While the military dealt with force health protection in the past (e.g., 1918 Spanish flu pandemic), Operation UNITED ASSISTANCE was the first US military operation to support a disease-driven foreign humanitarian assistance mission. The international community's lack of preparedness to respond to the scale and severity of the Ebola outbreak and delayed decision making allowed the disease to spread, complicating the subsequent Department of Defense and international response. The unique aspects of the mission, the evolving Department of Defense roles, the lack of understanding of the operational environment, and force projection shortfalls presented challenges in establishing an expeditionary base in an austere environment.

The DOD Response to Ebola in West Africa, 6 January 2016

Joint and Coalition Operational Analysis - Summary, 20 August 2015

Joint and Coalition Operational Analysis - Full Study, 20 August 2015