Going beyond the White House’s recommendations, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Wednesday approved a mandatory 21-day quarantine for all military members who return to U.S. military bases after participating in an anti-Ebola operation in West Africa.

Mr. Hagel and the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed Wednesday morning that all military personnel participating in Operation United Assistance must enter the three-week controlled monitoring program, according to Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby.

“This order will apply to all military services that are contributing personnel to the fight against Ebola at its source,” Rear Adm. Kirby said.

The move goes beyond precautions recommended by the Obama administration for civilians such as aid workers and medical personnel, although President Obama has said the military’s situation is different from that of civilians, in part because troops are not in West Africa by choice.

The 21-day quarantine was first implemented by the Army two-star general in charge of the Ebola operation, which requires military members to establish a headquarters site in Monrovia, Liberia, and build 17 Ebola treatment units in various parts of the country.

Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams and the dozen Army officials who traveled with him to Liberia to lay the groundwork for the operation have been isolated in a building on a military base in Vincenzo, Italy, to ensure they are not carrying the deadly virus.

The building is equipped with computers and phones, so Maj. Gen. Williams and the dozen Army officials can continue to work, according to a Pentagon official. The group went into quarantine when they arrived in Italy on Oct. 26 out of “an abundance of caution,” the official said.

Mr. Hagel is now directing the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a detailed implementation plan for how controlled monitoring might be applied across the military, Rear Adm. Kirby said. The defense chief has said that he wants to be able to review the plan within 15 days.

“The secretary believes these initial steps are prudent given the large number of military personnel transiting from their home base and West Africa and the unique logistical demands and impact this deployment has on the force,” he said.

The Defense Department has said it would send up to 4,000 troops to West Africa to combat the deadly Ebola virus.

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