Fort Eustis Soldiers prepare to deploy in support of Operation United Assistance

Photo By Senior Airman Kayla Newman | U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Baird, 53rd Transportation Battalion (Movement Control) commander, egresses from a simulated Humvee rollover at Fort Eustis, Va., Oct. 15, 2014. The rollover training was conducted to ensure Soldiers can properly and safely exit an overturned vehicle during a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kayla Newman/Released)  

FORT EUSTIS, VA, UNITED STATES

10.16.2014

Story by Senior Airman Kayla Newman 

Joint Base Langley-Eustis

FORT EUSTIS, Va. - U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 53rd Transportation Battalion (Movement Control), 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), are preparing to deploy to West Africa in support of the Department of Defense's response to the U.S. Agency for International Development's efforts to counter the Ebola outbreak.

The 53rd Transportation Battalion (MC) specializes in the movement of Soldiers, equipment and other critical assets to deployed locations. While in West Africa, personnel will be responsible for moving medical and construction equipment to support the building of an Ebola treatment facility.

"The mission of the 53rd Transportation Battalion (MC) will be to provide movement control, which is controlling the logistics of equipment and personnel that are moving in and around the theater," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Baird, 53rd Transportation Battalion (MC) commander. "The mission we will conduct is our doctrinal mission, and we are honored to be a part of this humanitarian effort."

Baird also stated that Soldiers will have no contact with the Ebola disease, as personnel will be focused strictly on logistics, however Soldiers received training on personal protective equipment as a precautionary measure.

"The primary reason we are here is to train the Soldiers should they be introduced into an environment where senior leadership thinks they need to take an additional protective posture level," said Garry Carter, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Emergency Management chief. "We ensure the staff and Soldiers are properly trained in donning and doffing PPE, so they have the tools available to protect themselves if necessary."

Along with the wearing and removal of PPE, personnel deploying were also trained in how to decontaminate themselves and their equipment if a potential exposure occurs.

In addition to equipment training, Soldiers also received refresher training in Humvee egress.

"In the deployed environment, the roads aren't like here in the United States, the roads are uneven and there are more hills and ditches, so there is the possibility of a vehicle rolling over," said Staff Sgt. Edward Clarke, 53rd Transportation Battalion (MC) cargo specialist.

Clarke added that the training helps Soldiers prepare for the most difficult part of a vehicle rollover, which is safely exiting the vehicle while being disorientated and attending to possible injuries that can occur.

The 53rd Transportation Battalion (MC) has been tasked with supporting the crisis in the areas of engineering, logistics and training of local health care workers. Although, service members from Joint Base Langley-Eustis are eager to provide a helping hand, they will not provide direct medical care to infected patients in Africa.

"We have been well trained, and we are prepared to do this mission. I am confident that the equipment and training we have will protect us," said Baird. "While this is a different mission, we are still going to go over and make a difference for the families, the people in Africa and the world."

• Date Taken: 10.16.2014
• Date Posted: 10.16.2014 16:47
• Story ID: 145267
• Location: FORT EUSTIS, VA, US