Hagel Thanks Soldiers for Ebola Response
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Nov. 17 thanked troops at Fort Campbell, Ky., saying, "The challenges and threats that face our country in the world today are not just from Islamic fundamentalists or from terrorists, but from health diseases and pandemic health threats that threaten the world. Ebola is part of that overall scope of threats."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Nov. 17 thanked troops at Fort Campbell, Ky., saying their efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa had made a "huge difference," DoD News' Nick Simeone reported.
"You all understand the perils, the threats, the challenges that face our country," Hagel told the troops during a visit to the base, according to Simeone's report. "The challenges and threats that face our country in the world today are not just from Islamic fundamentalists or from terrorists, but from health diseases and pandemic health threats that threaten the world. Ebola is part of that overall scope of threats."
Hundreds of troops from Fort Campbell participated in the U.S. military's response, which involved more than 2,200 U.S. service personnel deployed to West Africa. In his remarks, Hagel said, "I do think that what you all have been responsible for so far has made a huge difference in containing Ebola," but he said it is too early to determine how long the mission will last.