More than 500 U.S. troops are in Liberia, conducting humanitarian missions in response to the Ebola epidemic. Nearly 3,000 more are expected in the coming days.
President Obama says reservists and National Guardsmen will be needed for Operation United Assistance, meaning even more troops may be heading to Africa.
On the homefront, a Marine who flew on an airplane with an infected nurse voluntarily entered quarantine. A sick tourist outside the Pentagon triggered another scare.
Fear and confusion over Ebola has quickly become an issue among Americans, and it’s no different among military families. During the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting, many spouses and family members expressed concern over why the military was involved in the Ebola response and what health risks their loved ones faced overseas.
These are understandable questions that all the services must do a better job of answering. Military officials have been quick to point out that service members are not working directly with sick patients and are at a low risk of contracting the disease. Most of the work involves building treatment centers and an equipment-staging base in Senegal, and deployed soldiers are being trained in precautionary measures and equipped with personal protection.
Even so, there is an inherent risk with every deployment a soldier makes, and this one is no different. Leaders cannot dismiss the worries of troops and family members and must make clear communication with them a top priority.
