Photo By Glenn Fawcett | U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby gives a brief and answers questions for the media on...... read more read more
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The Defense Department could deploy up to 4,000 service members to Liberia as part of Operation United Assistance against Ebola, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon today.
There are 205 U.S. service members in Liberia today with another 26 in neighboring Senegal. All service members are supporting the lead federal agency for American participation in the crisis -- the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel “has approved the potential deployment of up to 4,000 [service members],” Kirby said. “But I want to make one thing real clear, that that’s a potential deployment. That doesn’t mean it is going to get to that number.”
Testing labs operational
Operations are moving forward in Liberia. “Over the last 36 hours, two Ebola testing laboratories manned by personnel from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center are now fully operational,” Kirby said. The labs can process about 100 samples each day.
U.S. personnel are also on track for completing a hospital for infected medical personnel on Oct. 18. “Construction of two treatment centers for other Ebola victims will begin today and should be completed by the end of the month,” the admiral said.
Kirby forecast a significant increase in the operations tempo in Liberia and with it an increase in troops.
Troop deployments
The U.S. Army announced the units that will deploy to the region beginning in mid-month and running through November. With the previously announced unit deployments, this will bring the total Army commitment to about 3,200 soldiers.
More than 1,800 Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based soldiers will arrive in Liberia sometime late this month. Other soldiers will deploy from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, the 86th Combat Support Hospital of the 44th Medical Brigade, and a Military Police company from the 16th Military Police Brigade.
These units will provide medical and logistic support, as well as site security, to the Joint Task Force. Soldiers will deploy from other bases as well including, Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Eustis, Virginia and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
U.S. government response to Ebola threat
“As we continue our support to the broader U.S. government response to the Ebola crisis, I want to emphasize that our operations remain focused on four lines of effort: command and control, logistics support, training, and engineering support,” Kirby said.
Troops going to the region will be monitored before, during and after deployment, Kirby said.
“Before they go, they are … especially going to get trained on Ebola and what the disease is like, what it means, what it does,” Kirby said. “Because, as I said, the troops that we’re sending down there are not health care professionals. They are not doctors, nurses, corpsmen. They are logisticians and engineers.”
Health experts will explain the best way to protect themselves from the disease. They will also explain the symptoms of Ebola.
“While the troops are there, they’re going to be constantly monitored on a regular, frequent basis,” Kirby said.
(Follow Jim Garamone on Twitter: @garamoneDoDNews)
Story by Jim Garamone, DoD News, Defense Media Activity
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.03.2025 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 505238 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 0 |
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