Fort Liberty troops ready if called for Israel-Hamas conflict

Flags are at half-staff across North Carolina to honor the lives lost in the war between Israel and Hamas.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is a former Fort Bragg commander, is set to visit Israel on Friday to show support and discuss military aid after Hamas’ attack.

Retired Gen. Dan McNeill spoke with WRAL News on Thursday afternoon about troops from Fort Liberty – formerly known as Fort Bragg – being called into battle.

In 2019, when the American embassy came under attack in Iraq, members of the 82nd Airborne Division were rapidly deployed.

McNeill commanded troops at Fort Liberty when it was Fort Bragg. He said current commanders aren't sitting on their hands wondering if they're going to get call to assist in the war between Israel and Hamas.

"You can take to the bank there are soldiers in some outfit or another, who are out in the reservation proper training for whatever their next deployment might be,” McNeill said.

The decision to get American forces involved in the conflict in Israel may center around freeing American hostages being held by Hamas.

"[It’s] no secret that there are some units capable of hostage rescue at Fort Liberty,” McNeill said. “It's also no secret a greater number of forces at Fort Bragg are well-trained in non-combative evacuations."

However, McNeill stresses the decision to use those units will not be made by the command at Fort Liberty. He says those orders will come directly from President Joe Biden through the Pentagon.

"And as we said, day in and day out, they're out there training for the call that might come, and who know where that call will take them?" McNeill said.

As of Thursday afternoon, we’ve not been told of any alert to send Fort Liberty troops into the Israel-Hamas conflict.

However, as McNeill said, if they get the call, they’ll be ready to go.