IT IS NOT THE MISSION

 

Of the Department of Defense to fight Ebola

Not one soldier, sailor or airman swore to protect and defend the people of Liberia from all viruses foreign or domestic.

Barack Obama on Tuesday called West Africa's deadly Ebola outbreak a looming threat to global security and announced a major expansion of the U.S. role in trying to halt its spread, including deployment of 3,000 troops to the region. ~Yahoo

To date we have spent more than $100 million to address this challenge, USAID also has announced plans to make available up to $75 million in additional funding.  DoD also has requested to reprogram $500 million in Fiscal Year 2014 Overseas Contingency Operations funds for humanitarian assistance.  White House

National Security vs Global Security

It is the duty and responsibility of the President to ensure US national security, not to guarantee the world global security. 

According to a senior military official, Dempsey said at a recent meeting: “The Department of Defense’s number one priority is combating Ebola.” ~ W.J

Really? In that case General Dempsey ought to be court-martialed and the President impeached for this extra-constitutional abuse of power and dereliction of duty.   If one American soldier dies of ebola his blood is on the President's hands.

Ebola is Serious Business

Don't get me wrong, something needs to be done, but it is not for the Department of Defense or for the American soldier to be ordered to do so.  One would have to seriously question the legality of that order within the context of the Constitution of the United States. Frankly, it's not even the responsibility of the US Public Health Service:

The mission of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation. ~ USPHS

And before you start lecturing me on the epidemiological hazards to national security know that a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was a medical technologist.  I'm not saying we ought to do nothing, I am saying the President has no more authority to order US troops into the midst of a peacetime viral outbreak in a foreign country than he has to order the staff of Massachusetts General there.

You can't argue the President is concerned about national security when anyone with ebola can simply waltz across our southern border.  You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Thoughts?