Army National Guard and Army Reserve personnel next spring will replace troops now deployed to West Africa in support of U.S. Ebola response operations, Defense Department officials announced Friday.

Roughly 2,100 guardsmen and reservists will rotate to Liberia and Senegal to relieve troops who deployed to the region in September and October.

During a town hall meeting at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on Thursday, Army leadership told family members that the units now in West Africa could stay there up to a year.

But Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said Nov. 6 the deployment is likely to last up to 18 months, which would be "three rotations of six-month deployments."

Dempsey made the remarks at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.

Officials did not release details on which units will deploy next year. They said they would release information once personnel and family members are notified.

"Last night, Secretary Chuck Hagel signed an order authorizing the involuntary mobilization of approximately 2,100 Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers to support Operation United Assistance," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Friday. "Once all of the appropriate notifications have been completed, we will provide additional information about units and specialties being mobilized."

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The U.S. has about 2,200 troops in the region providing logistics, engineering, construction, and command and control support for Ebola response operations.

Troops have completed construction of a 25-bed hospital for infected health care workers in Monrovia, Liberia, and have helped establish a joint Ebola treatment facility, with "three or four" more to come in the next few weeks, 101st Airborne Division Commanding General Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky said earlier this week.

About Patricia Kime

Patricia Kime is a senior writer covering military and veterans health care, medicine and personnel issues.

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