In 2018, General Joseph Votel visited the Tanf garrison in southern Syria, where US troops trained Arab fighters against ISIS, a mission now changing as ISIS is mostly defeated. Reports indicate that the US is expected to withdraw from Tanf, leading to concerns about a power vacuum and the readiness of the Syrian army to assume security responsibilities. Tanf, originally an agricultural station, became a strategic outpost as the Syrian civil war unfolded, with the US partnering with local groups to combat ISIS. The evolving situation raises questions about the future stability of the region as US presence diminishes.
