The Pentagon is calling 2,100 Army Reserve and National Guard troops to active duty to go to West Africa as part of the U.S. effort to fight the Ebola outbreak, officials said Friday.
The troops will replace active-duty forces in Senegal and Liberia, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
“All soldiers will conduct regionally specific training on Ebola prevention, malaria prevention, other medical threats and medical readiness requirements before deploying,” he said. “As we rotate U.S. military personnel, we will take all prudent steps necessary to ensure their safety and implement procedures and protocols to reduce or eliminate the risk of transmission of the Ebola virus.”
Last month, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered that all troops returning from the outbreak area be be isolated for 21 days to monitor for the virus. Civilians working for the Department of Defense have the option of isolation or voluntary monitoring.
