Tennessee – More than 260 Soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment departed from Knoxville and Smyrna on May 30, marking the first leg of a nearly year-long deployment to the Middle East.
The Guardsmen are currently stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, where they are undergoing final pre-deployment training before flying to Kuwait to support Operation Spartan Shield, a mission under U.S. Central Command designed to build regional partnerships and bolster security and stability in the region.
“Our Guardsmen have been preparing and training rigorously the past year for this deployment,” said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. “I could not be prouder of all they have accomplished, and I’m confident they will represent Tennessee with pride and professionalism.”
These Tennessee Soldiers are part of Task Force Two, led by the 278th’s 3rd Squadron, which is headquartered in Temple, Texas. The squadron makes up the majority of the task force, consisting of approximately 470 Texas National Guardsmen, with additional personnel from the Michigan Army National Guard rounding out the team.
Once in Kuwait, Task Force Two will assume responsibilities from Task Force One, a group of approximately 700 Tennessee Guardsmen from the 278th’s 2nd Squadron, who have been deployed since October 2024. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee recently visited Task Force One in Kuwait to thank them for their service.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the Tennesseans who bravely serve our state and nation,” said Gov. Lee. “Maria and I are deeply grateful to our soldiers deployed in the Middle East who demonstrate the Volunteer Spirit through their remarkable commitment to defending our freedoms, and I thank them for their unwavering dedication.”
The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, headquartered in Knoxville, is the largest unit in the Tennessee National Guard and one of only five armored brigade combat teams in the National Guard nationwide. In addition to the ongoing deployments to Kuwait, the regiment currently has 160 Soldiers deployed to Germany as part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine mission.