A top National Guard general on Friday refuted false rumors of martial law and a nationwide quarantine as troops continue to get called up amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I hear unfounded rumors about #NationalGuard troops supporting a nationwide quarantine,” tweeted Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau. “Let me be clear: There has been no such discussion.”
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Lengyel’s tweet comes as many people across the U.S. reported receiving text messages warning of martial law, prompting authorities to assure residents the messages were fake.
Top Pentagon officials said there are no plans to introduce martial law and that National Guard troops are not being called up at the federal level to impose a quarantine.
The rumors were planted by foreign actors intent on cultivating panic among Americans, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and his Vice Chairman, Gen. John Hyten, said Friday. Hyten serves on the coronavirus task force headed by Vice President Mike Pence.
They added that troops are not staging at stadiums outside of cities where governors have used their authority to call up Guard units. Governors across the country continue to deploy Guard troops in response to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 have been activated across more than 20 states to help with efforts to contain the outbreak.
Troops in New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Michigan are supporting relief efforts. Their mission includes disinfecting public spaces, distributing food, assisting with transportation and logistical support of health officials, and collecting and delivering samples, the Guard said in a news release.
Army leaders said Friday said they were taking extra precautions by closing recruiting stations in an effort to prevent further infections.
“We are going to basically virtual recruiting, much of that is done on social media and that allows us to protect our soldiers and also protect the new recruits,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told reporters at the Pentagon.
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A handful of recruits were found to have symptoms of the virus, the Army Times reported. The branch has reduced the number of trainees and is at 50 percent capacity for recruit intakes, according to the paper.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
