President Obama issued an executive order and a letter to Congress on Thursday, saying he deemed it “necessary to augment the active armed forces of the United States for the effective conduct of Operation United Assistance, which is providing support to civilian-led humanitarian assistance and consequence management support related to the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa.” The Pentagon is now permitted to bring National Guard troops or military reservists to join the effort to stem the virus in West Africa. Around 540 active-duty troops are posted in Liberia, helping the country’s government and other agencies fight the epidemic.
