Jerry Hendrix

A US Marine takes a gasp of air while loading humanitarian goods into helicopter as part of relief efforts in the Philippines following Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

What do American troops have to do with medical emergencies? A lot

September 17, 2014Conflict

President Obama has deployed 3,000 troops to combat Ebola in West Africa. That may seem like a stretch for a group of people who aren’t medical experts, but the US military has a long history of stepping into humanitarian crises – and can add real value to aid efforts.