Hampton, Va. (WTKR) - Nearly 90 service members will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in quarantine at Langley Air Force Base.
The troops are in the middle of a 21-day mandatory quarantine period after their service in Operation United Assistance.
That is the military response to the Ebola outbreak in West African countries.
Troops quarantined at Langley after returning from West Africa
The service members were not involved in treating anyone with Ebola nor did they come into contact with anyone suspected of having Ebola, but the mandatory quarantine was established so that they could be monitored closely.
"Right after breakfast we all get our temperatures taken because we get our temperatures monitored twice daily," EOC Jason Knifley told reporters via videoconferencing Tuesday.
13 days into their isolation period, many of the men and women have established routines.
"The fitness is a huge part for everyone out here, whether it’s running around on the road that surrounds the facility or getting on the treadmill or lifting weights," stated Maj Jeffrey Chaperon.
The isolation period for these service members continues through early-December, meaning they will not be able to spend Thanksgiving with their families.
"Of course you won’t be with your families so it won’t be the same but they have activities for us to do," Knifley said. "They have a football game set up, they have a turkey trot going on, the galley is bringing over a Thanksgiving meal to us."
"They feed us pretty well. We are really enjoying the food as well as you can from something that’s not cooked at home," Chaperon said.
