For Fort Bragg paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division, Valentine’s Day was spent curled up on the hard floor or on wooden benches in the passenger shed at Green Ramp awaiting deployment to Europe. The paratroopers are among nearly 5,000 infantry brigade soldiers who the Department of Defense is sending to Poland amid a growing Russian presence near the Ukraine border. The 82nd has not jumped into combat since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a Feb. 1 news conference that he did not expect the 82nd to make a jump for their current mission. Department of Defense officials have said the mission is support NATO allies to deter and defend against any Russian aggression. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to NATO ally counterparts from Poland, Germany, Canada, France and Romania on Friday to "reassure" them of America’s commitment to NATO, according to a news release. – Rachael Riley, @fayobserver Click on the link in our bio to hear from some of the soldiers who are being deployed overseas. 📸: Nathan Posner, @apnews; @acraftphoto, @fayobserver #usarmy #military #deployment #overseas #fortbragg #fortbraggnc #northcarolina