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Military

US Soldiers Deploying To Jordan From Fort Bliss Amid Conflict In Syria

1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss.
U.S. Army
1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss.

More than 100 soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Division headquarters at Fort Bliss, Texas are gearing up for their deployment to Jordan to aid that country's military - as conflict continues in neighboring Syria.

Division commander Army Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard told reporters Thursday that the entire mission in Jordan is expected to last a year, with soldiers serving six month deployments, then rotating out.

Pittard said the soldiers' service in Jordan will run the gamut...

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“...in everything from humanitarian assistance to stability [operations] to other things in support of Jordan.”

As Home Post reported earlier, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that he ordered the deployment to "prepare for a number of scenarios," including helping Jordan defend its border with Syria.

In related news, an anonymous British diplomat told the Los Angeles Times that the governments of Great Britain and France believe the Syrian government used chemical warfare on its own people. They are calling on the United Nations to investigate evidence that Syria has used chemical weapons in recent months.