# Hypothetical: You're in the military and are being sent to help with the Ebola crisis **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988 "2014-10-10T19:07:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/1 "2014-10-10T19:07:18Z")
I’m not **Skald** , so I’m not going to do a big story. This presupposes you’d join the military. The facts are these: you’re in the military and your unit is called upon to go to Africa and help with the Ebola containment effort. What do you do? StG ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/2 "2014-10-10T19:08:10Z")
I go to Africa and help with the ebola containment effort. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/3 "2014-10-10T19:11:42Z")
I am a soldier and I have been given a legitimate order by my legitimate superior. I have only one option. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/4 "2014-10-10T19:14:34Z")
Go. Why not? Now if I have to shoot suspected Ebola carriers, that may bring ethical concerns, but that is not the given hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/5 "2014-10-10T19:37:31Z")
I suppose I’d have to make a pass at my commanding officer. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/6 "2014-10-10T19:39:11Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > I’m not **Skald** , so I’m not going to do a big story. This presupposes you’d join the military. The facts are these: you’re in the military and your unit is called upon to go to Africa and help with the Ebola containment effort. What do you do? > > StG And this is somehow more dangerous/scary than going into a zone where people are actively using weapons to try to kill you? If I’m a soldier, there’s a reasonable expectation that I could be sent into harm’s way – I don’t think Ebola is inherently a bigger threat to a soldier than guns or explosives. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/7 "2014-10-10T19:43:03Z")
I wouldn’t be _thrilled_ about the assignment, but I have to figure that the soldiers are going to be pretty closely monitored for exposure and have access to immediate top-level care and experimental drugs if they _are_ exposed. So off I would go. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/8 "2014-10-10T19:46:29Z")
My husband (who is former military) told me last night that given a choice between being sent to West Africa to help with the epidemic or to Syria to fight ISIS, he’d take Syria. Why? Because you can at least see who is enemy is. Given no choice, he’d of course go where he was told. Because that’s what you sign up for when you join. I’d do the same. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/9 "2014-10-10T19:48:38Z")
I answered glad to help. I would quality that: I’m not so glad to help that I’d outright volunteer. However, if I was ordered to go, then I’d go and be pleased to do my duty. It’s a shame you’re not Skald, though. Athena can do wonders with Ebola, and I’m starting to get hungry for some lunch. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/10 "2014-10-10T19:50:37Z")
I’d go. It would suck, but it’s not my place to choose. I might hope that someone helps me out with a quick death if I start showing symptoms though. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/11 "2014-10-10T20:15:23Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I suppose I’d have to make a pass at my commanding officer. [“Done and done. And I mean done!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsAA-3F4NWs) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/12 "2014-10-10T20:20:12Z")
Military action usually involves killing mostly the “bad” guys. An Ebola assignment might end up with you having to kill sick or panicked people if the situation went tits up. The later would bother me much more. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/13 "2014-10-10T20:25:56Z")
I’d go. Former soldier, medic, USAR. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/14 "2014-10-10T20:27:24Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > I’d go. It would suck, but it’s not my place to choose. > > **I might hope that someone helps me out with a quick death if I start showing symptoms though.** The fatality rate isn’t 100%, it’s rather lower. Still worth fighting to survive through. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/15 "2014-10-10T21:50:46Z")
Of course I’d go. In my experience the platoon, if not the entire company, is tighter than family. The thought of letting them go someplace nasty without me to do my bit would be beyond shameful. There would not be epihets for ‘coward’ strong enough to describe such a betrayal. No need for mercy kills either. That only comes when an alien face-hugger has done its dirty deed. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/16 "2014-10-10T22:41:21Z")
Risk to ones person is part of the job for a soldier, whether it’s by ebola or an IED. So if I’d signed up I would be foolish to think I’d be the one soldier who could get a sick note when battle comes, one imagines the military weeds those types out. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/17 "2014-10-10T23:04:17Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > My husband (who is former military) told me last night that given a choice between being sent to West Africa to help with the epidemic or to Syria to fight ISIS, he’d take Syria. Why? Because you can at least see who is enemy is. I’d feel the opposite. Ebola does not transmit through the air, but bullets do. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/18 "2014-10-10T23:14:46Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The fatality rate isn’t 100%, it’s rather lower. Still worth fighting to survive through. For someone with immediate modern medical care, its probably less than 50%. Kinda silly to off yourself with those odds of survival. Plus why dying off Ebola doesn’t seem like fun, it doesn’t seem like a super-agonizing or drawn out death compared to other things, especially in a hospital. Hardly worth killing yourself to avoid. I’d be kinda happy to be deployed to help out with Ebola. The actual risk to a serviceman seems pretty small, and I think I’d feel happier about helping people fight a deadly disease then I would about dropping bombs on a bunch of Arabs I’d never met. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/19 "2014-10-10T23:26:26Z")
Wouldn’t you be wearing an NBC suit if you in a zone where risk of infection is high? Hazmat suits are cheaper than soldiers, after all, so as a soldier you might be safer against ebola in a your MOPP Level 4 gear than you would be against bullets and explosions in a regular combat zone. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988/20 "2014-10-10T23:56:49Z")
Were I still in the Seabees, I’d probably be there. That’s who they’re sending to build the medical facilities. The news refers to all military as “soldiers” for some stupid reason. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-youre-in-the-military-and-are-being-sent-to-help-with-the-ebola-crisis/700988.md?page=2)