Fort Carson Fourth Infantry Division placed on readiness status for Ukraine

WASHINGTON D.C. (KRDO) -- The Pentagon announced a range of U.S. military units comprising of 8,500 troops were placed on a heightened preparedness to deploy should Russia invade Ukraine. Of those units, an unspecified number of soldiers are from Fort Carson, elements of the Fourth Infantry Division.

During a press conference Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said:

[These] units include elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg [North Carolina] — which regularly maintains high readiness — as well as elements of the 18th Airborne Corps, also based at Fort Bragg; and some elements from Fort Campbell, Kentucky," Kirby said. "Additionally, from Fort Campbell, elements of the 101st Airborne Division; and from Fort Carson, Colorado, elements of the Fourth Infantry Division have also been placed on increased readiness.

More units, which now have an increased readiness posture, include elements from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Fort Hood, Texas; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and select additional locations across the nation. 

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the possibility of using U.S. forces already in Europe has not been taken off of the table if necessary.

Watch the full press conference below: