Statement by the Headquarters, United States European Command: After careful review of the ongoing Defender-Europe 20 exercise activities and in light of the current Coronavirus outbreak, we will modify the exercise by reducing the number of U.S. participants. Activities associated with the exercise will be adjusted accordingly and we'll work closely with Allies and partners to meet our highest priority training objectives.

U.S. Army M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are lined up prior to loading onto American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Endurance heading out for DEFENDER-Europe 20 on Feb. 5, 2020, in Savannah, Ga. (Picture source: U.S. Army/Pfc. Carlos Cuebas Fantauzzi, 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

The health protection of our force, and that of our Allies and partners, is a top concern. We take the Coronavirus outbreak seriously and are confident that by making this important decision we'll continue to do our part to prevent the further spread of the virus, while still maximizing our efforts to advance our alliances and partnerships and enhancing our comprehensive readiness to address any crisis or contingency. As we work through the arrangements with our Allies and partners, we'll provide additional updates.

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U.S. European Command is one of two U.S. forward-deployed geographic combatant commands whose area of focus spans across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The command is composed of approximately 70,000 military and civilian personnel and is responsible for U.S. defense operations and relations with NATO and 51 countries.