NORAD Wants Photos of Troops to ‘Reassure the Public’

Seeks photos of troops in US wearing proper protective equipment

NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), which is leading Pentagon efforts to support the domestic fight against coronavirus, seems to be making this a PR battle in great measure, with a new round of orders for public affairs to issue photos of US troops engaged domestically and wearing proper protective equipment and engaged in social distancing.

The idea is for these photos to show troops are still active inside the US, and “to help deter any one who would seek to take advantage of the situation.” It would also reassure Americans that the military remains active.

The talk of deterring enemies because of the current situation reflects similar military officials, who similarly warned enemies abroad against viewing the US as vulnerable. All of this gives the impression that the US military is feeling mighty vulnerable indeed, and is growling like a wounded animal.

Opportunities to confront the common enemy of coronavirus and work together as a chance to forge new relationships and break historical mistrust seem to be ignored, with the military focused on proving just how ready they are to fight anything and everything, at home or abroad.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.