Thousands of Fort Bragg troops deploying to Afghanistan to evacuate US embassy
AFTERNOON.
THAT IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER WE
HAVE SEEN SINCE FEBRUARY.
>>> BREAKING NEWS THIS
AFTERNOON, THOUSANDS OF FT.
BRAGG TROOPS DEPLOYED TO THE
MIDDLE EAST AS THE SITUATION
DETERIORATES.
GILBERT BAEZ JOINS US LIVE.
>> Reporter: WE CONFIRMED
POSSIBLY 4000 MEMBERS OF THE
82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION WILL BE
GOING BACK TO AFGHANISTAN.
THIS IS A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW
FOR GOLD STAR MEMBERS WHO HAD
ALREADY LOST LOVED ONES IN
AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR.
AS CONDITIONS DETERIORATE AND
THE TALIBAN STRENGTHENS ITS
GRIP ON THE COUNTRY, AMERICAN
FORCES ARE GOING BACK TO
AFGHANISTAN.
WE ARE TOLD THEIR MISSION IS TO
SECURE THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AND
HELP EVACUATE CIVILIANS.
PART OF THE FORCE WILL INCLUDE
MEMBERS OF THE 82nd AIRBORNE
DIVISION.
>> THEY ARE GOING TO HELPING
PROCESS AND 3000 TO THE AIRPORT
IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE A
RESERVE FORCE OUT OF FT.
BRAGG THAT WILL STAGE OUT OF
KUWAIT.
THAT IS ROUGHLY 3500 TO 4000.
>> Reporter: THE MISSION IS
HARD FOR THIS OLD STAR MEMBER,
SHE LEFT.
>> IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME I
WOULD BE POSSIBLY FACING SUCH A
THING AGAIN.
OF SOMEBODY I LOVE GOING BACK
TO THE SAME PLACE.
>> Reporter: HER HUSBAND, CHIEF
WARRANT OFFICER WAS A SPECIAL
FORCES SOLDIER FROM FT.
BRAGG TOOK ONE OF THE FIRST
SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN.
AND NOW THEIR SON IS A MEMBER
OF THE 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION
AND COULD POSSIBLY BE SENT TO
AFGHANISTAN, THE PLACE WHERE
HIS FATHER DIED.
>> I REMEMBER WHEN YOU AND I
FIRST TALKED, I TOLD YOU,
FINISH THE MISSION SO WE DON'T
HAVE TO GO BACK.
>> Reporter: RIGHT NOW, THERE
IS NO EXACT WORD ON WHEN THE
82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION WILL
DEPLOY.
THIS POST HAS THE ABILITY TO
SEND TROOPS ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD, HAVE WHEELS UP AT FT.
BRAGG WITHIN 18 HOURS.
>> YOU CAN HEAR THE EMOTION IN
HER VOICE.
YOU FEEL FOR THE MILITARY
FAMILIES.
THANKS.
>>> SENATOR THOM TILLIS
CRITICIZING THE PRESIDENT'S
APPROACH TO THE SITUATION IN
AFGHANISTAN.
IN A STATEMENT, HE SAID THE
PRESIDENT IS COMPLETELY
DETACHED FROM REALITY.
I LISTENED TO HIS OWN GENERALS
EXPRESS GRAVE CONCERNS AFGHAN
FORCES WERE NOT PREPARED FOR AN
AMERICAN WITHDRAWAL.
WE ARE SEEING THE WORLD'S MOST
POWERFUL COUNTRY PLEADING WITH
TALIBAN TERRORIST NOT TO ATTACK