More than 800 soldiers based out of Fort Riley will return from Afghanistan by the end of April, according to a press release from the 1st Infantry Division’s Public Affairs Office.
The soldiers serve in the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division. Their nine-month deployment to Afghanistan was part of a regular rotation of forces supporting operations Resolute Support and Freedom’s Sentinel.
The brigade conducted more than 700 operations during the deployment and flew almost 200 medical evacuation missions. They also provided security for guests and members of Congress while advising the NATO mission on air threats.
In October 2016, the Collegian reported that 3,500 soldiers from Fort Riley would deploy to Korea and another 500 would deploy to Iraq.
Mumps
There have been 15 cases of mumps associated with Kansas State during the spring semester, described as an outbreak by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the university said in a press release.
The cases have all occurred in the Manhattan area.
“The university is directly notifying anyone who may have been in close contact with the students,” the press release stated. “In an effort to prevent and minimize additional cases, KDHE is recommending a third dose of measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine for close contacts of known cases. Lafene Health Center has the MMR vaccine available.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps is a contagious disease and symptoms start with a fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, loss of appetite and swollen salivary glands.Related:
Symptoms, treatment, prevention of mumps
On Jan. 26, the Collegian reported one confirmed case of mumps at K-State. On Feb. 22, the Collegian reported on two more cases.
K-State used a K-State Today Special Alert to inform all students in February of the three-case mumps outbreak. A notice of the one January case was sent to students in the regular K-State Today email. No notice of the 15 cases of mumps so far this semester has been sent directly to all students.
In January 2016, the Collegian reported on a case of mumps at K-State. There were two in February.
