News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment will continue to plan for a two-year deployment later this summer.
Lieutenant Colonel Donny W. Hebel is Commander of the 2nd Squadron.
“For the last three years, we have been building our staff. We have built our infantry our armor our fighting force to be a more formidable force to support any effort necessary,” Hebel said. “Lately, we have gear more toward the family. So we have done yellow ribbons and strong bonds to help build our family support to our operations.”
Hebel said the National Guard continuously plans for specific deployments. The 278th Regiment recently underwent training at Fort Irwin, California.
“In the National Guard, we have three things we train for. One is to fight and win the nation’s wars. Second thing is to protect the homeland through civil support,” Hebel said. “And the third is to establish partnerships. That NTC rotation that we did helps us to hone all three of those skills.”
Along with tactical and physical training, the regiment also goes through cultural education.
“So, we learn about the country that we are going into. And it is more continuous training that we do annually,” Hebel said. “Cultural awareness type of training. It educates the troops on all the standard briefings we normally go through.”
A group of about eight hundred will mobilize to Fort Hood in July, Hebel said.
“The purpose for the mission to Poland, it is a enhance border presence mission,” Hebel said. “It is a preplanned training event to demonstrate our reassurance of alliance with Poland.”
The group will deploy to Poland in August.
