President Obama signed an executive order on Thursday authorizing additional U.S. reserve troops to respond to the Ebola crisis in west Africa.
The order allows for the reservists to take part in the U.S. military mission already underway, which focuses on the building of Ebola treatment centers in the region. The order permits the Pentagon to use the reservists as well as Guard troops. Obama also notified top congressional officials of his move.
Obama Letter to Speaker of the House
The action comes the same day that a hearing was held on Capitol Hill assessing the level of U.S. preparedness for dealing with an Ebola outbreak.
The U.S. has already committed to sending up to 4,000 military personnel to West Africa, who will provide logistics and help build treatment units to confront the rapidly spreading and deadly virus.
The president has placed individual calls on #Ebola to Boehner, Reid, and Pelosi, per the WH— Justin Sink (@JTSTheHill) October 16, 2014
British army medics were also deployed to Sierre Leone on Thursday to take part in Ebola response efforts. Ninety-one medics will run a treatment centre in Sierra Leone, which will focus on treating workers who risk infection.
Over 100 members of 22 Field Hospital arrived in Freetown today to help UK mission to defeat #Ebola in #SierraLeone pic.twitter.com/9glnrpI4FA— Justine Greening (@JustineGreening) October 16, 2014
The Army Public Health Command released this informational video on Thursday, intended for troops working in west Africa.
Nearly 9,000 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease have been reported in seven affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the United States of America) up to the end of 12 October, the WHO said on Wednesday.
Nearly 4,500 people have died since the outbreak began.