Fort Bragg soldiers a constant through years of Middle East conflict
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- The war with Iran is creating uncertainty and anxiety for many families at Fort Bragg as U.S. officials say thousands of soldiers from the post's 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East.
Fort Bragg, the largest military installation in the world, traces its origins to 1919, when it was established as Camp Bragg during World War I. Families stationed there know their soldiers are considered critical to any American military mission, trained and expected to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
ABC11 has accompanied Fort Bragg soldiers on multiple deployments to the Middle East during the past two decades, including Afghanistan in 2002, Iraq in 2003, and most recently during the war against ISIS a decade ago.
Fort Bragg soldiers use Kuwait as a launching point for operations throughout the Persian Gulf region. Outside Kuwait City, past miles of desert, is Camp Arifjan, where ABC11 traveled in 2016 as the fight against ISIS continued.
"The soldiers here from Fort Bragg told me the families -- their families back home in North Carolina -- are the key to any successful deployment - here in the Middle East," reporter Steve Daniels said during a live broadcast from the region in 2016.
Separated from loved ones, soldiers say the emotional toll can be significant.
"I miss their voices and actually being able to go up to them and hug them and kiss them and tell them how much I love them," said Sgt. 1st Class Sharoder Bonhomme.
ABC11 also reported from Kuwait during the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2003 and chronicled the work of soldiers assigned to psychological operations units, whose mission was to persuade enemy forces to surrender.
When asked about living conditions in austere environments, soldiers pointed to small but meaningful comforts.
"No, because we have hot showers and hot chow," said Sgt. Mancey Luna, when asked whether it was difficult to live "in the middle of nowhere."
Another ABC11 news crew covered the war in Iraq as it took a heavy toll on Fort Bragg families, with soldiers killed, injured, and permanently scarred. ABC11 was also embedded with Fort Bragg troops in Afghanistan starting in 2002, where North Carolina soldiers were deployed on combat missions during the course of two decades.
Recent reports from the Middle East indicate Iranian missile strikes have hit Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. The military has not disclosed exactly where Fort Bragg soldiers are deployed, but Iranian missiles are striking American targets throughout the Persian Gulf region, underscoring the risks facing service members and the concerns of families waiting at home.
