While the Ebola virus disease was first identified in 1976 when two outbreaks occurred in Nazra, South Sudan, and in a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near the Ebola river, and while there had been several other outbreaks since then, in 2014, the world saw in West Africa “the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak” since the virus was first discovered.”
When the World Health Organization, in March 2016, declared the Ebola epidemic no longer a world health emergency, there had been more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 people had died as a result.
In the United States, eleven people were treated for the Ebola virus, one died.
Thus far, in the United States, 20,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 263 have died.
Back in 2014, President Barack Obama, responding to the evolving humanitarian crisis in Africa, declared it “a top national security priority for the United States” and committed, “The United States will leverage the unique capabilities of the U.S. military and broader uniformed services to help bring the epidemic under control.”
During a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on September 16 2014, President Obama, recognizing “the hard truth,” reiterated that commitment in broader terms. The U.S. is prepared to take leadership on this effort, “to provide the kinds of capabilities that only America has, and to mobilize the world in ways that only America can do,” the President said.
What followed was “Operation United Assistance,” an unprecedented military operation “to support a disease-driven foreign humanitarian assistance mission.”
On 5 August 2014, DOD established the Ebola Task Force to support the epidemic in Africa. Its major thrust would be command and control, logistics support, engineer support and medical training assistance.
In September 2014, the U.S, military expanded its mission to a more robust operation that eventually included several Ebola treatment units, 6 medical research labs and approximately 3,000 troops.
As the Ebola disease reached our shores creating the fear of a potential Ebola outbreak within our borders, the Department of Defense sprang into action in the U.S., too:
• The United States Northern Command quickly assembled and trained two medical support teams to augment existing US-based Ebola prevention and response capabilities and supported planning to mitigate potential outbreaks along the approaches to and within North America.
• The United States Southern Command also initiated planning in its area of responsibility in the event the Ebola virus spread there.
The article, “U.S. Military to Fight Ebola: ‘What Does Victory Look Like?’” examined the early efforts by our military to significantly help a far-away continent in crisis.
The military’s contributions towards fighting the Ebola epidemic have been concrete and significant and have been variously described as “Herculean” and as a “game changer.”
Throughout its modern history, the U.S. military has proven ready, willing and able to help out with disasters and health crises around the world. It has the skills, resources and capabilities to do so and do it well.
The question begs: If our military can so successfully and commendably help combat an epidemic abroad, why not do so at home?
More specifically, USA TODAY recently noted:
The military, with over 1.3 million men and women in uniform, trained to deal with high stress situations, tens of thousands of aircraft, hundreds of thousands of vehicles, extensive medical facilities both fixed site and expeditionary, and an annual budget of nearly $740 billion, can mobilize resources unmatched by any civilian organization.
Since this author started writing this piece, mere hours ago, more than one thousand additional Americans have contracted the coronavirus and 15 more Americans have died.
Time is thus of the essence. Every day, every hour that our country does not enlist help that is available, ready, willing and able to combat this newest enemy, puts more Americans at risk.
