FORT BRAGG, N.C. - For Fort Bragg soldiers deploying to the Middle East, the usual predeparture fanfare has been replaced with a mandatory two-week quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Married paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team are hunkering down at home before boarding a military transport to fly across the globe.
Single soldiers, meanwhile, are quarantined in a secluded compound on base.
The Department of Defense has been forced to adapt quickly to comply with guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, while still maintaining a constant state of readiness.