Troops at These Bases Are on Alert for Deployment over Ukraine Crisis
- Editorial Staff
- Jan 28, 2022
- 3 min read
In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, a ramp services load team chief inspects cargo netting on palletized ammunition, weapons and other equipment bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Jan. 24, 2022. (Roland Balik/U.S. Air Force via AP)
Editorial Staff - January 28, 2022
The Pentagon said Thursday that the 8,500 U.S. troops put on heightened alert earlier this week for a potential deployment to Europe if Russia invades Ukraine would come from 10 domestic military bases.
The ready force includes members of the 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and troops with the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The alert order also included units at bases in Arizona, Texas, Washington state, Louisiana, Georgia and Ohio.
"These units, all told, include medical support, aviation support, logistics support and, of course, combat formations," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing with reporters that outlined the plans for the possible deployment in response to a potential Russian invasion into Ukraine.
The bulk of the troops could be called up as part of the NATO Response Force -- a multinational land, air, maritime and special operations force of 40,000 that could be activated by the alliance. However as of right now no deployment has been ordered, and the U.S. and its European allies are still hoping to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from any imminent invasion of Ukraine using the 100,000 troops he has amassed near the country’s border although Putin's intentions look pretty clear for the advancing of that imminent invasion.
Kirby was further quoted as saying, "We still don't believe that there's been a final decision by Mr. Putin to launch another invasion. We still believe here at the department that there is time and space for diplomacy."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he had delivered a written response to Russia that laid out a "serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it." He called on Putin to end his aggression toward Ukraine, stop inflammatory rhetoric, and make a serious effort at talks on European security although some believe that the initial flip-flopping of Biden's initial response to the potential invasion may have sent mixed signals to Putin.
With a resolution to the crisis seeming to be nowhere in sight, as Russia hasn't wavered on its demands for assurances that Ukraine will never be admitted to the NATO alliance and the removal of alliance forces from Europe's eastern flank.
The US position is that there would be: No Concessions in Response to Russia on Ukraine
The United States and NATO have told Russia there will be no U.S. or NATO concessions on Moscow's main demands to resolve the crisis over Ukraine as reported by the Associated Press.
The bases that could send troops to Europe for a NATO mission are: Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Carson, Colorado; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Fort Hood, Texas; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Robins Air Force Base and Fort Stewart, Georgia; and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered units at those bases -- a total of 8,500 troops -- to be on heightened alert for rapid deployment. Kirby said the total number of troops could grow, depending on the mission and the unfolding crisis. With additional troops and units already based in Europe under Gen. Tod Wolters, head of the U.S. European Command, could also be moved east to deter or counter Russia, according to the Pentagon.
Putin began his buildup around Ukraine in March 2021 and has continued to add forces along its border and in neighboring Belarus in recent weeks. He ordered the invasion and annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, drawing international condemnation and sparking an increased urgency in the U.S. to bolster forces on the continent.
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