CBS News claimed yesterday to have seen an internal US Army message requesting that the Army Reserve examine its capabilities for providing certain support and logistical capabilities to US Southern Command within the next four months. The message reportedly doesn’t name Cuba but multiple unnamed U.S. officials told CBS that the request is for continued military planning aimed at Cuba.
The document does not indicate that any units have received deployment orders, “but the planning comes as the Trump administration puts intense economic pressure on Cuba and urges the island nation to make political reforms,” CBS reports further. The message does not identify how many troops would be needed in the Southern Command’s region, nor does it specify where the forces could be sent or what operation they would support.
The document says Army Reserve headquarters is seeking feedback from subordinate commands on the possible availability of six types of formations that would fall under the authority of U.S. Southern Command. The units would “possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days,” according to the message, which directs commands to reply to Army Reserve headquarters by Sept. 25.
The types of units the Army is seeking include a combat sustainment support battalion that specializes in coordinating logistics such as transportation, maintenance, fuel and supply needs, an engineer battalion and an expeditionary sustainment command that would oversee logistics across a theater of operations. The document, which CBS says was generated last week, describes a medical brigade headquarters and a surgical detachment and a military police brigade headquarters.