Dover Air Force Base hasn't been tasked to support the U.S. effort in West Africa to combat Ebola - but the base is reviewing procedures and standing by in case orders to do so arrive.

Leaders from the base's 436th and 512th Airlift Wings met Wednesday to review guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Pentagon and Air Mobility Command, and conducted a "table-top" exercise that ran through scenarios ranging from sending fliers and crews into Ebola-affected areas in West Africa to what the base called the "unlikely" event of an infected person returning to the base.

In addition, the base revealed Thursday that a C-17 cargo jet left the base Monday and flew to a staging area "outside of affected areas" in support of the U.S. effort. "This is the only mission that has been tasked to the base at this time," the base said.

It's an escalation of activity at the base that reflects the rapidly evolving situation in West Africa, where 1,104 U.S. troops are currently working — including 983 in Liberia — to provide mostly logistical support for the U.S. mission, sister Gannett paper Military Times reports. Col. Mike Grismer, commander of the 436th wing, told The News Journal Oct. 15 that the base was "taking steps" to prepare but indicated those were more along the lines of protective gear training as opposed to working on scenarios.

"We're ... taking conservative measures to ensure the safety of our personnel and their families," Grismer said Thursday. "As with any potential threat to our personnel or the installation, we exercise our preparedness and response to ensure we're ready to take on any situation, which is exactly what we're doing with regards to the Ebola virus.

"We're taking all the necessary steps and implementing protocols to minimize potential risks to any and all personnel when called to support the [Operation United Assistance] mission."

The measures include:

■ Providing "robust personal protective equipment kits" on each mission and training aircrews and mission-essential personnel on how to handle a potential symptomatic passenger(s) in flight;

■ Partnering with local public health and federal agencies to develop a coordinated response to the Ebola threat.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered all U.S. service members returning from the Ebola response mission to undergo a 21-day monitoring period. This means they will be isolated and checked for symptoms for that length of time.

Dover's preparations, said Col. (Dr.) Kevin Murphy, 436th Medical Group commander, are "being done as a precautionary measure, understanding that it is unlikely for Dover personnel to come in contact with a symptomatic person, as military personnel are not providing direct patient care to local nationals infected with Ebola. In the event that military personnel are exposed to the Ebola virus, they will receive world-class medical care."

"The threat to our personnel is minimal and we're confident we can manage this risk effectively through protective measures in the field as well as screening measures both overseas and here at home," said Grismer. "The safety of our personnel is our highest priority and we're making every effort to ensure an environment where their personal safety and security are protected."

Dover has about 400 airmen deployed to various areas around the world — 300 from the 436th and and 100 from the 512th, its reserve companion unit.

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