As y’all know, I spent 22 years active duty service in the U.S. Army and deployed several times to combat zones, and what I’ve learned recently about troop preparations and deployment activities is quite disconcerting.

As reported by the Daily Beast, “American military operations to fight Ebola in Africa are unfolding quickly—forcing the military to come up with some procedures and protocols on the fly. Soldiers preparing for deployment to West Africa are given just four hours of Ebola-related training before leaving to combat the epidemic. And the first 500 soldiers to arrive have been holing up in Liberian hotels and government facilities while the military builds longer-term infrastructure on the ground. For soldiers at Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg preparing for their deployments to West Africa, Mobile Training Teams from the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), based out of Fort Detrick, have been tasked with instructing them on Ebola protocols.”

Four hours of deployment training for Ebola? Four hours to prepare our men and women to combat against something that can take their lives? This is unbelievable. I recall spending countless hours training and preparing for a combat deployment at ranges and in the field. Heck, we spent four hours doing operations order briefings for the deployment — rehearsals and such. We’re not talking about medical professionals who’ve spent their entire careers understanding how to deal with infectious diseases. I wonder what medical professionals would say if they were to receive just four hours of training to combat ISIS or the Taliban?

Read More: http://allenbwest.com/2014/10/un-frigging-believable-us-troops-get-just-4-hours-ebola-training/