In late 2014, the US Army began planning to send soldiers to participate in a response to an outbreak of Ebola in Liberia. As part of that mission—Operation United Assistance—several teams were deployed to set up and run laboratories to conduct testing. Capt. Jerod Brammer led one of those teams. He joins this episode of The Spear to share the story of the deployment.

Against the current backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the story is particularly relevant, and he discusses some of the lessons from his deployment that might be applicable in the current crisis. But he also explains some of the more general lessons he took from that deployment, especially about leadership in a set of unique operational conditions.

You can hear the full story below, and don’t forget to subscribe to The Spear on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Image credit: Staff Sgt. Terrance D. Rhodes, US Army