Elite U.S. Paratroopers Sudden Cancel Exercise, Is It About Ground Warfare?
The sudden cancellation of an elite unit's exercise by the U.S. military has further sparked speculation about its deployment in the Middle East.
On local time June 6, the Washington Post quoted officials saying that the U.S. Army recently abruptly halted a major exercise planned for Fort Polk in Louisiana by the 82nd Airborne Division, ordering it to remain on standby at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
It is reported that a brigade combat team of about 4,000 to 5,000 personnel under the 82nd Airborne Division can complete deployment within 18 hours after receiving orders, undertaking diverse tasks such as seizing key facilities like airports, reinforcing embassy security, and executing emergency evacuations.
The report pointed out that although no official deployment order had been issued as of Friday, this unusual move has already sparked speculation within the Pentagon: with the ongoing escalation of U.S.-Iran tensions, this elite paratrooper force, which is skilled in ground warfare and various missions, is likely to be deployed to the Middle East.
Given that the 82nd Airborne Division has played a key role in many crises, as the core of the U.S. Army's global rapid response forces, the public generally believes that it is highly likely to be prioritized for mobilization.
In recent years, the 82nd Airborne Division has repeatedly been ordered to enhance the security of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, especially before the 2020 U.S. assassination of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "Qods Force" commander Qasem Soleimani. Additionally, it played a central role in the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan and in the U.S. military deterrence deployment in Eastern Europe prior to the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Several anonymous U.S. officials revealed that the Army expects to announce shortly that the helicopter units assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division will be deployed to the Middle East as previously planned, but related operations are expected to begin later in the spring.
"We are all preparing for some scenario—just in case," said a knowledgeable official.
When asked about this matter, the Pentagon issued only a brief statement and refused to disclose details, "For security reasons, we do not discuss future or hypothetical operations." The U.S. Central Command, responsible for Middle East operations, also declined to comment.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859014356565004/
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