http://www.stripes.com/news/national-guard-reserve-units-for-ebola-fight-identified-1.314614National Guard, Reserve units for Ebola fight identified
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 17, 2014
WASHINGTON — The Army has identified 15 National Guard and Reserve units from around the United States to deploy early next year in support of the fight to end a record Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
President Barack Obama in October authorized involuntary activation of reserve units for Operation United Assistance. On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel signed an order authorizing the deployment of about 2,100 Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers to Africa to replace deployed troops.
Among them is 34th Infantry Division headquarters, Minnesota Army National Guard, which will replace the 101st Airborne Division’s headquarters, which is now running the operation.
Many of the other units have highly specialized capabilities, including medical logistics, preventive medicine and several types of engineering.
“These reserve component units were selected based on their capabilities and ability to respond to the unique demands of the mission, and were done in consultation with the Chief, National Guard Bureau, and the Chief, Army Reserve,” according to a written statement from the Army.
Officials have repeated since the beginning of the operation that U.S. troops are deploying to support anti-Ebola efforts, but would not provide patient care to those infected with the virus. No U.S. troops have shown symptoms of infection in twice daily health checks, Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, the operation’s commander, said last week.
Still, to provide what officials say is an added margin of safety and reassurance, troops stationed in Liberia are undergoing 21 days of quarantine upon return. More than 80 servicemembers entered what the Pentagon calls “controlled monitoring” last Thursday at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Mobilizing Army National Guard units include:
16th Engineer Brigade Headquarters, Ohio Army National Guard
223rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist Detachment), California Army National Guard
272nd Engineer Company (Vertical Construction), Texas Army National Guard
294th Area Support Medical Company, Iowa Army National Guard
891st Engineer Battalion, Kansas Army National Guard
Mobilizing United States Army Reserve units include:
96th Sustainment Brigade, Salt Lake City and Denver
313th Movement Control Battalion, Baltimore
324th Fire Fighting Detachment, East Point, Georgia
324th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Granite City, Illinois
329th Survey and Design Team, Saint Joseph, Minnesota
387th Medical Logistics Company, Miami
398th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Rockville, Maryland
452nd Preventative Medicine Team, Miami
996th Horizontal Engineer Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
B Company, 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, Columbus, Ohio
