The complexity and critical importance of the United States (US) Military's response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Western Africa provides a unique case study platform for operational analysis as well as providing an opportunity to assess the US Military's capabilities to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during an emerging infectious disease epidemic. It also provides an exceptional opportunity to study the interactions of inter-governmental agencies, Joint Force procedures in a non-traditional setting, and non-governmental organization (NGO) cooperation. The purpose of this study is to examine the US Military's response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. This study will primarily focus on the US Military's response in conjunction with other Governmental Organizations and NGOs. A case study of the 2014 Ebola outbreak provides a unique perspective on how the military integrates with non-military organizations through combined lines of effort in order to respond to and contain the Ebola outbreak.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)