Army Major General Darryl
A. Williams, commander of U.S.
Army Africa, and approximately 10
other personnel are now in
"controlled monitoring" in Italy after
returning there from West Africa
over the weekend, according to
multiple U.S. military officials.
The American personnel are
effectively under quarantine, but
Pentagon officials declined to use
that terminology.
Williams' plane was met on the
ground by Italian authorities "in full
CDC gear," the official said, referring
to the type of protective equipment
worn by U.S. health care workers.
There is no indication at this time
any of the team have symptoms of
Ebola.
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They will be monitored for 21 days
at a "separate location" at
the U.S. military installation
at Vicenza Italy, according to
U.S. military officials. Senior
Pentagon officials say it is
not a "quarantine," but
rather "controlled
monitoring." However, the
troops are being housed in
an access controlled location
on base, and are not
allowed to go home for the
21 day period while they
undergo twice daily
temperature checks.
It is not clear yet if they will
be allowed visits from family
members.
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Williams and his team have
been in West Africa for 30 days, to
set up the initial U.S. military
assistance there and have traveled
extensively around Liberia. The
team was in treatment and testing
areas during their travels.
Speaking to reporters two weeks ago
while he was still overseas in
Liberia, Williams spoke of the
extensive monitoring that he was
given.
"We measure, while we're here --
twice a day, are monitoring as
required by the recent guidance that
was put out while we're here in
Liberia. I -- yesterday, I had my
temperature taken, I think, eight
times, before I got on and off
aircraft, before I went in and out of
the embassy, before I went out of
my place where I'm staying," William
said during the October 16 press
conference.
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"As long as you exercise basic
sanitation and cleanliness sort of
protocols using the chlorine wash on
your hands and your feet, get your
temperature taken, limiting the
exposure, the -- no handshaking,
those sorts of protocols, I think the
risk is relatively low."
Officials could not explain why the
group was being put under into
controlled monitoring, which is
counter to the Pentagon policy. The
current DOD policy on monitoring
returning troops says "as long as
individuals remain asymptomatic,
they may return to work and routine
daily activities with family
members."
White House Press Secretary Josh
Earnest said Monday that the
Defense Department "has not issued
a policy related to their workers that
have spent time in West Africa."
"I know that there was this decision
that was made by one commanding
officer in the Department of
Defense, but it does not reflect a
department-wide policy that I
understand is still under
development," Earnest said.
The Pentagon has, though,
published plans that detail
how it will handle troops
who are deployed to the
region -- including potential
quarantines.
Jessica L. Wright, the
undersecretary of Defense
for personnel and readiness,
issued an Oct. 10 memo that
said troops who have faced
an elevated risk of exposure
to Ebola will be quarantined
for 21 days -- and that those
who haven't faced any
known exposure will be
monitored for three weeks.
Wright's memo also lays out
the Pentagon's plans to train
troops before they're sent to
West Africa and to monitor
them during their deployment to the
epicenter of the Ebola outbreak.
Pressed again during his briefing
Monday, Earnest said it's up to the
Defense Department to announce its
policies for troops that return from
the region.
"We are seeing this administration
put in place the policies that we
believe are necessary to protect the
American people and to protect the
American troops," he said. "And
we're going to let science drive that
process. And as soon as we have a
policy to announce on this, we'll let
you know."
A senior military officials described
the living quarters as one building
with rooms equipped for between
one and four people.
The quarantined personnel will eat
in a dining tent. They have a gym
and they have access to both
unclassified and classified means of
communication, according to the
official.
The quarantined personnel are
supposed to be getting access to
chaplains soonest for worship
services in the near future.