Pentagon puts 8,500 troops on heightened alert to deploy if requested by NATO

The Pentagon has notified military units in the U.S. that they should be prepared to deploy to Europe if the NATO alliance requests them, as tensions with Russia over its buildup on the border of Ukraine continue to rise. 

The vast majority of the 8,500 troops who have been put on alert would deploy as a part of the NATO Response Force if activated by NATO. Some, however, could deploy unilaterally to bolster countries on the eastern flank of NATO if the security situation in Eastern Europe deteriorates. 

The Pentagon has not yet identified which units have been put on alert, but the capabilities include additional brigade combat teams, reconnaissance, logistics, aviation, and transportation.