More Than “Boots on the Ground”: Pentagon Wants Bunkers for the Middle East – National Interest
More Than “Boots on the Ground”: Pentagon Wants Bunkers for the Middle East
The Pentagon has solicited proposals for prefabricated bunkers to be delivered to its bases in the Middle East, hinting at preparations for a longer-term conflict.
As the United States military begins to mass ground troops for a potential invasion of Iran, including its Kharg Island, there are signs the Pentagon could expect to see personnel deployed to the region for far longer than the weeks that President Donald Trump has so far indicated.
Last week, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a federal contract notice seeking private contractors to provide “prefabricated, transportable, hardened shelter systems designed to protect personnel from blast and fragmentation threats.”
“All proposed solutions must be deliverable to the Aqaba Air Cargo Terminal at King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, Jordan,” the request read. It requested that potential vendors submit delivery options with timelines for three days, 15 days, and 30 days, as well as the highest level of protection the bunker could provide.
Thirteen US military personnel have been killed, and more than 300 wounded, since the start of Operation Epic Fury more than a month ago.
The US military has had a “need for hardened shelters” for years, both for troops and military aircraft, as The War Zone reported. Many of the existing bunkers in the region were first built after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and haven’t been upgraded since.
Even as the United States and Israel have pounded Iran, striking its missile launchers, the Islamic Republic has fired back with enormous intensity. The New York Times reported last week that the threat posed by Iranian missiles and drones to US bases “has led many American troops to relocate to hotels and office spaces throughout the region.”
The paper of record added that many of the 13 regional bases have become “all but uninhabitable”—and that US personnel were, in essence, “fighting the war while working remotely.”
See: 3/27 — US Forces ‘Working Remotely’ As Iran Turns Gulf Bases To Rubble: Report
US soldiers are being relocated to civilian hotels and office spaces, prompting Iran to accuse Washington of using ‘human shields’
3/29 — Iran Announces That It Will Now Target The Homes Of American And Israeli Politicians And U.S. Military Officials Throughout The Middle East.
🔗SOURCE ➡️ National Interest
Related: 4/1 — US Deploying Another Aircraft Carrier To The Middle East For Iran War
The US is deploying a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East for operations against Iran, US officials told media outlets on Tuesday, a sign that the war will continue to escalate despite President Trump’s claims that he is looking to end the conflict.
3/29 — JD Vance: “We’re Not Interested In Being In Iran 1 Year Down The Road, 2 Years Down The Road.”
3/29 — ❗️Iran mobilizing 1 million fighters to repel invasion, warns of ‘hell’ if US launches ground war
3/28 — ‼️🇺🇸🇮🇷The US may deploy more than 17,000 troops to the Iranian border, – WSJ.
3/29 — JD Vance: “We’re Not Interested In Being In Iran 1 Year Down The Road, 2 Years Down The Road.”
3/25 — Rising Number Of US Troops Oppose Iran War, Refuse To ‘Die For Israel’: Report
3/22 — Lindsey Graham On Kharg Island: “We Did Iwo Jima. We Can Do This.”
3/21 — Trump Weighing Several Options For U.S. Troops Inside Iran
3/21 — Trump Planning To Invade Iran’s Kharg Island: Report
3/4 — Sen. Blumnethal Says He’s ‘Fearful’ Trump Will Put ‘Boots On The Ground’ In Iran
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