Obama tries to justify double standard for military and civilians in dealing with Ebola

Washington Examiner:

President Obama said Tuesday that when it comes to dealing with Americans who have come into contact with the deadly Ebola virus, there are simply different standards in place for U.S. civilians and members of the U.S. armed forces.

The president’s remarks were made Tuesday during a scheduled press briefing on the federal government’s handling of the outbreak.

Are you concerned “[t]here might be some confusion between the quarantine rules used by the military and used by healthcare workers by some states?” a reporter asked.

“Well, the [U.S.] military is in a different situation, obviously, because they are, first of all, not treating patients,” the president said. “Second of all, they are not there voluntarily, it’s part of their mission that has been assigned to them by their commanders and, ultimately by me, the commander in chief.

“We don’t expect to have similar rules for our military and as we do for our civilians. They are already, by definition, if they’re in the military, under more circumscribed conditions,” he added.
...

If anything the civilian volunteers pose a greater risk of contracting and transmitting the disease since they are more directly involved with the sick.  The fact is the military is acting more prudently than this administration is with civilians.  By allowing these returning medical professionals to decide when they are symptomatic has put hundreds of people at risk who did not volunteer to be exposed to this disease.