insight into the branch’s COVID-19 protection efforts while also focusing on mission fulfillment and obligations.

Goldfein indicated as of March 18, there have been seven confirmed coronavirus cases among active-duty personnel, but he acknowledged the Air Force is still conducting global missions, which he said remains the top priority.

Aircrews have their temperatures taken, and social distancing is rigorously enforced, Goldfein said. He outlined steps the Air Force is taking to increase the odds that the 685,000 active-duty, Guard and Reserve force, as well as civilians, are protected as much as possible from a virus for which there is no vaccine or immunity.

“Global mobility into and out of Level 3 countries has to continue,” he said. “And so (there) are measures in place that isolate the (flight) crew, mitigate the risk so we can fly into (those countries) knowing that the global landscape will change.”

Goldfein said he was teleworking several days each week and has communicated with commanders the importance of adhering to federal guidelines for minimizing exposure to the virus.

“We’ve got fighters, bombers, maintainers deployed working to keep America safe,” he said. “We’re still flying global mobility missions and conducting global space operations. So, the global missions we as an Air Force support in the joint force, all those missions continue.”