California National Guard Linguists to Deploy to Africa in Ebola Fight

Members of a San Francisco-based California National Guard battalion are deploying to West Africa in spring 2015 to support the ongoing global fight against Ebola, National Guard officials said today.

About a half-dozen linguists from the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion will travel overseas to provide critical support roles for up to a year in areas impacted by Ebola, according to the California National Guard. The soldiers will begin training next month before joining the approximately 2,100 National Guardsmen and Reservists deploying to West Africa in the spring.

Upon return, all soldiers will undergo a 21-day controlled monitoring period to make sure they are healthy and have not contracted Ebola.

“We are working closely with the Department of Defense to take all the necessary steps and provide the best possible training to ensure the safety of our soldiers,” Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, the California National Guard’s Adjutant General, said in a statement.

“It is vitally important that we stop the spread of Ebola in West Africa, and the California National Guard is proud to participate in this mission,” Baldwin said.

--Bay City News