Washington – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved a recommendation by military leaders that all U.S. troops returning from Ebola response missions in West Africa be kept in supervised isolation for 21 days.
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The move goes beyond precautions recommended by the Obama administration for civilians, although President Barack Obama has made clear he feels the military’s situation is different from that of civilians, in part because troops are not in West Africa by choice.
Hagel on Wednesday approved the recommendation sent to him by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Just over 1,000 U.S. troops in Liberia and Senegal are there supporting efforts to combat the virus.
The Army, acting on its own, put a small number of returning soldiers on a 21-day quarantine earlier this week.