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By Sgt. Alexander Neely
CAB, 1AD Public Affairs
EL PASO, Texas - More than 50 Soldiers from Task Force Iron Knights, based at Fort Bliss, Texas, returned home Jan. 7 from Liberia following a deployment to support the fight against the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Lt. Col. Whitney B. Gardner, commander of 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, said the early return of Soldiers from his Iron Knights battalion marks successful efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak since the arrival of Joint Forces Command – United Assistance to Western Africa in October.
The under 200 members from TF Iron Knights remaining in Western Africa continue to conduct aviation missions in support of Operation United Assistance.
“This mission is the first time an aviation task force has deployed against this type of threat, and we are doing the mission we were designed to perform – and doing it efficiently and safely,” said Gardner from Monrovia, Liberia. “With our small aviation task force, we have already flown close to 350 missions in support of Joint Forces Command – United Assistance and are almost at the 1,000 flight hour mark, performing nearly nine missions a day.”
While in Liberia, TF Iron Knights, which operates CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk and HH-60 medical Black Hawk helicopters, has transported supplies for the construction of 10 Ebola treatment units. Eight of those ETUs have been constructed and the remaining two were expected to be completed within the week, said Gardner.
Since first arriving in Liberia in late October, the Iron Knights also have transported ETU construction engineers and Ebola lab technicians to areas of need, resupplied the ETUs and medical teams located in remote areas, escorted VIPs on ambassador trips, and provided 24-hour MEDEVAC coverage.
The 55 Soldiers who returned to Fort Bliss on the morning of Jan. 7 began their 21-day health monitoring period as soon as their flight departed Liberia the previous day. Upon arrival to Fort Bliss, the Soldiers were immediately shuttled to a controlled monitoring area on the installation to ensure they are completely Ebola free before being reunited with their families.
The monitoring period is expected to end Jan. 28, said Capt. Nathaniel F. Stone, 2-501st’s Rear Detachment Operations Officer.
“The amenities and services being provided to the Soldiers while they are being monitored are exceptional. They are being very well taken care of and can communicate with family by phone or Wi-Fi. They also will continue to receive family separation pay until they can be reunited with family members,” said Stone.
He said a reception for the troops and their families is being planned for Jan. 28.
Gardner said TF Iron Knights has taken a proactive approach to staying healthy, and none of his troops has shown signs of sickness.
“Force protection and force health protection are imperative to sustaining our operational tempo. Soldiers take anti-malarial medication daily and have their temperatures taken and logged at least twice daily to catch any initial indications of Ebola or malaria,” he said.
Besides supporting the construction of ETUs in Liberia, the Iron Knights have allocated traffic controllers to augment and train local controllers in the Liberian control towers at Robert International and Spriggs-Payne Airport.
Gardner said morale is extremely high. “Every mission we fly, people are waving to us as we land; it’s an experience we could never receive in a combat environment. And I would have to say, all credit goes to the Liberians – for their support, their education and willingness.”
Since the arrival of JFC-UA in October, reported cases of Ebola in Liberia have dropped from an average as high as 70 per day to three to five confirmed cases per day, according to JFC-UA.
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2015 13:09 |
| Story ID: | 151897 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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