Tara Copp

The moves come at a critical time as Israel’s war with Hamas and battles with Hezbollah in Lebanon rage, even as officials press for a cease-fire.

As war between Israel and Hezbollah threatens to erupt, the Pentagon said additional U.S. forces "are there for the protection" of other American troops.

The new deployments come amid a spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that is raising the risk of a greater regional war.

About 40,000 U.S. forces, at least a dozen warships and four Air Force fighter jet squadrons are spread across the region.

The Marine Corps presented the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to the parents of Cpl. Spencer Collart, who died last year after an Osprey crashed in Australia.

A gear crack that led to a fatal Osprey crash last year may have been started by weak spots in a metal used to manufacture the part.

Over 1,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors worked on detaching, repairing and reinstalling the pier in a mission fraught with weather and security problems.

The U.S. is considering not reinstalling the floating pier unless humanitarian aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said.

The latest military aid package comes as Russia is accusing Ukraine of using U.S.-provided munitions to strike inside Russia or Russian-held territory.

The setback is the latest for the pier, which has already had three U.S. service member injuries and had four if its vessels beached due to heavy seas.