Hagel defends 21-day quarantine for troops
TSO sends us a link from USAToday which reports Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s explanation for exceeding the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines for the quarantine of people returning from West Africa after dealing with the Ebola outbreak.
Hagel earlier this week signed off on the recommendation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that goes beyond guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Isolating troops for 21 days even without symptoms of the disease, Hagel said, was a “smart, wise, prudent, disciplined, science-oriented decision.”
[…]
Part of the reason to isolate troops is that they would be staying in the region longer than most medical workers, said Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Troops are expected to have six-month deployments to disease-stricken areas.
That makes perfect sense to no one. 21 days after the redeployment is still 21 days whether a person was there one month or six months. I know because I checked the math on my fingers and toes (and I counted my favorite toe twice) as due diligence. Hagel probably didn’t think of using the toe thing.
I think what he meant to say was “Because I said so”.
And, oh, by the way, Stars & Stripes reports that the quarantine is optional for DoD civilians.
But unlike troops, the Pentagon can’t require civilians to comply with a pre-emptive quarantine, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said Friday.
“Because they’re civilian employees and not uniformed servicemembers, we legally can’t force them to undergo a controlled monitoring regimen the way we can with uniformed troops,” Kirby said.
If that’s not the silliest shit ever.
Category: Big Pentagon
This is the most ridiculous shit I’ve seen in a while. It doesn’t matter if you were there an hour or a year the length of the quarantine is the same. As far as civilians; ANY civilians who go there it’s simple: if you traveled throguh that region you get quarantined. If yiu don’t comply you don’t get to come to the good ol USA. Period. Dear Lord the stupidity in this world.
Of course they can require DOD civilians to quarantine.
It’s their place of duty and part of the deployment. (From my perspective the 21 day quarantine needs to be included as part of the six month deployment).
What they really wanted to say was, “we can’t afford to pay the DOD civilians while they are in quarantine,”.
I’m pretty sure that would be expensive when you figure in overtime, weekend, shift differential just to sit on ones ass for 24 each day.
And yet – no more expensive than paying all the other “employees” who sit around all day doing nothing.
Just figuring the overtime pay, DOD would be paying the equivalent of 696 hours of “work” (equal to about 4 1/4 months of work time) for a civilian employee to be in quarantine. I’m darn certain that calculation went into the analysis of the decision.
The additional payroll cost for keeping a uniformed service member in quarantine is essentially zero, especially as you can keep them working while they are secluded.
The civilians can work from an alternate duty location while quarantined. Thd biggest problem would be getting the union to approve it. I just think it’s beyond absurd that we can not enforce a quarantine or a travel ban. I wonder how much this lack of balls has to do with not wanting to offend anyone because there is an election in a few days.
Dipshits
The election issue is a valid point, things could change after.
Yes, the civilian could get work done while quarantined. But, Uncle Sugar would still be on the hook for the hours that they can’t go home. That will be a big bill, and a fight with the unions that the DOD doesn’t want to have unless absolutely necessary.
Put them on a travel order and pay lodging + per diem. Then they don’t get their hourly/salary pay.
Folks still get paid while on TDY, even overtime.
There were USGs at my former agency raking in over 200k per year with over time for going to Iraq and Afghanistan .
True, I thought about that after I typed it and promptly hit myself in the back of the head.
yeah, but they don’t get paid triple salary while TDY – they get per diem and regular pay. I spent several months doing that at one point.
The thing that amazes me is that these “leaders” can say this crap without hanging their heads in shame.
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
The Stupid!
It Burns!
This guy……double standard, anyone?
I would love to be a fly on the wall in the Oval Office on Inauguration Day if a Republican is elected President.
It might go something like this…….
“Get Hagel’s ass in here right now!”
“Yes, Mr. President”
*Knock Knock*
“Come in”
*Door Opens*
*Chuckie walks in*
“Hagel?”
“Yes, Mr. President?”
“Pack up your shit and get the fuck out. YOU’RE FIRED!”
“But sir, who will act as Secretary in my place?”
“That potted plant over there should do nicely, now get the fuck out of my office and don’t come back. On second thought, no need to go to the Pentagon, we’ll mail you your shit.”
Dumper and Soccer Ball describe the action as isolating troops. Kirby calls the action a “controlled monitoring regimen.” Clearly, there is no quarantine. There can’t be a quarantine. Don’t call it a quarantine. It’s not a quarantine. The emperor wouldn’t like that.
WARNING. YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE PENTAGON. WEAPONS AND TESTICLES ARE NOT PERMITTED.
‘“Because they’re civilian employees and not uniformed servicemembers, we legally can’t force them to undergo a controlled monitoring regimen the way we can with uniformed troops,” Kirby said.’
On the flip side, as a civilian employee, I can say “Kiss my ass!” if they ask me to go to that shithole in the first place. And I would.
True, depending on the classification of your position. Many civilian positions are classified as deployable and rsfusing to go can be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including terminination.
Yep! And I’m good with that.
Me too. Now if I can get my tablet to stop making me look like I can’t spell!!
Saw that happen in Germany during DS. Had a lot of DA civilians and Tech Reps cause a rash of shit when they were told to deploy with their supported units. Many flat out refused-don’t know if they got fired or not.
Translation. If you’re in the military suck it the fuck up. If you aren’t you are entitled to risk the lives of 300 million people.
This country. I swear.
“Hagel said, was a “smart, wise, prudent, disciplined, science-oriented decision.”
Science-oriented? Did anyone explain that to the nurse in Maine or the doctor in NYC?
“Because they’re civilian employees and not uniformed servicemembers, we legally can’t force them to undergo a controlled monitoring regimen the way we can with uniformed troops,” Kirby said.
Well Kirby, yes we can. The President has proven time and again the power of his “Executive Order Penmanship”. So yes, with a stroke of said pen he could order the “smart, wise, prudent, disciplined, science-oriented decision.”, decision for mandatory quarantine of ALL people coming into the U.S. from that region or suspected of originating there.
Why? Because the caring, humanitarian folks going there to help have shown all the care and concern for their own families, neighbors, strangers and coworkers at home, that they would to an ISIS terrorist raising money door to door. These same medical professionals who are so disciplined in their given fields seem to go brain dead and outright full selfish when applying their “lack of discipline” to their own countrymen.
I notice California will enforce a quarantine. They have a nurse’s union, and it says they aren’t ready for this disease.
Can’t force civilians? Why would they have to? That 21 days paid to be alone with my Sega would be the only upside to going that I can think of.
I have no problem with the DOD quarantine. It is a settled policy and makes more sense than the dipstick civilian backing and forthing.
Even if Hagel’s reasons are less than stellar, I agree with the prudent approach being taken with the Soldiers. At least they won’t be blamed when outbreak occurs. It’s just a shame that only the “2nd class” citizens of the military are being forced into it while the apparent better and more privileged citizens are exempt from the rules.
What would convince me that our privileged class is immune from this disease or at least supportive of the “do nothing” policy would be to see a recent returnee from an infected country sitting front and center in the chamber during the next State of the Union address. Shouldn’t be an issue now should it?
““Because they’re civilian employees and not uniformed servicemembers, we legally can’t force them to undergo a controlled monitoring regimen the way we can with uniformed troops,” Kirby said.”
Wrong answer, buckwheat. When you leave the US you have no “right of return” and can be stopped at the border for various reasons. Menace to public health is just one of them. People don’t seem to get this little factoid and should remember this the next time they pass through Customs on the way home. Cop and attitude and you can be in for a bad day as the borders actually are a no-mans land by international treaty and are neither US nor foreign territory.
Try pissing off Customs etc. when you come n from overseas… you will speedily learn that habeas corpus et al do not apply until you walk out the door past all those lettered agency folks. Even Agriculture can have you held, probably till that seed they found in your pocket grows into a plant large enough to identify.