2004-09-10
by Lance Coleman
of The Daily Times Staff

A 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment spokesman clarified Thursday that the ``send-off'' planned for Veterans Day will be a ceremony for the soldiers, families and friends. The actual deployment date to Iraq is confidential.

``The send-off ceremony is Nov. 11, but they'll leave sometime after that time,'' Tennessee Army National Guard Director of Communications Sgt. Randy Harris said. ``The send-off is a ceremony.''

The Daily Times had been told Wednesday that the 278th ACR personnel training in Mississippi would rotate to California for training on Sept. 24, rotate back to Mississippi after a month and then the ``big send-off'' was planned for Nov. 11.

About 4,000 members of the 278th are training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi for service in the war on terror. It is expected they will deploy to Iraq after working at the National Training Center during October.

The name of the 278th ACR has been changed to the 278th Regimental Combat Team to reflect the change in mission. At Camp Shelby, the howitzer soldiers learned security and stabilization functions that will be carried out in the war on terror.

``They'll be doing security missions. They're not taking heavy armor needed for prolonged combat situations,'' Harris said. ``There's really not a need for heavy armor where they're going.''

Story Copyright to The Daily Times