AIDS TESTING OF VISITING U.S. MILITARY

UNCLAS STATE 336019 E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL US SUBJECT: AIDS TESTING OF VISITING U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL ¶1. PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS OF HOST NATIONS HAVE RESULTED IN OCCASIONAL REQUESTS THAT VISITING MILITARY UNITS DEMONSTRATE THAT UNIT PERSONNEL ARE FREE OF AIDS VIRUS. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR RESPONDING TO EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN, OFFICIAL ACTION, OR OTHER EFFORTS BY HOST NATIONS TO CONDITION U.S. MILITARY VISITS ON AIDS TESTING. ¶2. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ON VISITING U.S. NAVY SHIPS AND U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, A HOST GOVERNMENT CAN BE INFORMED THAT: ¶A. A COMMANDING OFFICER OF A U.S. NAVY SHIP OR U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT IS REQUIRED TO REPORT AT ONCE TO LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES ANY CONDITION ABOARD HIS SHIP OR AIRCRAFT WHICH PRESENTS A HAZARD OF INTRODUCTION OF A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE OUTSIDE THE SHIP OR AIRCRAFT. THE COMMANDING OFFICER, IF REQUESTED, WILL CERTIFY THAT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT MILITARY PERSONNEL ENTERING THE HOST NATION FROM HIS SHIP OR AIRCRAFT WILL PRESENT SUCH A HAZARD. ¶B. CONCEALMENT OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHICH MIGHT SUBJECT A U.S. NAVY SHIP OR MILITARY AIRCRAFT TO QUARANTINE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER DOD REGULATIONS. ANY U.S. NAVAL OFFICER ENGAGING IN SUCH CONCEALMENT WOULD BE LIABLE TO COURT MARTIAL. ¶3. IF ASKED WHAT THE U.S. IS DOING TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF AIDS BY U.S. SERVICE PERSONNEL, THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT MAY BE GIVEN TO THE HOST COUNTRY: QUOTE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE POLICY REQUIRES ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL TO BE SCREENED FOR SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION. THOSE WITH POSITIVE SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HIV INFECTION ARE ASSIGNED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY, U.S. NAVY AND MARINE PERSONNEL DEPLOYING OVERSEAS IN U.S. NAVY SHIPS AND OTHER MILITARY PERSONNEL ENROUTE TO PERMANENT OVERSEAS DUTY ARE TESTED PRIOR TO DEPLOYMENT. UNQUOTE. ¶4. THE UNITED STATES VIEWS NAVY SHIPS AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT AS SOVEREIGN. THEREFORE THE U.S. WILL REFUSE REQUESTS TO CONDUCT INSPECTIONS, TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL CREW MEMBERS, AND TO UNDERTAKE OTHER REQUESTED ACTIONS SINCE THE CERTIFICATION OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER IS DEFINITIVE. FOR SECURITY AND OTHER REASONS, THE U.S. DOES NOT RELEASE FOR ANY REASON DETAILED LISTS OF PERSONNEL EMBARKED IN U.S. NAVY SHIPS OR MILITARY AIRCRAFT VISITING FOREIGN PORTS. ¶5. FYI: IN USING THE ABOVE GUIDANCE AND ADDRESSING HOST NATION QUERIES, POSTS SHOULD BE SENSITIVE TO AND RESIST MEASURES WHICH DISCRIMINATE AGAINST U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL OR UNITS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE: ¶A. REQUIRING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL THAN VISITING MILITARY PERSONNEL FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. ¶B. TREATING U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL AS HIGHER RISK GROUP THAN MERCHANT SEAMEN, VISITING COMMERCIAL AIRCREWS, ETC. SHULTZ