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As more soldiers recently deployed to Western Africa to support the fight against Ebola, there are still many questions that surround the deadly disease. After seeing the facts, has your perception of Ebola changed at all? How long will our military need to continue supporting efforts in Africa before it is contained?
Foreign Affairs
Infographic
Command Post
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 14
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We have a few members of the RallyPoint family there as we speak. Hang tough. Care package heads out in today's mail. Our military has been doing more non-traditional roles in the name of keeping the "wolves" at bay. This time, the enemy is a lethal disease. As much as it pains me to say, I am glad that our military is involved. I have very little confidence in other nations when it involves protecting people outside of their own borders.
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MSG (Join to see)
Well, as of yesterday, 18 November, I left Liberia and arrived at Ft. Bliss. Happy to be back in the United States, but now I have the 21 day quarantine to look forward to.
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1SG (Join to see)
MSG (Join to see) , Welcome Home, and hope your 21 days in CMS goes well and you're outta there and back home.
Now to SFC Mark Merino 's question; I believe "mission creep" is going to occur in Operation United Assist (OUA). Just yesterday, the country of Mali was added to the list of countries impacted by the disease. Operation OUA is creating a lot of behind the scenes activities on EVERY military installation. New screening procedures have been put in place in all military hospitals and MTFs in every clinic when a patient arrives for an appointment. You would be amazed at the training the medical facilities quickly carried out in order to be prepared should someone appear to be symptomatic and the actions installation garrison's have taken to support the medial facilities. There are 7 locations (5 US and 1 in Germany and 1 in Italy) that have a trememdous job placed on them establishing Controlled Medical Sites for daily screenings (2xday) for the 21 days all service members are required to go thru upon returning. These 7 CMS location are required to house, feed, provide recreation, TV, computer, phones, under quarentine conditions, all returning service members.
This event is like an octopus that keeps growing extra arms!
Unfortunately our Fed. Gov't has not gone to the extremes that our military has......and thet can come back and bite the country in the ass! Our gov't still has it's head up it's 4th point of contact on this issue when it comes to doing all that should be done. I'm comfortable with the efforts that the military (all branches) have and are taking to protect and care for those returning and the safety of family members. Still keeping fingers crossed here! We never know where "Murphy" has been or where he's heading next! Hope it's not Africa, unless it's a one way trip with no PCS or return rights!
Now to SFC Mark Merino 's question; I believe "mission creep" is going to occur in Operation United Assist (OUA). Just yesterday, the country of Mali was added to the list of countries impacted by the disease. Operation OUA is creating a lot of behind the scenes activities on EVERY military installation. New screening procedures have been put in place in all military hospitals and MTFs in every clinic when a patient arrives for an appointment. You would be amazed at the training the medical facilities quickly carried out in order to be prepared should someone appear to be symptomatic and the actions installation garrison's have taken to support the medial facilities. There are 7 locations (5 US and 1 in Germany and 1 in Italy) that have a trememdous job placed on them establishing Controlled Medical Sites for daily screenings (2xday) for the 21 days all service members are required to go thru upon returning. These 7 CMS location are required to house, feed, provide recreation, TV, computer, phones, under quarentine conditions, all returning service members.
This event is like an octopus that keeps growing extra arms!
Unfortunately our Fed. Gov't has not gone to the extremes that our military has......and thet can come back and bite the country in the ass! Our gov't still has it's head up it's 4th point of contact on this issue when it comes to doing all that should be done. I'm comfortable with the efforts that the military (all branches) have and are taking to protect and care for those returning and the safety of family members. Still keeping fingers crossed here! We never know where "Murphy" has been or where he's heading next! Hope it's not Africa, unless it's a one way trip with no PCS or return rights!
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MSG (Join to see)
Thanks everybody. I have to say that our efforts through Operation Onward Liberty (my mission) and Operation United Assistance (Ebola response mission) have had and continue to have a positive impact in West Africa, particularly Liberia. Personally I don't think Ebola will be around for 18 months, which is the OUA continuation timeline I have seen in the media, but it may be that our forces will be staying on to continue to help build infrastructure so that possible future disease outbreaks will not spread as widely and quickly as this one did. In the meantime, these countries don't have the means to help themselves and due to the large number of travelers between Liberia alone and the US, it makes sense for us to try to eradicate Ebola there to keep even more cases out of America than have already been seen.
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SSG Michelle Woods should be home in a month from Liberia...and sounds pretty ready.
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SFC Mark Merino
I would say that being at war with an unseen deadly virus would be more stressful for me than getting shot at by someone I can return fire on.
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