President Obama won't use American soldiers on the ground in Iraq or Syria because he wants to avoid casualties and costs. Let's assume for the moment that Obama's position is correct. The question then arises as to why Obama is sending thousands of American troops to West Africa where they may be exposed to Ebola. Is it okay to sacrifice troops to fight a virus which kills 70% of those infected but not okay to risk confrontation with terrorists in Iraq, a mission which in the past decade has resulted in a casualty rate of less than 1%?
I write this today because the news just broke that the troops going to Africa are getting 4 hours of training on how to deal with Ebola and the various protective measures that are required. Look, I know that these troops are not tasked with treating patients, but it nevertheless seems pretty clear that one or more of the thousands of troops sent to Africa will encounter infected people. Surely, our troops ought to be trained what to do (and not to do) in such circumstances. As someone who has seen his fair share of army training, I know that a four hour training session is better than nothing, but not much better than nothing.
The reality here is that American troops should not be put in harm's way like this. Obama could ask for volunteers from the military and those folks can go if they choose. If Obama is going to order our forces to Africa, however, then the country at least owes them proper training which will allow them to return home safely.
I write this today because the news just broke that the troops going to Africa are getting 4 hours of training on how to deal with Ebola and the various protective measures that are required. Look, I know that these troops are not tasked with treating patients, but it nevertheless seems pretty clear that one or more of the thousands of troops sent to Africa will encounter infected people. Surely, our troops ought to be trained what to do (and not to do) in such circumstances. As someone who has seen his fair share of army training, I know that a four hour training session is better than nothing, but not much better than nothing.
The reality here is that American troops should not be put in harm's way like this. Obama could ask for volunteers from the military and those folks can go if they choose. If Obama is going to order our forces to Africa, however, then the country at least owes them proper training which will allow them to return home safely.
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