August 9, 2005

BY DAVID MCGEE
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Aug 9, 12:14 AM EDT

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Plans to restructure the Tennessee National Guard will mean few changes for troops based at the Twin City armory, an official said Monday.

Among the changes, Troop F, 2nd Squadron, of the 278th Regimental Combat Team will become a security company assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, which is based in Virginia.

"It won’t change a lot from what they are now," state National Guard spokesman Randy Harris said. "It will be a lot of the same mission and they’ll be doing a lot of the same things. They will still be under Tennessee control. It’s not unusual to cross state lines like that."

Command will come from the 230th Sustaintment Brigade headquartered in Chattanooga, Harris said.

As a security force, the local troop will receive humvees instead of Bradley fighting vehicles, Harris said. Troop F still has more than 60 members in Iraq.

The changes are part of the Defense Department’s efforts to overhaul the U.S. military.

"The transition of units throughout the state will enhance our ability to respond in the event of natural disaster, civil disturbance or homeland security events," Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the state’s adjutant general, said in a news release. "The changes will also allow the recruitment of females in areas where we have not been able to do so in the past."

The plans include consolidating some operations, reassigning units and closing four of the state’s 150 armories. No armories in East Tennessee will be closed.

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