National Guard makes final preparations for active duty

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

REED

Everything they do — every weekend drill, every weapons qualification, every push-up and everything in between — has led to this.

Come Monday, the men of I Troop, McMinnville’s National Guard unit, and the entire 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment will be mobilized for active duty in preparation for likely deployment to Iraq, which could last up to two years.

“All of our training events and drills are designed to prepare us for mobilization mentally, physically and spiritually,” said I Troop commander Capt. Jim Reed. “The morale of the men is unbelievably high. These guys are excited about this and they want the community to be excited with them.”

I Troop members have been on-hand at the local armory this week in preparation for deployment to their mobilization site, Camp Shelby, Miss., next week.

Making the transition from a unit comprised of citizen-soldiers to an active-duty unit has not been as difficult as one might imagine, said Reed, though it has been time consuming. All of the unit’s equipment must be inventoried, personnel paperwork must be updated, and the soldiers have had to undergo physicals, vaccinations and dental work.

Additionally, the men have received a number of refresher courses in such basic soldiering skills as first aid, map reading, small arms knowledge and nuclear, biological and chemical warfare protection, while noncommissioned officers have undergone further leadership training.

Beginning next Thursday, the unit will undergo further training at Camp Shelby, though it will be on a much larger scale, and done in conjunction with the other 4,500 members of the 278th. It is not known how long the regiment will be at the south Mississippi base before being transferred to Iraq.

“Whatever mission we’re called to do, we want to be able to do our tasks instinctively and at a moment’s notice. That’s the purpose of our training,” explained Reed.

The 278th, which is headquartered in Knoxville, is one of only two Armored Cavalry Regiments in the U.S. Army. Equipped primarily with M1A1 Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, the regiment’s war mission is one of combat support, mainly in the areas of reconnaissance, surveillance and security.

While many preparations are being made at the unit and regimental levels, a great many more are having to be made at the family level, as many of the soldiers’ families will be without husbands and fathers for some time. Assisting the soldiers’ families will be I Troop’s Family Readiness Group.

Chartered two years ago, the organization serves as a support group for the families of the soldiers, offering help and assistance to those who need it. It will also serve as a communication medium, using phone trees to pass on important unit news and information.

In addition to the Family Readiness Group, Reed said community support will necessary to help soldiers’ families during their absence.

“We’re very appreciative for the outpouring of support we’ve gotten so far: the yellow ribbons, the flags, the signs, the notes and calls,” he said. “We get a lot of people asking what they can do for us. The biggest thing is to remember our families and continue to support them when we’re away. We’d also like for everyone to keep the troops in their hearts and prayers.”