UPDATE: Nearly 90 service members held in quarantine for 21 days at the Langley Transit Center after an Ebola mission were released on Thursday, December 4th.
The quarantine was part of a Pentagon mandate so troops could be observed.
Officials at the Langley Transit Center did their best to make sure the 21 days were as comfortable as possible.
"We understand this is going to be an enduring process and we want to make this facility as good as possible for as long as the mission dictates. In light of that, we've solicited robust from the service members assigned here to the Langley Transit Center and with that feedback we'll be able to make continuous improvements to the Langley Transit Center for as long as we need to," said Langley Public Affairs Chief Capt. Kevin Whitlatch.
The troops left the center and loaded onto buses. Some headed home while others are returning to deployments.
Langley Air Force Base - Local troops are back in Hampton Roads after helping in the fight against Ebola.
They made it home but they can't go home - not even for Thanksgiving.
The servicemen and women were in different places in West Africa. They are from all over the U.S. but many are from right here in Hampton Roads.
Related:
- Nearly 90 service members spend Thanksgiving in quarantine at Langley
- Returning service members to be monitored for Ebola symptoms at Langley Air Force Base
- USAF Hospital Langley’s new germ-zapping robot can disinfect a room within minutes
It was a homecoming different than the rest as about 90 troops stepped off the plane from West Africa and stepped into quarantine for 21 days.
NewsChannel 3 got an inside look at what will be their home for the next three weeks.
The new Langley Transit Center is one of five monitoring sites in the country set up to quarantine troops coming back from Ebola stricken counties.
But Commander Allen assures these troops have not been exposed to the deadly disease
“None of them had exposure to the disease and unless you are symptomatic, you can`t spread the disease and none of them are symptomatic,” says Allen.
Commander Allen says while the troops are here they can write down a list of things they can get delivered to them safely.
Even things like pizza.
“We want it to be as positive of an experience as it can be,” Allen says.
But that may be tough for this first batch of troops as they will be missing thanksgiving at home.
“Really it will feel as normal as the Thanksgiving as those in West Africa are going to experience. We are going to have a Thanksgiving meal for them. We are going to try to make Thanksgiving feel as normal as it can.”
