title: The timeliness of the US military response to the 2014 Ebola disaster: a critical review.
abstract: In the face of an unprecedented epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease, in September 2014, the US military began sending thousands of personnel to Liberia and supporting areas in Senegal in its largest deployment to the African continent in over two decades. In this review, media reports, published photographs and official statements are evaluated and summarized to identify and describe key time points in the US military response. Specific events include the initial establishment of the Monrovia Medical Unit and the buildup of forces for the expanded mission, which involved enhancement of laboratory testing capacity, construction of Ebola Treatment Units, and training of health care workers. The review concludes with a discussion and critical evaluation of the timeliness of this US military response in the context of the original expectations of the humanitarian community and government officials.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mental Health , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Remington L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Nevin
authors.affiliation: b Public Health Studies Program , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Jill N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D004190:Disasters; D058872:Epidemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000600:supply & distribution; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D007988:Liberia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008889:Military Personnel; D012066:Relief Work; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D059030:United States Department of Defense
keywords: Ebola Virus Disease; Liberia; US Public Health Service; US military; disaster response; humanitarian assistance