The Secretary of Defense, Dr. Mark T. Esper, today authorized the Department of Defense to provide humanitarian support to the Italian Republic as part of its global coronavirus pandemic relief efforts. In coordination with the Department of State, DoD efforts may include, but are not limited to, transporting non-DoD medical equipment, providing relief supplies, providing military personnel to support civilian humanitarian operations efforts, and providing telemedicine support to Italian medical facilities and medical services to non-COVID-19 Italian patients in Italy. The U.S. European Command, in coordination with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, will conduct these efforts through June 5, 2020, or until Italy no longer requires such support, whichever comes first.
This assistance reflects the enduring friendship and partnership between the United States and Italy, which hosts more than 30,000 U.S. military members and their dependents.