Fourteen weeks after President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Iran, the US military is adjusting to an unusual state of conflict that is not full-scale war, but also far from peace, Reuters reports.
On ships and bases in the Middle East, US troops, some recovering from injuries, operate amid exchanges of fire with Iran every few days as the Navy blocks Iran’s ports. At home, the Pentagon is scrambling to bolster production of depleted munitions as families of service members cope with the stress of extended deployments.
The threat requires US troops to maintain an acute state of readiness.
“To maintain this constant state of ‘Level 10’ alert vigilance, to be ready to go at the drop of a hat, is a very stressful and difficult operational mission,” said one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Joseph Votel, the former commander of the US military’s Central Command, described the current conflict phase as “a very, very dangerous period for us.” He said keeping troops ready during the ceasefire is no small challenge.
“It puts on a lot of pressure on leaders to make sure that people are still at their edge,” Votel said.
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