Ebola Support Effort Launched

U.S. Africa Command plans to establish a joint-command headquarters in Monrovia, Liberia, with the mission of helping mitigate the spread of the deadly Ebola disease outbreak in western Africa. The armed forces will conduct the exercise, dubbed Operation United Assistance, in conjunction with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control, the Pentagon announced Sept. 16. President Obama made the decision to establish the military-medical presence in the region, dubbing it an issue of national security. U.S. military medical teams will operate mobile laboratories, set up a 25-bed hospital, and facilitate distribution of protective equipment and blood-test kits.