The US Army is ready to conduct "sustained land combat operations" as part of President George W Bush's promised war against terrorism, a senior official said today.
Army Secretary Mr Thomas White said at the Pentagon a troop deployment order signed by the Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld includes Army as well as Air Force troops.
He said it was only the first step in a lengthy military plan in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, suspected of masterminding last week's terrorist attacks in the US.
"A lot more will come," he said. "We are ready to conduct sustained land combat operations as determined by the secretary of defence and the president," he said.
Mr White hinted the Army is gearing up for a lengthy war that would involve every aspect of the force's combat power.
The US mission has been dubbed "Operation Infinite Justice", and fighters, bombers and support aircraft have been mobilised to begin moving to bases in or near the Gulf region as early as today.
The USS Theodore Rooseveltnuclear-powered aircraft carrier left Virginia today to join the two carriers already in position in the Indian Ocean.
So-called stealth bombers, B1s, will also be part of the force put within striking distance of Afghanistan, and it will be backed by U2 spy aircraft, flying tankers and reconnaissance planes, as well as ground support staff.
The move means cruise missiles, which are carried by B1s and by B52 bombers, could be deployed against the Taliban and bin Laden.
AP