WASHINGTON – Over 750 Soldiers and Airmen with the Tennessee National Guard are part of a 25,000-member National Guard task force assisting with security at the U.S. Capitol and other federal properties for the 59th presidential inauguration.
The Tennessee Army National Guard is providing over 700 Soldiers from the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment headquartered in Knoxville, the 194th Engineer Brigade headquartered in Jackson and the 230th Sustainment Brigade in Chattanooga. The Soldiers are assisting law enforcement and first responders with crowd management and security.
In addition, roughly 50 Airmen with the Tennessee Air National Guard are providing logistical, communications, food service and religious support. The Airmen are from Nashville’s 118th Wing, Knoxville’s 134th Air Refueling Wing and 119th Cyber Operations Squadron. These Soldiers and Airmen were transported via Tennessee Air National Guard aircraft from Memphis’s 164th Airlift Wing and Knoxville’s 134th Air Refueling Wing.
“The ability for the National Guard to rapidly alert, mobilize and deploy this size of formation from all 54 states and territories in less than a week is unprecedented and a testament to the commitment to duty of our Citizen-Soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessee’s adjutant general. “Furthermore, it demonstrates we are an apolitical organization that is responsive to the needs of our nation in whatever mission is directed by our civilian authorities.”
The Soldiers and Airmen assigned to missions inside and outside Tennessee represent less than 10% of the available members of the Tennessee National Guard.
“The support to our nation’s capital will not reduce in any way the COVID response support we are currently providing to the Department of Health nor our ability to support other missions within our great state – this is why our more than 12,000 Soldiers and Airmen wear the uniform,” said Holmes.