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The Pentagon is gearing up to send approximately 2,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, enhancing the U.S. military’s presence in the region. This move aims to provide President Trump with more strategic options, according to a source who shared these insights with The Hill under the condition of anonymity, due to the sensitive nature of internal military discussions.
The specifics of the deployment remain fluid, with the source noting that the number of troops could shift, as the decision was made only in the last 24 hours. It appears unlikely that the entire brigade will be dispatched to the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) area, the source added.
Inquiries about the deployment were directed to the White House by both the Army and the Pentagon, declining to offer further details themselves.
This troop movement aligns with the arrival of thousands of Marines already stationed in the Centcom region, where roughly 50,000 U.S. service members are currently positioned. Their mission is to support Operation Epic Fury, now in its fourth week.
Renowned for their rapid response capabilities, the 82nd Airborne Division can mobilize within 18 hours of receiving orders. They are trained to conduct forcible entry parachute assaults and secure critical objectives to facilitate subsequent military operations, all in the interest of U.S. national objectives.
The 82nd Airborne Division is based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The New York Times first reported on the Pentagon considering deployment of a combat brigade from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
For now, the U.S. military has relied on bombers, fighter planes, drones and missiles to hit more than 9,000 targets inside Iran, which included ballistic missile sites, drone manufacturing sites, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters and other outposts, according to Centcom. The military has also gone after Iran’s navy, damaging or destroying more than 140 Iranian vessels.
Since the start of the war with Iran, 290 U.S. service members have been wounded, a Centcom spokesperson, Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, said in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday.
The vast majority of the injuries were “minor” and over 255 troops have already returned to duty, Hawkins said.