Pentagon orders a stop-movement for all overseas troops

The Pentagon on Wednesday issued a stop-movement order for all overseas military personnel and civilians for the next 60 days.

The measure, designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, follows a previous order that puts a hold on troop movements within the United States. 

The newly issued order is meant to protect U.S. personnel, and preserve operational readiness, the Pentagon said.

The order will interrupt scheduled exercises, deployments, and other overseas activities. 

"Approximately 90,000 Service Members slated to deploy or deploy over the next 60 days will likely be impacted by this stop movement order,” the statement read.

The order includes exceptions for some personnel, including those who currently are traveling. The order is not expected to interfere with the drawdown of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, according to the statement.