The division is based at Fort Bragg and works closely with nearby Pope Army Airfield, where aircraft would likely stage before leaving for the upcoming mission.
The source later told ABC News that "less than 1,500" troops from the 82nd Airborne are set to deploy to the Middle East.
The source told ABC News the deployment will include ground forces as well as a headquarters element. Final orders are currently being developed, and troops are expected to leave "soon" once those orders are issued.
A brigade -- about 3,000 soldiers -- of the 82nd is constantly on standby as the Immediate Response Force, tasked to be able to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
The 82nd specializes in seizing contested terrain, often by parachute assault. As a light infantry division, these forces deploy without tanks or large armored vehicles, and even though they are paratroopers, they may or may not deploy by jumping from aircraft.
As troops from the 82nd Airborne Division prepare to deploy, one Air Force veteran reflected on the emotional weight that comes with receiving a deployment order.
ShaDonna McPhaul, who served 20 years in the United States Air Force and deployed three times, said the reality of military service becomes clear from the moment a person enlists.
"Once you raise your right hand. There is a strong possibility that you will go, whether it's war time, peace time," she said.
McPhaul said the experience is never one you get used to. "It does not get easier," she said. Her final deployment was in 2010 to Afghanistan.
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"You got to be ready to go in a matter of three days, in a lot of cases," she said.
One of the most difficult moments came before she ever left home. "I think the hardest thing is I know for me it was making that phone call to my mom," she said.
McPhaul said she is thinking about Fort Bragg soldiers who may be making similar calls now.
"The 82nd, they're one of the first units to always leave when things like this happen," she said.
Fort Bragg soldiers set to deploy to Middle East: ABC News
Even with specialized training, she said the emotional strain remains significant. "You're in survival mode now, and emotions can get you killed," she said.
For service members feeling uneasy, McPhaul offered advice drawn from her own experience. "You know what's at stake here. Keep your mind sharp. Keep your emotions out of it," she said.
She also urged the community to show compassion for military families navigating uncertainty. "We're going to have to give each other grace, at work, at home, in the community, because you don't know whose husband or wife, granddaughter, grandchild is deploying and what they're going through," she said.
Many families face the added challenge of helping children cope with a parent's deployment. Dr. Mark Pisano, a retired school psychologist who spent more than four decades working in Fort Bragg schools, said maintaining connection is key.
"Have the service member videotape reading a bedtime story to the children, you know, five minutes or something. That way the child can look at it every night, and you know, they will," Pisano said. He also recommended one-on-one time and exchanging a keepsake before departure.
Pisano said schools should be informed when a parent deploys. "I think that's the first step in getting the support needed for the children to let the teacher know that the child is going to be going through those stages of deployment, with the service member, parent being gone, and that's that's the first step," he said.