We have been sending troops there for a while. It is just another godforsaken desert in the middle of nowhere and actually a pretty low cost training deployment location compared to others. The Israelis and Egyptians chose it as a battleground from time to time, but nobody actually wants to live there.

Here is an interesting article about a raid on the international Sinai base. Apparently Al Queda decided to mix it up with the Colombians not to long ago..

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/jihadists_attack_int.php