Hagel defends Ebola mission in Fort Campbell visit

[nitpicker]

http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2014/11/17/hagel-defends-ebola-mission/19199005/

Hagel defends Ebola mission in Fort Campbell visit

By Andrew Tilghman, Staff writer 10:12 p.m. EST November 17, 2014

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — (snip) Speaking here to a group of soldiers getting ready to deploy to Liberia, Hagel acknowledged that some of those infantrymen and combat support troops might have some uncertainty about the mission.

"I know the question that is obvious is 'What is our military doing involved in a mission like Ebola?' And it is a legitimate question," Hagel said during a town-hall style meeting with more than 100 soldiers. "Pandemic diseases are a threat to this country, they are a threat to the world … . It is in our interest — No. 1 — to do everything we can to assist and contain Ebola to ensure it doesn't get to the United States," he said. "We have special capacities in DoD to help them do this. We're not caregivers — that is somebody else's deal. But nobody else is as well organized, well structured, and has the capacity to do these things, in the world," he said.
(snip)

During his visit, Hagel was briefed on the safety precautions soldiers will take to ensure they do not contract the deadly virus. The Army has drawn up a unique, four-tiered strategy for protecting soldiers depending on their surrounding or jobs.

•Level Zero is for soldiers who are safely inside a military facility and having no contact with any potentially infected civilians. Those soldiers have personal protective gear accessible but do not have to wear it.

•Level One is for soldiers who might leave their post on a mission that does not involve any direct contact with potentially infected civilians. Those soldiers will wear a white hooded tyrex suit over their military gear as well as goggles and a surgical mask over their face.

•Level Two is for soldiers who might be coming into contact with potentially infected civilians, for example during a crowd-control operation. Those soldiers will wear a hooded suit along with a respirator over their head and face.

•Level Three is for health care workers and current policy states that all soldiers will be restricted from high-risk activities requiring Level Three protection. Nevertheless, the deploying soldiers are being trained to use that equipment in case of an emergency. Level Three protection includes a full-body suit with a powered air purifier and respirator. That equipment is similar to the Army's standard gear for chemical, biological and nuclear hazards.

Army medical troops will be talking to each soldier several times a day to take their temperature and ask a series of questions about possible symptoms, like muscle soreness, nausea or diarrhea. Other new health precautions include giving all troops a vaccine for yellow fever and typhoid and providing daily medicine to prevent malaria, all measures that were not required for troops who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
(snip)

Deployments to West Africa have created a unique anxiety among Army families. Concern from spouses was a primary reason the Army decided to impose a 21-day quarantine on redeploying soldiers despite civilian health professionals saying that is not necessary.
(snip)