Reportedly, a squadron of F-18s was armed and ready. There were also reports that the Rapid Response Force based in Germany had been immediately sent to Sigonella and they were on the runway, rotors turning, ready to go.
But there was never any "Go" order.
The carrier group normally in the Mediterranean was on the other side of Suez, where they had been supporting operations in the Arabian Sea. As I recall, the group may have been in the Red Sea at the time, transiting back to the Med.
Would it be reasonable to assume that local commanders were preparing to get underway based on maybe flash messages or even media reports? That their instincts and training told him that “go time” was imminent?