Wheaton: Personal To See Guard Deployed

Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton helped send off the 278th Army National Guard during a luncheon with their families Friday.

Soldiers will leave town Saturday morning for an overseas deployment of just under one year.

“Seeing all those soldiers in one room and with their family, lots of kids surrounding them,” Wheaton said. “It was hard not to tear up, honestly, just to see so many people in there who are going to be deployed for almost over a year. The sacrifice that they’re willing to do that, it was very moving today.”

Buses will leave out Saturday morning from the Armory on Gould Drive in Cookeville. Residents are invited to line Willow Avenue to send-off the soldiers as buses take to Interstate Drive. Buses leave at 3:00am, 5:30am, and 6:30am.

“I will say that is probably one of the biggest amount of shares I’ve ever seen on one of my social media posts,” Wheaton said. “And it made me so proud that that many people wanted to spread the word and to show the love and support for our community and for these soldiers. And so hopefully, there’ll be a big crowd, even at the 3:00 AM one.”

Wheaton said she knows city staffers and local law enforcement who will be deployed. She said it makes you understand the contribution of the National Guard to our defense.

“It does make it that much more personal because you look across the table and I recognize one of our neighbors, and that there they are with their family, and they’re going to be gone for over a year,” Wheaton said. “So we did want to make sure that everyone knows. Both Mayor (Randy) Porter, I know Sheriff (Eddie) Farris and myself, we all said, ‘If there are any needs of the families here in this area while your loved one is deployed, please reach out to us because we want to be a resource.’ We want to be able to help when you’re going through a really trying time with having your family member gone.”

The group is one of five Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT) in the National Guard. It is nicknamed the Tennessee Calvary.