Fort Sill Provides Patriot Battalions And Batteries Sent To Middle East

As fighting in Israel and Gaza ramps up, Pentagon Spokesman Brig. General Pat Ryder said the Patriot battalions and batteries being sent to the Middle East are coming from Fort Sill in Oklahoma and Fort Liberty in North Carolina in a press conference on Tuesday. 

The amount of battalions and batteries and where they are going will not be shared. Ryder said all he could say was that they would be headed to an undisclosed location in the Middle East. 

He also said the forces are aimed at enhancing protection for U.S. forces in the region.

Last week, the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, shared a statement on steps to increase force posture for the United States.

"I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defense posture in the region,” Austin said. “These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel.”