Medical Airmen deliver Ebola treatment facility, return to Langley

by Senior Airman Aubrey White
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

10/21/2014 - JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. --  U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 633rd Medical Group were welcomed home by family and colleagues after supporting humanitarian relief operations in Ebola-stricken African nations, Oct. 20.

While in Africa, the Airmen set up an Expeditionary Medical Support System and trained international healthcare workers on the facility's equipment, in compliance with a Department of State request for a 25-bed deployable hospital facility. According to U.S. Air Force Col. Wayne Pritt, 633rd MDG commander, the facility was the first of its kind erected in-country.

The colonel also said none of the 633rd MDG Airmen worked in contact with Ebola-infected patients during the deployment.

"There was no exposure to Ebola or Ebola patients. In fact, they were strictly segregated from the general population," Pritt explained. "Their risk of Ebola is no known exposure; essentially zero risk."

As soon as the Airmen set foot into USAF Hospital Langley, medical group staff took their temperatures and the Airmen completed symptoms surveys. After the screening, the Airmen were allowed to return home with their loved ones and will continue to be monitored twice a day for the next 21 days, Pritt said.

"I'm very excited [they've returned]," Pritt said. "[The Airmen] are very proud of what they've done. After that long flight they're very tired, but you can see the smiles on their faces. They're so happy to be home and we're so proud of what they did down there."

As of now, the Airmen have not experienced Ebola-related symptoms and are expected to return to duty in the coming days.