Fort Bragg troops deploy for Ebola mission
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- About 100 soldiers from Fort Bragg and Fort Stewart took off from post Monday for a year-long Ebola response mission to West Africa.
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The Fort Bragg soldiers come from the 50th Signal Battalion, 27th Public Affairs Detachment, XVIII Airborne Corps. The Fort Stewart soldiers are with the 82nd Civil Affairs Battalion.
The group is the first to deploy from Fort Bragg for Operation Unified Assistance, an international response to the Ebola outbreak. Bragg troops have been on standby for the mission since training in early October.
The units have been told to expect a year-long deployment.
There are currently 1,800 U.S. troops deployed to West Africa for the mission. Almost another 3,000 are on standby.
Last week, it was announced that Fort Bragg was named one of five U.S. military installations to serve as quarantine sites for troops and civilians returning from the Ebola response mission in West Africa.
The Department of Defense made the announcement Friday afternoon. Other sites include Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, Joint Base Langley- Eustis in Hampton, Virginia, and Fort Hood and Fort Bliss in Texas.
In a press briefing Friday, the Pentagon Press Secretary said the sites were chosen to accommodate the 21-day isolation period because of their proximity to medical facilities and their ability to facilitate the Ebola monitoring, which includes twice daily temperature checks.
Civilians serving on Operation Unified Assistance may also join troops in isolation.
The announcement of quarantine sites comes a week after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced a mandatory 21-day isolation period for service members. The isolation is voluntary for Pentagon civilian employees.
A Fort Bragg spokesman said the Post has not been notified of a timetable to prepare quarantine housing. Ben Abel said they still don't know how many troops to expect, or where exactly they'll be housed on post. Planning for the quarantine facilities is in the infant stages.
