NASHVILLE-National Guard units from throughout Tennessee, to include the state’s largest unit, departed over the weekend and early week for pre-mobilization training sites as the first leg of a deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Their departure represents over 3,000 men and women and brings the total number of Tennessee Guardsmen deployed since Sept. 11, 2001, to nearly 20,000. 

The 1171st Transportation Company, composed of a total of 175 soldiers from Dresden and Tiptonville, was scheduled to leave Dresden Friday morning, Dec. 4. The 1171st is bound for Fort Bliss, Texas, and then on to Iraq. 

A Regional Corps Advisory Group, a composite of 16 soldiers from various locations in Tennessee, was scheduled to depart Tuesday, Dec. 8, from National Guard Headquarters in Nashville and travel to Camp Atterbury, Ind. This will be the first leg of their deployment to Afghanistan.   

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The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee’s largest unit, was scheduled to leave Sunday, Dec. 6, for Camp Shelby, Miss., for its pre-mobilization training. They will remain at the Mississippi post for about two months before deploying to Iraq. 

The 278th is headquartered in Knoxville and has more than 3,000 soldiers in units across Tennessee. The units will leave from their respective armories at varying times Sunday morning. The massive deployment will affect 45 cities and towns in Tennessee, including Livingston, Lafayette, Jamestown, Crossville and Cookeville.