U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week placed over 2,000 military personnel on heightened alert with a prepare-to-deploy order — preparations in case President Joe Biden activates the units. The Pentagon told VOA, should Washington deploy the units, they will further boost the U.S. military’s air defenses, medical and logistical capabilities, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance abilities in the Middle East. For more, VOA’s Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb filed this report.