Tennessee Army National Guard’s Air Cavalry headed to Iraq

NASHVILLE – More than 600 soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1/230th Air Cavalry Squadron, with units in Smyrna, Alcoa, and Jackson will depart their home stations enroute to Fort Sill, Okla., on Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31.  The Squadron will complete pre-deployment training at the southwest Oklahoma post prior to their deployment to Iraq.

Locally, Troops B & C, who fly the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft, will depart Army Aviation Support Facility #2 at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Alcoa on Monday at 7:30 a.m.  The main body will depart from Knox Air by commercial aircraft at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

The mobilization of the 1/230th, brings the total number of mobilizations of Tennessee National Guard Soldiers and Airmen in the War on Terrorism to over 14,000.