82nd Airborne considered for Iran deployment as Marines move into position, report says
By JOHN VANDIVER STARS AND STRIPES •
March 24, 2026
Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division participate in a training event at Fort Bragg, N.C., on June 10, 2025. The 82nd AD's Immediate Response Force is being considered for deployment in support of operations in Iran, the New York Times reported Tuesday. (Nicole Miller/U.S. Army) The 82nd Airborne Division’s quick reaction brigade is being eyed for a possible deployment tied to operations in Iran, The New York Times reported, as thousands of Marines also make their way to a region where questions swirl over the potential for a ground operation. No final order has been issued to dispatch the 82nd Airborne’s “Immediate Response Force” comprised of 3,000 soldiers, but “prudent planning” was underway, senior defense officials told the Times in a late Monday report. The Fort Bragg-based brigade can be deployed anywhere in the world in under 24 hours and serves as the Army’s emergency response force. Soldiers assigned to 82nd Airborne Division deploy their parachutes after jumping out of a C-130J Super Hercules as part of an airborne operation at Sainte-Mère-Église, France, on June 8, 2025. The 82nd AD's quick reaction brigade is being eyed for a possible deployment tied to operations in Iran, according to a New York Times report. (Devin Klecan/U.S. Army) On Tuesday, Fox News reported that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, and his command element, along with members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East amid discussions about possible ground operations.
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https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2026-03-24/karag-82nd-airborne-marines-iran-21167074.htmlSource - Stars and Stripes