Military leaders vowed that U.S. troops being sent to Liberia to help fight the Ebola outbreak would be protected.

Speaking alongside senior Obama Administrations at a White House press conference Friday, U.S. Africa Command chief and Army Gen. David Rodriguez said troops would be monitored on the ground and screened before returning home.

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“As we deploy America's sons and daughters to support the comprehensive U.S. government effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development, we'll do everything in our power to address and mitigate any potential risk to our service members and civilian employees and their families,” Rodriguez said.

The general said that any service members who faced an elevated risk or exposure will be identified, screened and monitored before returning to the U.S., and those on the mission will be trained on how to minimize potential transmission.

“Our equipment, training, procedures, and most of all the discipline of our leaders and our force, will help us to ensure that our team accomplishes its mission without posing a risk to our nation and our fellow citizens," he continued.

More than 3,000 deaths have been reported in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where the U.S. is deploying as many as 4,000 troops to help. That's an increase from the 3,000 troops initially announced earlier this week.

Rodriguez's remarks focused on efforts to get the outbreak in Africa under control, while administration officials focused on the response at home following reports that it took two days for those who had been in contact with the Dallas patient to be contacted.

There have been questions about the response readiness of hospital workers nationwide, and two reported cases of possible Ebola patients in the Washington, D.C. area occurred this week, though one patient tested negative.