News Article

05/26/04
By Jerry Hilliard -- Associate Editor

Tennessee Army National Guardsmen stationed at the armory in Erwin are making preparations to head for additional training in June and to wind up in Iraq sometime this fall.

"I think we’ve got a good attitude about this,” their commanding officer, Capt. Dan Smith, said Monday. “It’s just time to do our part. We’re ready to get the training done, go to Iraq and get back."

The local unit — Company H of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s 2nd Squadron — has never before been called to active service. Originally formed in Clinton in 1977, it has been located in Erwin since 1985.

The entire 4,000-member regiment was placed on alert Feb. 29, and about 10 percent of the Erwin unit’s men began serving full time on April 1. The rest of the local troops are expected to be activated about June 17.

Smith said 59 men are currently on the unit’s rolls, and all but 14 of them are expected to go to Iraq. Those who are not part of the deployment may be given other active-duty assignments. Of the unit’s members, about two-thirds live in Unicoi County.

According to Smith, additional soldiers from other units will be assigned to the local group, bringing its eventual strength to 77 men.

Company H personnel are in the process of preparing equipment and tending to personal matters as their mobilization nears. After everyone has been activated next month, the members will spend about three days making final preparations at the Erwin armory.

A public sendoff for the unit is being planned for Sunday, June 20, when it will depart for Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, Miss., in military vehicles and a bus.

Smith said he expects the company to remain at Camp Shelby for approximately three months, undergoing training that will prepare it for situations to be faced in Iraq. This will include instruction on handling checkpoints, where the men will be responsible for controlling access to and from various areas.

Other instruction in Mississippi probably will include convoy training, preparing the soldiers to move the company quickly and efficiently from one place to another.

After the stay at Camp Shelby, the company will journey to Fort Irwin, Calif., for about 30 days of instruction at the national training center. At that facility, it will function under conditions simulating those in Iraq. Then, the unit will move on to Iraq itself.

Smith said he understands that the unit will be assigned a specific section of the country and will use tanks in performing most of its duties.

"Our responsibility will be to maintain stability,” he said, “not allowing insurgents to attack the population and protecting ourselves in the process."

In Iraq, Smith expects that the unit will be responsible for everything from dealing with the local people, to helping stabilize the schools, to working with the new government.

Under current law, 24 months is the maximum time a reserve component can remain activated. Smith expects that the local group’s time on active duty will be closer to 18 months, including time spent in the United States before and after the deployment overseas.

"Everybody has been positive,” Smith said about the members of Company H. “This is taking some adjustment as far as jobs and personal lives are concerned, but there really haven’t been any complaints about going."

Smith said a few of the men may suffer financially, "but a majority of them will earn more money than they do in their civilian jobs." Among the reasons are tax exclusions, hazardous-duty pay, and — for those with families — separation pay.

In the long run, Smith predicted, the experience will be good for Company H, making it a more-experienced and better-trained unit.

Meanwhile, he said, "A lot of our soldiers feel that this is a chance to prove their worth and contribute to the cause."

A Family Readiness Group, made up mainly of Company H members’ wives and girlfriends, has been active for some time. However, Smith said, "People are taking it a little more seriously now."

In the absence of the troops, the organization will help take care of a variety of things at home — such as sending flowers on special occasions, and pooling energies to lend a hand in emergencies.

The Family Readiness Group's current project is selling Company H stickers. It already has collected $600 through the fund-raiser, and the money will be used to send "care packages" to the men after they arrive in Iraq.

Kristie Parnell is president of the group. Anyone wishing to donate to the fund may get more information by calling the armory at 735-7639.

The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment includes units throughout the state, but most are located from Nashville to Northeast Tennessee. Its 2nd Squadron consists of about 800 soldiers assigned to units in Erwin, Kingsport, Bristol, Greeneville, Rogersville, Newport, Jefferson City and Pigeon Force.

Story Copyright to The Erwin Record Online Edition