21st Century Spanish Flu. Which in 1918 and 19 was transmitted by troops returning home from
WWI
IIRC the flu virus killed more soldiers in WWI than bullets and bombs.
A virus is an enemy with no allies.
Dropping US Soldiers into this environment is forcing them to go on a suicide mission with no chance of accomplishing anything.
These soldiers should refuse to go. This is not a military operation. It is a deadly social experiment.
Many actually think the reverse is true, with the flu originating in the US, and troops carrying it to Europe. The first known outbreak was in rural Kansas...followed closely by a large outbreak at Camp Funston (Fort Riley, KS), and from there it went around the world.
Around 10 years ago, I designed a military vehicle parking facility on Funston. I was out there when the contractor first turned over the dirt...and suddenly wondered if the virus may somehow still be alive beneath the surface....apparently not.
Your premise is still correct though - soldiers move around a lot, and live in close quarters with poor hygiene. A perfect breeding ground for spreading disease.
Link to info about origin:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340389/