The U.S. military's top military officer wants American service members (and their families) to know anyone deployed in the mission to contain the Ebola outbreak is getting top-notch training to keep them safe from the deadly virus.
Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, took to YouTube to allay many of the fears surrounding Operation United Assistance.
First off, Dempsey made clear that service members deployed to West Africa will have no direct contact with patients receiving care. Still, Dempsey said...
“We’re making sure the men and women who deploy are provided with the right training and the proper protective equipment. We have ensured the highest medical and safety protocols are in place before, during and after deployment.”
Most of the troops currently in West Africa have been charged with setting up health care facilities in Liberia.
According to the Department of Defense:
Up to 4,000 U.S. service members may eventually deploy to western Africa, and 632 personnel are already in the region -- 511 in the Liberian capital of Monrovia and 121 in a staging area in nearby Dakar, Senegal.
The World Health Organization puts the death toll from the current Ebola outbreak at more than 4,500 people. WHO estimates if the outbreak remains uncontrolled, Ebola could claim the lives of 1.4 million people by year's end.
