Local American Legion Post, Boy Scout Troop provide pre-deployment breakfast for members of Tennessee National Guard

July 30, 2018

Jerry Solomine and 3 AmVet Members prepare breakfast for soldiers

CARTHAGE, Tenn.—Earlier this month, members of American Legion Post #57 gathered at the local National Guard Armory to prepare an appreciation breakfast for approximately 160 members of the Tennessee National Guard who were departing on the following day for a nine-month deployment to Poland.

Sixteen members of Boy Scout Troop #367 also assisted in serving the troops. Supplemental breakfast items were provided by Cracker Barrel.

The National Guard soldiers that were served by the American Legion and the Boy Scouts are members of the 278th Calvary, which is the largest unit in Tennessee and one of only five armored brigade combat teams in the National Guard. Several members of this calvary are from middle Tennessee.

Members of the 278th departed from the Crossville National Guard Armory around 8:30 a.m. on July 15, 2018.

Upon arrival in Poland, local soldiers will participate in efforts to support the European Reassurance Initiatives, which were established in 2015 as a response to Russian aggression. The aim of the initiates is to support NATO allies.

Some of the deployed troops will be assisting the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the continued development of a premier Combat Training Center. The center’s development is one step in a long-term plan for Ukrainian military reform. According to the Tennessee Department of Military website, the goal of the Combat Training Center is to “provide realistic training for Battalions and Brigades under a NATO interoperable framework.”

Members of the 278th have been training for this international effort for over a year. Soldiers participated in the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) program at Fort Hood, Texas, in the summer of 2017. The XCTC program was developed by the Army National Guard and designed to certify skills in platoon level tasks.

Deployed soldiers are expected to return home in April 2019.

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