Ebola isolation at US base 'pretty much vacation'

I am currently in one of the 'Controlled Monitoring Areas,' a little more than halfway through the process. I will refrain from naming the specific location in case someone is overly worried about OPSEC. My understanding is that there are differences from one CMA to another. The conditions in that article do not mirror our situation. We don't have TVs "everywhere" but we aren't being chained up and starved either.

In some ways it can feel like prison. We mostly stay in the barracks building, though there is an "exercise yard" with workout equipment in the back and we get our chow from one tent and eat in another (usually standard DFAC fare, just not a lot of choices). During weekday duty hours we have been attending training such as MRT and EO refreshers. They did let us go to a nearby field to play on Thanksgiving (escorted of course). We got a Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings.

I do have to say though that the cadre have been outstanding. They have really gone out of their way to make this as painless as it can be under the circumstances, trying to meet multiple requests, some feasible and some not. I can't imaging that it is easy to deal with service members, some very senior in rank, when the monitored are cranky at having to be here with limited freedom, and the monitors have to pull 24 hour coverage shifts to take care of us.

Some might disagree (none vehemently that I have seen), but most of us are fine with putting up with three weeks of isolation just to make absolutely sure we aren't bringing home a nasty surprise to our family, friends, and those we work with.

I hope it is a 2 week vacation after living in an area that breathing puts your life in jeopardy more than a combat zone. From all of us non-Ebola citizens of the US to you, "thank you" and I hope you have a great time in the tent. Thank you for not demanding to potentially infect millions of us because your individual rights have forced you to live in isolation for a little bit. If there is anything I can do or send you to make your isolation even better, please let me know.....Uncle Mark; grateful American.

I hope there is access to computer labs etc. and they can use this time to knock out the plethora of required on-line annual training requirements, SSD levels and college course work without a lot of interruption. Two weeks sitting around just wanting to get home is a bad recipe for morale and a leadership challenge. Keeping them focused on things that are real requirements will help, not just busy work.