Life in Controlled Monitoring at the Langley Transit Center

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Benjamin Wooddy, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs

HAMPTON, Va. (NNS) -- Chief Equipment Operator Jason Knifley of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133, sat in front of a camera and a telephone as he answered questions from the media about his recent return to the United States.

"We knew about two weeks before [our return] that we would be going into isolation," said Knifley. "It wasn't frustrating; we were just waiting to see how long it was going to be."

The precautionary measure came after the recent outbreak of Ebola that has spread throughout much of West Africa.

Sailors from NMCB 133 as well as service members from various branches deployed to West Africa to aid in the construction of medical facilities in efforts to help countries that were struck hard by the virus.

"We started off surveying potential sites to build facilities for the incoming groups to stay in," said Knifley. "After being there for about a week it changed to constructing a MMU [Mobile Medical Unit]. The Air Force followed up and put down their 25-bed hospital and Seabees constructed the facilities around the hospital like the visitor center, restrooms, laundry facilities, facilities to eat in and things like that."

Once their mission was complete, the 15 Sailors from NMCB 133 along with other service members traveled to the Langley Transit Center on Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton to begin their 21-day controlled monitoring period.

While daily medical exams and temperature checks are part of the routine at the Center, that's not the majority of daily life.

"They've infused a lot of money into this [facility] in order to make sure we have different activities," said Air Force Maj. Jeffrey Chaperon, a medical administrator also returning from West Africa.

Whether it's contact with family members through wifi access, playing video games or watching television, said Chaperon, "There are just a lot of things to keep us active."

For many service members, coming home from deployment means the opportunity to reunite with family and loved ones. However, these service members understand the importance of the controlled monitoring to families and friends.

"We all understand why we are in here," said Chaperon. "None of us had any exposure to any Ebola patients that were down range in Africa but we also understand the measures that need to be taken here to keep the community safe, keep our family safe but also to keep ourselves from coming into contact with cold and flu season going on right now. It's a good precaution for us."

Due to the timing of their return, those in controlled monitoring missed Thanksgiving with their families because of the 21-day time period.

But those involved with the process made sure that these service members were still able to celebrate the holiday on some level, with a Thanksgiving meal, a Turkey Trot race and of course, football.