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Ongoing3 earlier updates18 days

This story has run 4 times over 18 days, starting Sep 14.

  1. Pentagon orders defense industry to wartime footing after US fired thousands of missiles in Iran war
  2. UpdatePentagon watchdog says Iran war cost $33.4 billion through June 30, caused munitions shortfall
  3. Iranian cruise missile hit a ship carrying 8 US Marines in the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 14; the Pentagon never announced it
  4. UpdatePentagon sends about 9,000 more sailors and Marines toward Iran on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt and three amphibious ships — this issue
THE HILLUpdate

Pentagon sends about 9,000 more sailors and Marines toward Iran on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt and three amphibious ships

Iran war
Political Guyentist · October 2, 20262 min read

THE HILL

The Roosevelt is due in the region by the end of November, about three weeks after the Tuesday, Nov. 3 midterm elections, per the Financial Times.

The Pentagon is sending two groups of ships to the Middle East, about 9,000 people in all, while Trump weighs more strikes on Iran.

The Marines. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (three ships built to put Marines ashore) carries more than 4,000 Marines and sailors. About 2,200 of them are in the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (a Marine force of about 2,200 that lives on those ships and can land on short notice). A Pacific Fleet spokesperson called the San Diego departure "routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations."

The carrier. The USS Theodore Roosevelt brings the rest of the roughly 9,000 people and is due in the region by the end of November, per the Financial Times.

The pay. Starting Thursday, Oct. 1, troops taking direct fire can draw up to $450 a month in hostile fire pay (extra pay for serving where they can be shot at), per The Washington Post. ([TS]two are there now, and Navy reporting has the Roosevelt relieving one of them, per USNI)

Still open. How long the extra ships stay. The Washington Post and Bloomberg report the U.S. may soon have three carriers in the region.

Catch upwhat happened before · 3 earlier issues
  • Aug. 31 — Military leaders warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that a long Iran war would leave the U.S. exposed elsewhere; the Pentagon called the leak a crime.
  • Sept. 14–16 — The Pentagon put arms makers on a wartime footing; its watchdog put war costs at $33.4 billion through June 30 and equipment losses at $3.7 billion.
  • Sept. 29 — Three U.S. officials said an Iranian cruise missile hit a ship carrying eight Marines in the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 14, never announced.
  • Sept. 30 — The last U.S. troops left Iraq, ending the 12-year anti-ISIS mission.
2 earlier issues
What the Roosevelt strike group brings besides the carrierCruiser USS Chosin, assigned as the group's air and missile defense commander3 details
  • Cruiser USS Chosin, assigned as the group's air and missile defense commander
  • Destroyers USS Paul Hamilton, USS Decatur and USS Carl M. Levin
  • Carrier Air Wing 11: an F-35C squadron, three Super Hornet squadrons and a Growler electronic-attack squadron

What we’re less sure of4 of 7 claims