In the midst of escalating tensions in the Middle East, data from the US Navy reveals that over 12,000 personnel from the US Navy and Marine Corps are either already in the Eastern Mediterranean or en route aboard ten warships.
Last Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III unveiled a series of measures aimed at strengthening the United States’ military presence in the Middle East.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has been repositioned to the Central Command area of responsibility. This relocation complements the presence of the US Navy’s largest and most advanced nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, currently active in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has now joined the previously deployed USS Gerald R. Ford group, bringing the total number of American warships in the region to 10.
The U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is crewed by more than 4,500 sailors and is accompanied by five other ships, which carry an additional 1,600 service members. On the other hand, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower hosts 5,000 service members, with three accompanying ships carrying an additional 1,000 service members.
Last week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin put around 2,000 forces on standby, ready for rapid deployment.
FOX News confirmed that these forces should be prepared to deploy to the Eastern Mediterranean within 24 hours of receiving such an order.
This directive was issued just a few days after a Marine Corps special operations unit, involved in exercises scheduled until October 22, departed early due to “developing events.”
On Saturday, Austin issued “prepare to deploy” orders to an undisclosed number of U.S. forces.
“I have placed an additional number of forces on prepare-to-deploy orders as part of prudent contingency planning, to enhance their readiness and their ability to respond quickly as needed,” Austin stated.
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