Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III positioned a variety of U.S. navy models comprising 8,500 troops on a heightened preparedness to deploy ought to Russia invade Ukraine, and people models have been named, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby stated in a information convention right this moment.
“[These] models embrace parts of the 82nd Airborne Division, primarily based at Fort Bragg [North Carolina] — which repeatedly maintains excessive readiness — in addition to parts of the 18th Airborne Corps, additionally primarily based at Fort Bragg; and a few parts from Fort Campbell, Kentucky,” Kirby stated. “Moreover, from Fort Campbell, parts of the a hundred and first Airborne Division; and from Fort Carson, Colorado, parts of the Fourth Infantry Division have additionally been positioned on elevated readiness.”
The spokesman added that extra models, which can now have an elevated readiness posture, additionally embrace parts from Davis-Monthan Air Power Base, Arizona; Fort Hood, Texas; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Robins Air Power Base, Georgia; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Wright-Patterson Air Power Base, Ohio; and choose further areas throughout the nation.
“These models, all instructed, embrace medical assist, aviation assist, logistics assist and naturally, fight formations,” Kirby stated, emphasizing that these forces are on a heightened preparedness to deploy, and haven’t been activated.
“The overwhelming majority of the troops the secretary placed on ‘put together to deploy,’ are actually, devoted to the NATO Response Power,” he added. The NATO Response Power is a extremely prepared and technologically superior multinational drive made up of land, air, maritime and Particular Operations Forces elements that the Alliance can deploy rapidly, wherever wanted, based on the NATO web site.
“We nonetheless consider there’s time and area for diplomacy,” Kirby stated of ending tensions within the area between Russia and Ukraine. “However so far, it has not achieved the form of outcomes that the worldwide neighborhood want to see.”
As for Russian buildup, america continues to see — together with within the final 24 hours — extra accumulation of credible fight forces arrayed by the Russians, in once more the western a part of their nation and in Belarus, he stated.
The opportunity of utilizing U.S. forces which can be already in Europe — that are already in an accelerated readiness posture – has not been taken off the desk to bolster NATO allies if crucial, Kirby famous.
Additionally famous in his briefing, the spokesman stated the Protection Division has issued steering pausing all actions associated to processing civilian vaccination exemption requests, and any disciplinary actions for failure to turn into vaccinated for federal civilian employees.
“This steering ensures compliance with a nationwide preliminary injunction order issued [on January 21] by the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of Texas,” he stated. “This injunction doesn’t prolong to navy members, or to the division’s different force-health safety measures, reminiscent of masking, testing, bodily distancing and journey limitations.”
And yesterday marked the start of Train Eager Edge 2022 with members of the Japan Joint Workers, U.S. Forces Japan and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the spokesman stated.
“This annual bilateral train is designed to deepen relationships between the [United States] and Japan and to enhance interagency coordination, fight readiness and interoperability between our two nations,” Kirby stated.
The train is going down by means of Feb. 3, and the first train might be carried out at Yokota Air Base, Headquarters U.S. Forces Japan, Ministry of Protection in Tokyo, Japan Self-Protection Power Headquarters and Camp Smith, Hawaii, which is the house of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters.
