Nearly 100 US soldiers deployed to West Asia after Hamas attack return home

A US Army spokesperson has said that nearly 100 American soldiers who were deployed to West Asia in the wake of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack in Israel have returned to their home stations.

"To date, since October 2023, approximately 1,100 army soldiers have deployed forward to the US Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR) from home stations in the continental United States," Lt Col Rob Lodewick told CNN on Wednesday. "Of these, approximately 100 have since returned to their home stations."

Lodewick further said that 1,300 soldiers still remain on prepare-to-deploy orders. It however, remains unclear which soldiers have returned to the US since their deployment.

Roughly 1,200 service members in total were deployed to West Asia in the days following the Hamas assault as part of a broader deterrence message to keep the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spilling out into the region.

The troops deployed included those assigned to Patriot and THAAD batteries from Fort Liberty, North Carolina; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as well as soldiers providing explosive ordnance disposal, communications and other support capabilities.