Military defends its Ebola precautions as stricter than CDC’s, tries to reassure troop

The military also has different, and stricter standards than the CDC. This despite the fact that most of the military deployed to Africa won't even be dealing with infected patients.

So is the CDC and White House pressuring them as well as the governors of the states who imposed similar stricter standards?

Marine Maj. Gen. James Lariviere, a member of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that the Defense Department protocols for dealing with the disease “exceed” the standard set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The current outbreak has killed about 5,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.

No U.S. troops will directly treat Ebola patients, but the Pentagon’s guidelines, released Oct. 10, call for troops who deploy to western Africa to monitor their temperature twice a day. Those who report potential exposure to the virus will be subject to additional evaluations by medical professional designated by the Defense Department.

In the 10 days before leaving Africa, commanders have the authority to keep troops in a controlled environment where they can receive additional monitoring. Once they have left Africa, individuals with no known exposure must continue to monitor their temperature for 21 days. Those who are removed from Africa due to an elevated exposure risk must be quarantined for 21 days for closer monitoring.

Read the rest of the article [HERE ]. It's pretty interesting.

And this is another very interesting article about what conditions are really like in Liberia, in specific and mostly....

Ebola: US Military Dispatches Talk of Hunger, Distrust and Corruption in Disease Hit Nations

A thriving black market in blood, poor food supply, civil unrest, distrust of national governments, poverty and corruption are among the concerns cited in US military dispatches from Ebola-hit West Africa over the past few weeks.

Reviewing six weeks of summaries of the crisis by officers assigned to Operation United Assistance, the Pentagon's aid programme, NBC News paints a grim picture of the situation in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where Ebola is nowhere near being controlled.

Almost 40% of all the farms in Sierra Leone have been abandoned, says an October 14 report, that quotes a UN agricultural official warning that it could lead to "a hunger crisis of epic scale in West Africa."

The food supply is becoming scarce, increasing reliance on potentially infected bush meat.

Women being responsible for preparing food are at increased risk of contracting the virus through infected meat. Already, Ebola has claimed more women victims, accounting for between 55% and 75 % of the dead in the three nations.

Sigh....

I think we knew the actual news/truth in west africa was going to be worse than expected. It looks like during & now after the debacle of the congressional hearing protocols were tightening up regarding exposure to ebola. During this period of silence pertaining to our troops, they were preparing more properly for level 4 containment/exposure.

None of us, I suspect are happy about the level of involvement we were going to be required to participate in to stop ebola. At least it appears the military plus some states are now onboard with the practicalities of what's needed.

"No U.S. troops will directly treat Ebola patients, but the Pentagon’s guidelines, released Oct. 10, call for troops who deploy to western Africa to monitor their temperature twice a day"

What a load of undiluted horse manure, why do we need military people checking temperatures? that something even i could do, why troops? and not more doctors? making sure they don't progress too much and maybe become empowered? check out if they are using this whole ebola thing as an excuse to slack off from mining diamonds or whatever?
"coughing up half a lung is no excuse, keep digging Lazarus! and quit shaking, it's bad for the shovel!"

a reply to: ~Lucidity

The guidelines of the military are totally worthless and don't speak to the facts of how Ebola can be transmitted. We are sto assume that they know more about how it is transmitted than the CDC? (Maybe they do, but how would they know that?)

We didn't learn our lesson in rushing aid to the Japanese with the positioning of the USS Ronald Reagan a short distance off of the coast from the damaged reactors. And now our service people are starting to pay the price for that mistake. I don't care to see a single American military person endangered by Ebola. This is a foolish move, and if it fails the blame will go directly to the White House. I can't fathom how the President thinks this was a wise move on his part. If no military person of ours gets the disease, OK, no big deal. But if a single one gets the disease, the reflection will instantly go back onto DC.

a reply to: Aliensun

The sad part is that ebola is not our troops only concern. The people of the hardest hit countries are no strangers to extreme violence and civil wars in recent years. As food supplies dwindle and paranoia mounts in the local populations, they may look at our troops as the cause of their suffering instead of the helping hands we intended. We've seen this play out with Red Cross outposts already and the outbreak was not nearly as bad at that time. I just hope they have a solid exfil before we start taking casualties.

a reply to: Aliensun

Oh...I don't know about military guidelines being "worthless."

They invest a lot of time and moneyn planning for biowarfare situations and probably have far, far more insight and risk assessment and mitigation skills than the CDC , NIH, and WHO combined.

On top of that, they can react and deploy quicker and do in fact partner and consult with above mentioned organizations.

I have a friend deploying to Liberia. He's among the senior enlisted with the 101st Airborne. This is an ardent combat unit that's normally chomping at the bit for dangerous missions. Apparently their West Africa orders have cast morale to an all time low. They feel this mission is bull$hit. Besides not being allowed to bring cell phones, laptops, qualifying for hazardous duty pay, or being provided with the proper training and/or equipment, rumor has it that over-paid cherry-picking private contractors are refusing to commit to lucrative government contracts within the mosquito infested Ebola infected region.



U.S. General: Sending Military to Fight Ebola is “an Absolute Misuse of the U.S. Military”

US Troops Deployed to Battle Ebola in West Africa WON'T be Equipped With Hazmat Suits

a reply to: seasoul

Thanks for those links. I've heard very similar sentiments. The PMC thing could make this get much uglier much faster too as they tend to be more unregulated in general.

Cross-referencing Bilk's thread.

Administration's contempt for military continues

Question: Does the White House agree?

Answer: They will leave that to the Secretary of Defense

Wouldn't rule out "cooperation" with the White House.

Question: How could the Commander in Chief send troops there without a policy?

Answer: We're going to let science drive that process. ... Still studying....

Very interesting presser. They are SLOW on all this. The states were faster and they're mad.

Fog of Ebola war: White House stance unclear as military leaders urge US troop quarantine

The White House would not say Monday whether President Obama thinks U.S. troops returning from the Ebola hot zone in West Africa should be quarantined, as the U.S. Army unilaterally imposed that policy on its own troops and the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended the rest of the military follow suit.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel currently is considering the Joint Chiefs' recommendation to impose a mandatory 21-day quarantine for all returning troops. At Monday's daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged that Hagel might coordinate with the White House on that decision.

Quarantined general: We even burn our forks

And they never even came into contact with any patients.

Video of military people in quarantine at link above.

Washington (CNN) -- They're just back from the Ebola hot zone, they can't have any physical contact with family or loved ones and their plastic forks are being burned after each use.
But American troops quarantined in Italy have good morale and are proud of their work against the "silent enemy" of Ebola, according to Major General Darryl Williams, who is being isolated alongside his men at the Army base in Vicenza.
U.S. Army personnel will continue to be placed in 21-day quarantine as they return home to their base in Italy, according to Williams, commander of US Army forces in Africa, who spoke to CNN from within the isolation area by military video conference.

Today? Still? What? Huh? Is Gen. Martin E. Dempsey not talkinig to Marine Maj. Gen. James Lariviere??? (See OP.)

And there's that "based in science" rallying cry used the right way (imo).

Joint Chiefs Chairman Urges 21-Day Quarantine for Troops Working in Ebola Zone

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey's recommendation comes a day after the C.D.C. issued new guidelines on how civilian health workers should be treated on their return to the United States.

Oh geez.

CNN just said the reason the military is quarantining troops is because they can't trust the number of very young troops to monitor themselves.

Are you f*cking kidding me right now?


This is SO insulting. I can't even get over how angry this crap is making me. They're going to need to give me a rabies vaccine soon.

They're pretending Hagel said it now.

Hilarious.

Still mad about the post above this one though. How DARE they?

a reply to: ~Lucidity

From your links it seems like NBC has some good reading on Ebola. Interesting how the truth paints a completely different picture. One thing that comes to mind is how this will affect wars and ongoing unrest in the middle east as the infection rates continue to rise exponentially. Soon rather than deaths by beheading, stoning and the rest, will they use this deadly opportunity to spread death worldwide?

We have watched over the years how they have used individuals as suicide bombers, that would pale in comparison to sending out a handful of infected into public places.

This has been in the back of my mind, as if I dared not say it, but it must be addressed. It is one thing to quarantine nations, create health protocols at International public transportation hubs, but this is the worst case scenario imo. While the world looks in the direction of the African countries, the threat may be far more grave coming in from other parts of the world.

www.ibtimes.co.uk...

a reply to: antar

The one thing to remember though? If we do that quickly, it will be for the short term.

If we wait until it spirals out of control, it could well become a way of life.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Not sure what you mean by that? Brain not comprehending I guess.

Wanted to share that the msm announced this am that ebola seems to be slowing in Africa. Why I just dont trust anything I hear anymore. Meanwhile the US seems to be ramping up their preps over the situation. Is this just another way to forge ahead with forced vaccines? I mean they tell the public that flu vaccines are in short supply when we know that is a lie.

They are pushing in every conceivable way to allude to the contrived fact that if you take the flu shot it will somehow save you from things like Entervirus68 or ebola. People are actually bagging that they got theirs, fought long lines and were afraid that they may not get one!

One friend/customer came over for a visit, hugged me sat in "My chair" which she has never done and then announces how she got hers just minutes before coming over!!!! Barf! I told her thanks for shedding it to my never had a flu shot household! Mad.

This is the same lady that tells me, "Oh I read on facebook where I am allergic to wheat because I am white, so now I only buy white bread!!! I told her white bread is wheat! Duh... Now this coming from a successful and supposed intelligent lady...

Arg...

Is it possible that the Connecticut nurse is starting a precedence that will open the door for forced vaccines as soon as they come out? How many people will go into schools, stores, work, all public places after getting the live virus? In short ALL of them! Shedding, spreading live ebola virus. So if you don't get one you will most assuredly get it from someone who was vaccinated.

Genocide.

If enough people get the vaccines, it will most likely mutate with other more common seasonal viruses and bacteria's.

Genocide of the sheeple.

a reply to: antar
I just meant it's easier do get things straight and organized before it gets out of control.

As to the lower numbers being reported in Liberia, check this page.

a reply to: antar

Maine nurse. Check this page.