A worker in a hazardous material suit removes the contents of the apartment unit in Dallas. (Reuters)
Washington:
The Pentagon is sending 100 US Marines along with six aircraft to Liberia to reinforce American efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak, officials said on Wednesday.
The unit, based in Moron, Spain, was part of a crisis-response force assigned to Africa and would bring four Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft as well as two C-130 Hercules cargo planes to Monrovia, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
The Marines were due to arrive in Liberia on Thursday and were sent to provide temporary help with supply efforts and air transport until troops from the US Army's 101st Airborne arrive later this week, he said.
"We don't see this particular deployment of these Marines to be long term. It's right now considered a temporary solution to just get us some air assets in the region to deal with the austere environment that we're faced by there," he told reporters.
Kirby said the Osprey MV-22 aircraft arriving with the unit would allow troops to reach a wider area, as the Ospreys -- which take off and land like a helicopter and then fly at speeds like an airplane -- do not require runways.
The US military has said it plans a force of 3,200 troops in Liberia and Senegal to provide logistical and engineering support in the international fight against the deadly virus, but said it has approval to expand the mission to nearly 4,000 if needed.
The Marine unit falls within those troop plans, Kirby said.
The announcement of the deployment comes after President Barack Obama faced criticism from some aid groups over the pace of the US response to the Ebola crisis, with some questioning the timetable for the deployment of more than 3,000 American troops.
About 350 US troops are in Liberia and Senegal at the moment, setting up test labs and a field hospital for health workers. More forces are due to arrive in the coming weeks, according to the Pentagon.
American military teams trained to deal with biological threats have been deployed to Liberia to run mobile labs to test blood samples for the Ebola virus, the head of US Africa Command, General David Rodriguez, said on Tuesday.
The unit, based in Moron, Spain, was part of a crisis-response force assigned to Africa and would bring four Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft as well as two C-130 Hercules cargo planes to Monrovia, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
The Marines were due to arrive in Liberia on Thursday and were sent to provide temporary help with supply efforts and air transport until troops from the US Army's 101st Airborne arrive later this week, he said.
"We don't see this particular deployment of these Marines to be long term. It's right now considered a temporary solution to just get us some air assets in the region to deal with the austere environment that we're faced by there," he told reporters.
Kirby said the Osprey MV-22 aircraft arriving with the unit would allow troops to reach a wider area, as the Ospreys -- which take off and land like a helicopter and then fly at speeds like an airplane -- do not require runways.
The US military has said it plans a force of 3,200 troops in Liberia and Senegal to provide logistical and engineering support in the international fight against the deadly virus, but said it has approval to expand the mission to nearly 4,000 if needed.
The Marine unit falls within those troop plans, Kirby said.
The announcement of the deployment comes after President Barack Obama faced criticism from some aid groups over the pace of the US response to the Ebola crisis, with some questioning the timetable for the deployment of more than 3,000 American troops.
About 350 US troops are in Liberia and Senegal at the moment, setting up test labs and a field hospital for health workers. More forces are due to arrive in the coming weeks, according to the Pentagon.
American military teams trained to deal with biological threats have been deployed to Liberia to run mobile labs to test blood samples for the Ebola virus, the head of US Africa Command, General David Rodriguez, said on Tuesday.
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