Thirty-two Fort Stewart soldiers from the 82nd Civil Affairs Battalion will deploy to Liberia in support of Operation United Assistance, according to a news release from the post.
The soldiers will deploy in early November and serve as a liaison between Army and military organizations and United States Agency for International Development, Department of State and other U.S. and international government organizations.
Operation United Assistance is the U.S. military’s response in support of USAID and the U.S. Army is part of a joint effort that will include forces from all DoD.
In preparation for this mission, the soldiers have completed training on personal protective equipment and procedures to protect themselves from a variety of infectious diseases found throughout the region.
The soldiers will most likely deploy for six to eight months and will fall under the command of U.S. Africa Command’s Joint Force Command United Assistance once in Africa.
“These soldiers are not expected to have contact with anyone infected with ebola,” the release said. “As a precautionary measure and to ensure everyone's safety, all soldiers re-deploying from Africa will undergo an observation program to ensure they pose no health risk upon return.”
For more information about the Army’s response to the ebola threat go to: