U.S. troops arrive in Turkey to help protect border with Syria, prompting some skepticism Other Turks expect the missile-blasting defense system - organized and overseen by NATO following a request from the Turkish government last year - to protect them from missiles that occasionally stray across the border or from a direct attack. But they ask why the same level of protection isn't being extended to those living inside Syria. "A lot of children and women are getting killed," said Mehmet Kamil Dervisoglu, 37, who works at a hotel in Reyhanli, a heavily Sunni town that's closer to the border and has become a "Little Syria" in recent months. If we got involved, it would be an army against an army. But an army against women and children? What did these women and children do wrong? For now, about 400 U.S. troops are being airlifted from Oklahoma to Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. The first wave of troops and supplies arrived Friday, with more coming in the following days, according to the U.S. European Command. Eventually, the troops will man two Patriot batteries in Gaziantep, a Turkish town about 30 miles from the border. Germany and the Netherlands will also supply two batteries each, to be stationed in other towns along the border. The batteries are designed to spot and intercept incoming missiles. Once in place later this month, all six will operate under NATO command. The mission is "defensive only" and aims to deter threats to Turkey and de-escalate the fighting along the border, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a December statement. It is unknown how long the batteries will remain. For Turks living close to the border, the sounds of war have become part of life. Those living in Hacipasa - a village of about 3,000 people that shares its olive-grove-dotted valley with Syria - frequently hear the heavy whirl of aircraft and whiz of mortar shells and missiles. Sometimes they feel the faint reverberations from the impacts. After heavy attacks, some residents venture to the river along the border to help wounded Syrians escaping to Turkey for medical treatment. One morning in October, the danger crossed the river when a stray missile landed in a field where villagers had just finished picking cotton, according to Abdulaziz Olmez, a grocery shop owner with a bushy mustache who has lived here his whole life. "We are afraid that they might come closer," Olmez said. You might have a pilot who doesn't know where he's going or a strong wind. Olmez, 46, said he has become more relaxed since hearing the Patriot batteries were on their way. He hopes that their presence will result in fewer attacks on the Syrian towns just across the river. "It's a strong shield," he said. Business has dried up since the uprising began nearly 22 months ago, Olmez said, and hundreds of long-time residents were forced to move away. They were replaced by hundreds of Syrian refugees in need of shelter, winter clothing and food. Two Syrian men who moved to Hacipasa two months ago stopped by Olmez's shop on Saturday afternoon to buy flour and olive oil. The potential danger in Turkey is nothing compared to what Syrians face, they said. "The Americans, by doing this, they are protecting the Turkish villages," said one man who did not want to be identified. But for the Syrian villages they are doing nothing. Farther from the border in Antakya there is widespread criticism of the Patriot batteries. The town has a large Alawite population and there are frequent rallies to support the Syrian government. On Sunday afternoon, many said they wanted peace and stability in Syria, not a revolution. Some worry that planting foreign troops on the border is a step toward the war spreading, and they question why the Turkish military needs help. "They're claiming it's for defense reasons, but I don't see a need for it," said Cemil Yuce, 60, as he scrubbed equipment at his restaurant. I don't think anything will happen, that any missiles will come over from Syria. Nothing will happen. Ihsan Birim, who owns a shop that sells CDs, said that the economic impact of the uprising has hurt Turkey more than stray missiles. His business is half what it was before the uprising began in 2011. Money is tight, especially with two sons in college, and the family now eats chicken instead of red meat. Birim, 53, said he wants this to be over. As for the Patriot batteries, Birim said: "If it's for defense purposes, that's okay. But if it is to attack Syria, we don't want it. We don't want war. People are very afraid of war.