On Sunday (Oct. 18), U.S. Secretary of Defense  Chuck Hagel ordered his Northern Command Commander, Gen. Chuck Jacoby, to “prepare and train a 30-person expeditionary medical support team that could, if required, provide short-notice assistance to civilian medical professionals in the United States.”

The team will consist of 20 critical care nurses, five doctors trained in infectious disease, and five trainers in infectious disease protocols.

Team members will get up to seven days of specialized training in infection control and personal protective equipment (PPE) at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, starting “next week or so.”

Training will be provided by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, famous for its discovery of the Reston ebolavirus in monkeys that reportedly got the virus via an airborne route.

After training, the team members will remain in a “prepare to deploy” status for 30 days, available to be sent to other continental U.S. locations as required, “if deemed prudent by our public health professionals” (but not overseas).