U.S. to send 3,000 military personnel to combat Ebola

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce the deployment of 3,000 troops to West Africa Tuesday to fight the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak.

Obama will make the announcement during his visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta where he will meet with officials to discuss the disease which has killed more than 2,400 people. The Department of Defense has requested Congress allocate $500 million slated to go to overseas contingency operations to provide medical and logistical support to health clinics in the affected nations.

The funds would go to training 500 health care workers per week and establishing 17 health clinics with 100 beds each.

"The Department of Defense's number one priority is combating Ebola," said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey in a meeting. He did stress that the efforts would not take away from counter-terrorism, given the threat of the Islamic state (IS).

The Ebola outbreak is being treated as a national security issue as the potential destabilization of the West African nations is a breeding ground for radical militants.

Four Americans have contracted Ebola and have been are are being treated in the United States.