US military service members returning from Ebola response efforts in West Africa will now receive a 21-day controlled monitoring regimen after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel approved a recommendation from the Joints Chiefs of Staff.
The order will only apply to military members contributing to personnel that have fought against Ebola at its source, noted a Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby in a statement, late on Wednesday.
"The secretary believes these initial steps are prudent given the large number of military personnel transiting from their home base and West Africa and the unique logistical demands and impact this deployment has on the force," said Kirby.
Hagel has directed the Joint Chiefs to develop, "for his review within 15 days, a detailed implementation plan for how this controlled monitoring will be applied across the force that takes into account the size and scope of the logistics required for this effort." There will also be an additional review of this new regimen 45 days from now to determine if controlled monitoring should continue based upon what is observed.