A unit of the California Army National Guard has been ordered to mobilize for possible deployment to West Africa to support U.S. and international efforts to fight the deadly Ebola virus.
The Army National Guard announced Sunday that the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion, headquartered in San Francisco, is among six National Guard battalions ordered for involuntary mobilization.
None of the approximately 1,200 soldiers from the battalions will provide direct medical care to Ebola patients. Instead, they will provide training on Ebola and malaria prevention and also medical readiness.
The 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion includes interpreters, translators as well as counter-intelligence and interrogation specialists.
The Army says all Guard soldiers and reservists will undergo a 21-day "controlled monitoring period" to ensure they are healthy and have not contracted Ebola.
