想定：4星上將領導美國政府

The four-star general who will command the US if government is crippled by coronavirus: Military puts plans in place for 'extraordinary circumstances' and martial law    Mailonline 20200322

• Newsweek reports that US military planners are looking at range of radical hypotheticals amid the coronavirus crisis
• Should the country's top politicians be struck down by COVID-19 and civil government be incapacitated, martial law could be imposed
• Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy is the 'combatant commander' for the United States and would lead the country if Washington were crippled
• The scenario appears highly unlikely, but there are also current debates about whether armed forces could be allowed to exercise 'emergency authority'
• The military could possibly serve a policing function if widespread violence breaks out due to food shortages or financial chaos caused by coronavirus
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

The coronavirus crisis is forcing US military planners to look at 'extraordinary circumstances' and prepare for a range of radical scenarios, including the possibility of widespread domestic violence and the deaths of the country's top politicians.

In a report published Sunday, Newsweek reveals that standby orders were issued more than three weeks ago to ready Above-Top Secret contingency plans if 'all Constitutional successors are incapacitated' and martial law needs to be imposed across the country. 

'We're in new territory,' one anonymous senior military officer told the publication.

Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy is the 'combatant commander' for the United States and would lead the country if Washington were crippled by the current Covid-19 crisis.

O'Shaughnessy, 55, is a four-star general who graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1986.

The Canadian-born command pilot, who moved to the US at the age of four, was previously the Deputy Commander for the United Nations Command in Korea.

He is now the Commander of NORTHCOM, a military authority created in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, with the aim of 'defending America's homeland — protecting our people, national power, and freedom of action'.  

NORTHCOM operates only in support of the government and other civil authorities, and are charged with dozens of secret assignments, including those to protect the President, Vice President and the Secretary of Defence.

Due to such contingency plans it seems highly unlikely that martial law could be imposed and that Gen. O'Shaughnessy could command the country.

Even if that were to happen, marital law would only be temporary measure, until a new civilian leader was installed. 

However, there are currently more pertinent debates unfolding about when the armed forces and its reserves would be allowed to exercise 'emergency authority', particularly if widespread violence breaks out across the country due to food shortages, financial troubles or other chaos caused by coronavirus. 

After the New York National Guard was called to the New York city of New Rochelle earlier this week to help keep containment zone in place, officials told the public that those serviceman and women were not preset to serve a 'policing function'.

However, The Pentagon appears to be taking no chances during the rapidly-evolving crisis.

In recent days they have implemented a ban on almost all overseas travel for military personnel for 60 days and issued guidance to keep 'all uniformed personnel on or near military bases', according to Newsweek

According to one military planner who spoke with Newsweek, most contingency plans are designed to be implemented for external threats, such as a terrorist incidents - but Covid-19 has upended the way that planners understand the idea of an attack.

'In scenarios where one city or one region is devastated, there's a pretty straightforward process,' they stated.

'But with coronavirus, where the effect is nationwide, we're in territory we've never been in before.' 

4-star general will command US if government is crippled by coronavirus: 'Standby orders have already been issued'    MEAWW 20200322

Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy is the "combatant commander" for the United States and would lead the country if the top political leaders at the helm of the country were affected by COVID-19

The United States military planners are reportedly looking at "extraordinary circumstances" amid the coronavirus crisis in the country and are preparing for a range of radical scenarios, including deaths of top politicians and widespread domestic violence. Standby orders were reportedly issued over three weeks ago to prepare Above-Top Secret contingency plans if "all Constitutional successors are incapacitated" and martial law needs to be instated, according to a report released by Newsweek.

One senior military officer, on conditions of anonymity, told the outlet: "We're in new territory."  The deadly novel coronavirus has claimed over 300 lives in the country and has infected over 24,000 people across the region, with the cases and deaths rapidly increasing.

Reports state that Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy is the "combatant commander" for the United States and would lead the country if the top political leaders at the helm of the country were affected by COVID-19.  The 55-year-old four-star general is a Canadian-born command pilot who moved to America at the age of four.  He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1986 and was previously the Deputy Commander for the United Nations Command in Korea.

Gen. O'Shaughnessy is currently the Commander of NORTHCOM, a military authority formulated in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.  NORTHCOM's aim is to defend "America's homeland — protecting our people, national power, and freedom of action."  The organization operates only in assistance to the government and other civil authorities and is charged with dozens of secret assignments, which include protecting the President, Vice President and the Secretary of Defence.

Although it seems unlikely that martial law could be imposed in the country, however, if it were to happen, the law would only be a temporary measure until a new civilian leader is instated to head the country.

Authorities, at the moment, however, are discussing how and when the armed forces and its reserves would be allowed to exercise "emergency authority," particularly if violence breaks out across the country due to food shortages, financial troubles, and other chaos caused by widespread infections.  President Donald Trump, on Friday, declared New York State as a major disaster area, while NYC mayor Bill de Blasio declared the city as the epicenter of the US outbreak.  The US military will now be called in the city with the US Army Corps of Engineers saying that they plan to take over hotels, sports arenas, college dorms, and other buildings in an attempt to bolster the number of available hospital rooms.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is also taking stringent actions to ensure that the defense department is not affected amid the rapidly-evolving crisis.  The officials, in recent days, have implemented a ban on nearly all overseas travel for military personnel for 60 days.  They have also issued guidance to keep "all uniformed personnel on or near military bases," the outlet reported.

"In scenarios where one city or one region is devastated, there's a pretty straightforward process," one military planned told Newsweek.  "But with coronavirus, where the effect is nationwide, we're in a territory we've never been in before."