The United States is preparing to send troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East as President Trump weighs options to quickly end the Iran war.

Driving the news: Axios was given exclusive access to Folk Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center in central Louisiana earlier this month to observe what elements of the 82nd Airborne were up to — and how unmanned tech is reshaping war.

The big picture: Portions of the North Carolina-based division were here honing how they infiltrate, surveil, fight and resupply.

• Increasingly, it's done with smart machinery.
• "The long-range reconnaissance unmanned aerial system? Very capable," said Col. Daniel Leard, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team commander.
• "The second piece that I think shows a lot of promise is our autonomous land vehicles," he said. "They're legitimately getting where they need to go."

Zoom out: The U.S. military has for years talked about man and machine working together seamlessly. Take, for example, the Army's human-machine integrated formations, the Navy's hybrid fleet and the Air Force's collaborative combat aircraft.

Friction point: It's easier said than done.

• Battlefield connectivity is spotty at best. Messy electronic signatures are death sentences. Autonomy is still maturing. Trust must be built.
• And the price-point debate — expendable, attritable, exquisite — rages on. (One person told Axios what they really need is "the Honda Civic" of drones. Widely available. Effective. Reliable.)

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Inside the room: The windows of the Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company command post at the Joint Readiness Training Center were plastered with black trash bags.

• The table at the center was littered with hot sauce, maps, cables and Nalgene bottles. Around it gathered a few men, faces painted, staring at small screens.

The plan for the night was simple: Use drones to spot, harass and kill the enemy. Taking out the mine-clearing line charges from afar would be critical to the defense of Dara Lam, a make-believe city in this sandy section of Louisiana.

• "It kind of feels like cheating," one of the men said.
• "Switchblades are artillery on easy mode," said another, referencing an explosive drone made by AeroVironment.

On the same day, robo-resuppliers made by Overland AI whipped around the city and its unpaved roads.

• These Ultras, as they're known, can haul 1,000 pounds and cruise for 100 miles. One variant launches a tethered drone. Another's outfitted with a counter-drone system.
• "When we jumped in on the first night, one of our responsibilities was to consolidate cargo bundles that we drop on the drop zone. And typically we had to do that by hand, driving a Humvee in the middle of the night," Lt. Col. Peter Van Howe told Axios.
• But these automatons "cut our resupply on the drop zone by half," he said. "That really had a big impact on our ability to keep moving."

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⛴️ The Algiers Ferry is closed starting today. RTA hopes to have it back in action Saturday. Until then, use the bus. (Press release)

🏀 The LSU women lost to Duke in the Sweet 16, ending their season. (Recap)

• BTW, Kim Mulkey says the rumor that she's retiring isn't true. (The Advocate)
• On the men's side, LSU welcomes Will Wade as its head coach (again) at noon today in the PMAC. (X)

🎉 Xavier cheerleaders are national champions! Congrats! Watch the routine.

⏩ Weekend roundup:

• The No Kings protest drew thousands.
• Lines were long again at the airport. There's a subreddit with regular updates at MSY.
• Mardi Gras Indians and Baby Dolls strutted at Downtown Super Sunday. Chance the Rapper was there too.
• Journey jammed out.
• The Congo Square Rhythms Festival brought the tunes.
• The St. Joseph's Day Parade rolled.
• Olde Town Slidell transformed into a Christmas wonderland for a Netflix movie.
• Eggs were hunted.
• Kreeps are in the wild.

The U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, which is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, includes the Immediate Response Force team that's capable of deploying "anywhere in the world within 18 hours," per the U.S. Army.

• It conducts parachute assaults and supports key military operations, according to the Army.
• This division traces its history back to 1917 and rose to international prominence during World War II due to the soldiers' major combat jumps.