On Nov. 4, 2014, the U.S. Army 832nd Transportation Battalion, in partnership with JAXPORT and Portus, is loading a shipment of approximately 800 pieces of U.S. military equipment to be used for humanitarian aid aimed at stopping the spread of Ebola in West Africa. The 832nd is based at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal in North Jacksonville. The Humvees, dump trucks, forklifts and other support and construction equipment will be used as part of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. government’s efforts to contain the spread of the disease in the West African countries most impacted: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Operation United Assistance is providing support for the World Health Organization and other international partners working in that region. The wheeled equipment arrived at JAXPORT by rail and by truck last week from various military bases across the country, and is being shipped to the U.S. Army Africa Joint Headquarters in Monrovia, Liberia, which serves as the command center for U.S.-led humanitarian efforts in West Africa. The machinery will be used to build up to 17 specially-designed 100-bed Ebola Treatment Units in Liberia. The Department of Defense is coordinating the move of the equipment, in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the lead agency in charge of the government’s efforts against Ebola in the region. JAXPORT is one of 17 U.S. Strategic Seaports on-call to move military cargo for national defense, foreign humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and the only port in Florida with this designation. Earlier this month, the 832nd Transportation Battalion shipped more than 500 pieces of tracked military equipment to Europe as part of the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, which promotes stability and peace through the sale of equipment to U.S. allies overseas.