U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deploys Team in Support of Operation United Assistance

Published Oct. 23, 2014
The Forward Engineering Support Team-Advanced, deploying to Liberia in support of Operation United Assistance, is honored with a departure ceremony at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany Oct. 20, 2014. The 13-member team of military and civilian technical experts — from electrical and environmental engineers, to real estate and power generation specialists — will support the construction of Ebola Treatment Units as part of the operation. The ETUs will be constructed at site locations chosen by the Government of Liberia Ministry of Health and the Armed Forces of Liberia to assist in the containment of Ebola. Additionally, USACE military and civilian personnel will assist with the construction, planning, surveying, and design of life-support and logistics facilities in Senegal and Liberia. U.S. Agency for International Development is the lead U.S. Government organization for the operation and U.S. Africa Command is supporting the effort by providing command and control, logistics, training and engineering assets — including the FEST-A — to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in West African nations.

The Forward Engineering Support Team-Advanced, deploying to Liberia in support of Operation United Assistance, is honored with a departure ceremony at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany Oct. 20, 2014. The 13-member team of military and civilian technical experts — from electrical and environmental engineers, to real estate and power generation specialists — will support the construction of Ebola Treatment Units as part of the operation. The ETUs will be constructed at site locations chosen by the Government of Liberia Ministry of Health and the Armed Forces of Liberia to assist in the containment of Ebola. Additionally, USACE military and civilian personnel will assist with the construction, planning, surveying, and design of life-support and logistics facilities in Senegal and Liberia. U.S. Agency for International Development is the lead U.S. Government organization for the operation and U.S. Africa Command is supporting the effort by providing command and control, logistics, training and engineering assets — including the FEST-A — to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in West African nations.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed a team with engineering and engineering-related expertise to Liberia in support of Operation United Assistance, which is part of the comprehensive U.S. Government Ebola effort in West Africa led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The team is a Forward Engineering Support Team (FEST) from our North Atlantic Division (NAD) consisting of personnel with expertise in the areas of engineering, environmental, and prime power. The team will help support the construction of Ebola Treatment Units (ETU) at site locations chosen by the Government of Liberia Ministry of Health and the Armed Forces of Liberia. This support will allow for the construction of multiple ETUs to further assist in the containment of the Ebola virus. Additionally, the USACE civilians and military personnel that deployed will assist with the construction planning, surveying, and design of life-support and logistics facilities in Senegal and Liberia.

The team will remain in Liberia until their mission is deemed complete by USAID. Additionally, USACE will liaise with key elements providing support to Operation United Assistance to facilitate planning the capabilities required for the successful completion of our mission.

USACE deploys experts from our FESTs and prime power battalion (249th Engineer Battalion), worldwide, in support of military and contingency operations, installations, disasters, training exercises, and the National Response Framework. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of many federal entities supporting the comprehensive U.S. Government effort to help the West African nations contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  For photos related to this mission, please contact Raini Brunson at 202-761-1808 or raini.w.brunson@usace.army.mil.


Contact
Raini Brunson
202-761-1808
raini.w.brunson@usace.army.mil
or
Justin Ward
347-370-4550
justin.m.ward@usace.army.mil

Release no. 14-020