The Department of War reportedly is preparing to deploy thousands of soldiers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. According to the New York Post, the Pentagon is expected to announce a 3,000-person “brigade combat team” from the North Carolina-based unit. “Fox News has learned that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his ‘command element,’ members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East for possible land operations,” Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin said. “There has been speculation that the US would use ground forces to possibly take Kharg Island or for other missions inside Iran. This would be a first step needed to plan for such a contingency. NYT was first to report yesterday that the Pentagon was weighing whether to send the 82nd Airborne,” she continued. Fox News has learned that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his “command element,” members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne… — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) March 24, 2026 More from the New York Post: One of the military’s premier rapid-response forces, the 82nd Airborne is designed to be a rapid-response team able to deploy a battalion within 18 hours — and a full brigade within 72 hours. Defense officials are expected to formally announce the deployment of a brigade combat team from the division in the coming days, according to the Journal. The 82nd Airborne Division is frequently placed on high alert due to its ability to deploy quickly to global hotspots, making it a key asset in emerging conflicts. It was not immediately clear when the troops would be deployed or what specific role they would play if sent to the region. Fox News shared a breaking alert on the expected deployment: FOX NEWS ALERT: Sandra Smith: “Orders have been given for the 82nd Airborne [Division] to deploy. As of now, the commander and his headquarters element—his staff—will leave soon for the Middle East to begin assessing what will be needed once the target is set.” Fox News’… pic.twitter.com/QKmA208V6Z — RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 24, 2026 Stars and Stripes explained further: If President Donald Trump decides to send in ground forces, a possible mission could revolve around Iran’s Kharg Island, a small 5-mile landmass that handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports. The island already has come under heavy fire from U.S. forces since the start of the conflict. The island is packed with oil infrastructure and a civilian population of industry workers and an unknown number of military personnel. Trump, who ordered a large bombing raid on the island earlier this month, has described the location as Iran’s “crown jewel.” But he hasn’t indicated whether using ground forces to seize the territory is in the works. Still, the potential for an assault on the island, whether through an amphibious landing, paratroopers flying directly in, or a combination of those tactics, is being hashed out in political and defense circles. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the influential Iran hawk and South Carolina Republican, garnered headlines Sunday when he favorably compared a potential Marine invasion of Kharg to the Corps’ famous attack on Iwo Jima during World War II that killed thousands of Marines. “We got two Marine expeditionary units sailing to this island. We did Iwo Jima. We can do this. My money is always on the Marines,” Graham said on Fox News Sunday. “I don’t know if you take the island or you blockade the island. But I know this: the day we control that island, this regime, this terrorist regime, has been weakened. It will die on a vine.” Critics of the idea have countered that such an operation would be high risk and put Marines and other forces called upon into the line of fire from missiles and drones, potentially causing significant casualties. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Okinawa, Japan, is expected to arrive by week’s end in the Central Command area while a second Marine force from San Diego could arrive within a few weeks.