Elements from the 82nd Airborne Division headquarters and a brigade combat team will deploy to the Middle East, the Pentagon confirmed in a statement Wednesday.
“We can confirm elements of the 82nd Airborne Division HQs, some division enablers and the 1st BCT will be deploying to the CENTCOM AOR,” a Defense Department spokesperson said, adding that “due to operations security we have nothing additional to provide at this time.”
The Pentagon did not provide details on the size, duration or mission of the deployment.
The deployment comes as the U.S. weighs force posture options in the region amid escalating conflict with Iran.
The New York Times reported this week that the Pentagon was sending thousands of Army troops from the division to the Middle East. The Pentagon had already begun reinforcing the region, deploying the USS Boxer and thousands of Marines and sailors.
The 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, serves as the Army’s rapid-response force and is often among the first units sent to respond to emerging crises.
U.S. Central Command oversees military operations across the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria and the Gulf.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.