By DAN WHITTLE
whittle@dnj.com
A 20-30 percent chance exists headquarters for the 4,000 soldier 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment could relocate from Knoxville to Smyrna, Tennessee Army National Guard officials said.
The relocation, if it happens, is part of Guard effort to increase mobility and improve recruitment. Some guard units could also be eliminated in an efficiency move. The 278th ACR's headquarters unit employs 140 in Knoxville.
"The transformation to a lighter, more mobile Army will affect most of Tennessee's 150 units," said Tennessee Adjutant Gen. Gus Hargett of Murfreesboro.
"So far, we've presented three options to Gov. Bredesen, and he's sent us back to the drawing board," Hargett said. "But, nothing is finalized."
Currently, the Army Guard has 18 units based in Smyrna with an estimated 1,000 troops. Among those units is the 278th's "N" Air Cavalry Troop, consisting of Blackhawk helicopters.
Asked if the regimental headquarters would be relocated to Smyrna, Hargett said that is among the possibilities presented to the governor.
"It's a 20 to 30 percent chance, but nothing is official," Hargett said. "We're still working on statewide demographics on what units and what armories would be affected."
Most of the 278th's companies and squadrons are based out of armories in Middle and East Tennessee. The regiment is currently deployed in Iraq. Of the 278th's soldier force of more than 4,000, 3,500 personnel are currently deployed to Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Hargett said.
Lt. Col. Jeffrey H. Holmes of Lascassas is commander of the 3rd Squadron of the 278th ACR.
"The task force mission is two-fold. First, the mission is to fight the insurgency in order to create a secure environment in which the new Iraqi government can flourish. Second, we are training the Iraqi security forces to take on the counter-insurgency operations, thus putting both the governmental as well as security mission firmly in their hands," Holmes said in an earlier interview.
The regiment is equipped with M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, M3A2 Bradley fighting vehicles, mortar carriers and 155mm M109 howitzer batteries in addition to the Blackhawk helicopters, which help with troop and supply deployment in addition to air evacuation.
A major motivation behind military transformation is recruitment, Hargett said. Due to the on-going Iraqi war, military recruitment is down across America.
"We haven't been able to recruit females, for example, in Memphis and Chattanooga, two of our state's largest population centers," the general said. "We've got to look at the demographics that will help in recruitment."
As part of the restructuring, the Guard "could lose some units," Hargett added, "but we expect to end up with the same approximate number of citizen soldiers across the state."
It could translate into an "economic plus" for Rutherford County, if the regimental headquarters are, in fact, moved to Smyrna, a Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce official said.
"Military people are wonderful citizens, and bringing in more personnel is like gaining a new industry into the county and Middle Tennessee," said Chamber President Steve Benefield.
"We already have major military dollars pumping into our economy from existing Guard units at Smyrna Airport and the armory in Murfreesboro." Benefield said.
"Smyrna Airport is a great asset; that's why we're featuring Smyrna's new Airport Terminal & Business Center on the front of our new 2005-6 Site Guide that will be shipped to 5,000 business consultants across the continent," the Chamber official said. "We feel Smyrna Airport and its military and existing business presence, is one of our quietest and biggest resources going forward the next 15 years."
Originally published July 14, 2005
Story Copyright to The Daily News Journal - Murfreesboro