President Barack Obama took veiled shots at governors who are mandating quarantines for health workers returning to the United States after treating Ebola patients Tuesday . But the military -- where the Army has already imposed similar quarantines -- is `` a different situation , '' Obama said Tuesday . Without mentioning them by name , Obama criticized New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie , New York Gov . Andrew Cuomo and others for the quarantines they 've imposed for health workers , saying they `` are n't based on science and best practices '' and calling them `` another barrier on somebody who 's already doing really important work on our behalf . '' Christie , though , pointed to the discrepancy between how health workers and military members are being treated as he defended himself in an NBC interview Tuesday morning . `` Now six other states have joined us as well , both Republican and Democratic governors . As has the United States military , '' Christie said . Obama , though , said he has no problem with members of the military facing different policies than the general public because their service in West Africa , at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak , is n't voluntary . `` It 's part of their mission that 's been assigned to them by their commanders and ultimately by me , the commander-in-chief , '' he told reporters on the White House 's South Lawn on Tuesday . Obama to officials : Do n't react out of 'fears ' of Ebola . `` So we do n't expect to have similar rules for our military as we do for civilians , '' Obama said . `` They are already , by definition , if they 're in the military under more circumscribed conditions . '' Meanwhile , the Pentagon is preparing to announce new policies on whether military members returning from Ebola-related assignments will be monitored or have their travel restricted . Jessica L. Wright , the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness , issued an Oct. 10 memo that said troops who have faced an elevated risk of exposure to Ebola will be quarantined for 21 days -- and that those who have n't faced any known exposure will be monitored for three weeks . Since then , the Army has announced quarantines for all members who return from West Africa . A Pentagon spokeswoman said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is reviewing the Army 's move and `` will have a decision soon '' on whether it will be extended to other branches of the military . Complete coverage on Ebola .
Obama criticized states who are imposing conditions for migrant workers . But he said the state , which has imposed similar quarantines , is ' a different situation ' New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie questioned the conditions there .