3000 Troops To Be Deployed For Ebola Crisis.

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Obama apparently committing 3000 ground troops to Ebola infested countries.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014...te-rutgers-idUSKBN0HA2B720140915?feedType=RSS

Not only should they deploy the best trained and equiped hazmat units one must wonder if they got a vaccine or treatment to work. 3000 possible Ebola carrier will be returning to the US. Pray this disease doesn't go dormant and resurfaces years later.

The military did a lot of hazmat training during the cold war and 90s with the middle east threat but I'm not sure what the current training is. Working in hazmat gear takes practice and getting used to.
 

The mission will construct 17 isolation facilities with 100 beds each. It will take some weeks to transport materials and supplies across an ocean. So, we will see the numbers of infected and dead increase before we can get a handle on the plague. If someone doesn't take charge and get this contained, we will continue to see the numbers of infected grow. Ebola is not communicable like flu or a cold. You can visit with someone, ride in a car with someone, sit next to an infected person in church and not get ebola. The disease is only communicable through contact with the body fluids of an infected party. It can be contained, but not in a third world environment without some assistance.

That said, our son could well be one of those 3,000 who will ship out to assist. His unit is deployable anywhere in the world in 18 hours notice. We would only trust that any troops will be fully trained and prepared to deal with the disease. We have seen three Americans contact ebola, be flown home, and cured of the disease. This can happen on site, where the plague is predominent. My larger questions is "Where is China, India, Russia, etc. with their troops to aid in the containment of this disease?"
 

echoing the sentiment of "where are the other nations' troops? " why doesn't South Africa send some help? Rhetorical question: why does it always have to be us?
 
Geezerette said:
echoing the sentiment of "where are the other nations' troops? " why doesn't South Africa send some help? Rhetorical question: why does it always have to be us?
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Because it IS always us to step up and try to help.. I think it's the right thing to do.. Someone has to do something rather than just watch and shake their heads..
 
Also, there is an element of self interest at work here. Diseases spread around the world very rapidly these days. If the disease is not contained in Africa it will inevitably find its way to other continents, including South and Central America and eventually to North America. Experience in controlling an outbreak is extremely valuable to the USA. Also, given the possibility of terrorists turning their hand to biological warfare some time in the future and using diseases like anthrax as a weapon it is important to know how to isolate and treat such threats. Not every war is fought using guns, bombs and drones.

South Africa is still a third world country struggling to deal with AIDS. They have no capacity to control plagues that break out in other parts of Africa. It is up to groups like the UN and Medecins sans Frontiers to do the frontline work but they are pretty stretched and need some assistance. Do you really think that the US military is the only player in the game?
 
Of course it is. Nations that can afford to help will help according to their capabilities.

The Australian Government has provided an extra $7 million to fight the Ebola virus after the United States committed 3,000 troops to contain the epidemic now branded a global security threat.
Australia’s money will go to the World Health Organisation, Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) and the United Kingdom which is providing health services in Sierra Leone.
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Some conservative commentators are already making a joke out of this effort calling it our war on Ebola when we need a war on Isis...
 
It's not really a threat to us. Someone stated upthread.. it's not an easy virus to catch. One has to have direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person. Now conceivabley, someone with ebola COULD travel to the US or the UK.. and may infect a few people. However, our health systems are much more sophisticated. We practice strict universal precautions and isolation. This is much different from West Africa where people cannot even get into a "hospital".. Most however have a fear of hospitals spread by their medicine men, and care for their sick at home. Also, in their culture, the family and the community prepare the dead for burial and can be infected that way. What we are doing is strictly humanitarian. I don't believe we are at risk. I DO worry however for the 3000 military personnel going there, but I'm sure every precaution will be taken. They are mostly there to build MASH units.
 
I believe that the big worry is the Sicily and economic cost of the virus in these W African states; which could go totally bankrupt and become failed states. They are amongst the poorest states in the world, except for Nigeria, and can not possibly pay foe the healthcare themselves.
 
UK already has about 700 troops there; some building treatment facilities; some medical; and a hospital ship on it's way..
 
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Our government is refusing to send anyone on the grounds that we are too far away for safe evacuation of anyone who gets the virus. They say that 30 hours flying time back home plus other delays is too long and the patient would die en route. They also say that no other country has agreed to take our sick personnel for treatment.

Instead we have sent a piddling amount of money ($18 million) which is less than the amount donated by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife ($25m)

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...e-would-be-irresponsible-20141016-1178uo.html

He is being hammered by a couple of women on the opposition front bench about his stinginess. They can't believe that an arrangement can't be worked out with some European country to treat any Australians who contract ebola while fighting the epidemic in west Africa.

We have people willing to volunteer but IMO he has calculated that the political risk is too great. Also, while he is keen to have his photo taken visiting overseas troops, I can't imagine him turning up at an ebola hospital in Sierra Leone for a photo op.
 
Sorry for anyone having family in the military shipping out there but I don't think it will turn out well ... 4 hours of training? Really???

Something that maybe the more scientific minds here can explain for me - everyone is saying that Ebola is not transmittable in an air-borne manner, and can only be transmitted by bodily fluid contact.

So, what about a cough or a sneeze? Is that not bodily fluid transmitted through the air?
 
The President has authorized calling up national guard and reservist for this African duty. Half trained troops trying to do what medical experts are still arguing about on this Ebola thing.
 
SifuPhil said:
Sorry for anyone having family in the military shipping out there but I don't think it will turn out well ... 4 hours of training? Really???

Something that maybe the more scientific minds here can explain for me - everyone is saying that Ebola is not transmittable in an air-borne manner, and can only be transmitted by bodily fluid contact.

So, what about a cough or a sneeze? Is that not bodily fluid transmitted through the air?
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Not to mention projectile vomiting.
 
QuickSilver said:
Because it IS always us to step up and try to help.. I think it's the right thing to do.. Someone has to do something rather than just watch and shake their heads..
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AGAIN,where are all the other nation offers to help us in Africa,if their country get a massive dose of ebola who do you think they call for help?
Bunch of hypocrite....
 
Davey Jones said:
AGAIN,where are all the other nation offers to help us in Africa,if their country get a massive dose of ebola who do you think they call for help?
Bunch of hypocrite....
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Well Canada has been researching a vaccine or some kind of medicine and is sending 1000 doses of this experimental drug to try and also has sent $4.1 million. This was as of September 17th. So I'm sure since then there have been more, like Australia as mentioned by Dame Warrigal.

I think there's actually a few countries involved and if nothing else are sending money. And maybe the ones who haven't are really poor countries.



http://time.com/3393656/ebola-donations-funding/
 
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