The United States military is bolstering its presence in the Middle East ahead of the scheduled departure of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, expected to leave the region by mid-November. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadrons, tanker aircraft, and B-52 bombers. Despite the Abraham Lincoln’s departure, the U.S. will continue to maintain the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in Israel and the Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit in the eastern Med…