The US Army has told over 10,000 part-time troops to prepare for duty and movement overseas beginning as early as this week to support the military build-up near Iraq, US officials said today.
The Reserve and National Guard soldiers, including engineers and intelligence specialists, were told in recent days that they could be rapidly deployed between January 10th and late February, the officials said.
The alert came as the US Navy hospital ship Comfortsailed out of the port of Baltimore, Maryland, for the Gulf region to prepare to handle casualties in any invasion of Iraq.
Last week, the Pentagon ordered some units of the 45,000-strong Marine Expeditionary Force to deploy from California to the Gulf region. Other Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, are expected to go in coming weeks.
The US Navy has one aircraft carrier in the Gulf and one in the Mediterranean and said last week that two additional carriers could soon join them near Iraq.
In addition to about 150 strike and support aircraft aboard two extra carriers, Mr Rumsfeld's orders included preparations to send units from five wings of Air Force strike jets, heavy bombers and unmanned spy drones.
US officials said the Pentagon had also alerted the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, along with troops from the 1st Armored Division and 1st Infantry Division in Germany for possible deployment.