By: BILL JONES/Staff Writer
Thousands of people, including local, state and national officials, are expected to join friends and family members of 278th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) soldiers at noon Thursday, Nov. 11, at Camp Shelby, Miss.
They will be there for the official departure ceremony for the Iraq-bound National Guard unit. Maj. Doril Sanders, a public affairs spokesman at Camp Shelby, said this week that 7,000 to 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the ceremonies at the Mississippi National Guard base near Hattiesburg in southern Mississippi.
On hand will be a Greeneville Sun reporter and photographer.
A Tennessee Army National Guard spokesman, meanwhile, indicated that about 4,000 National Guardsmen — including many citizen-soldiers from Greeneville, Erwin, Newport, Kingsport, Morristown and Rogersville — are expected to take part in the departure ceremonies on Thursday.
Local 278th RCT soldiers returned to Camp Shelby on Tuesday after 10 days of leave with their families. They had spent the previous four months in training. The National Guardsmen will not actually depart Camp Shelby for Kuwait and Iraq until later this month.
"Few people have ever had the opportunity to witness such an event involving an entire regiment of more than 4,000 soldiers," a Tennessee Army National Guard press release said of Thursday’s departure ceremonies.
Largest Since WWII
The 278th RCT is the largest single deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops since World War II, according to the news release.
More than 3,200 of the 278th RCT’s soldiers are Tennesseans, while soldiers from Wisconsin, Texas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and New York complete the unit.
The local citizen-soldiers troops had just completed 30 days of training at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, Calif., prior to beginning their leave on Oct. 29.
The 278th RCT soldiers are expected to begin leaving for Kuwait before the end of the month and could be in Iraq by Christmas.
Weather Could Be Stormy
The weather forecast for Thursday, as of this morning, did not bode well for the outdoor ceremonies, calling for cloudy skies with a chance of rain.
The main ceremonies, according to a Tennessee Army National Guard press release, will take place at the Camp Shelby Parade Field beginning at noon on Thursday.
Thursday, which is Veterans Day, will be the second 2004 holiday of note for the citizen-solders of the 278th RCT.
The individual units that make up the 278th, including Greeneville-based Troop G, left their armories on Fathers Day last June for training.
The 278th Regimental Combat Team is built around the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Officials to Attend
The Tennessee delegation of officials is expected to include Gov. Phil Bredesen, members of his cabinet and state legislators.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., also has said he plans to attend the ceremonies. U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins, R-1st, of Hawkins County, also plans to attend, his office said.
Local officials also are expected to attend.
The 278th’s Troop G is one of two local reserve military units that have been called to active duty this year for service in Iraq.
Company C Left Recently
Last month, more than 100 members of Greeneville-based Company C of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 844th Engineer Battalion left for training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., prior to deployment to Iraq.
In addition, about 10 members of Gray-based Lima Company of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s 24th Marines returned last month from seven months in Iraq.
Story Copyright to Greene County Online
Source:
11-10-2004