The National Guard’s 278th Armored Calvary Regiment, which includes Cookeville, is in line for new equipment thanks to restructuring within the National Guard.
Local troops will be transitioned to a mobile brigade combat team. Brigade General Steven Turner said the 278th currently has tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, but those will soon be swapped out for tactical trucks, or infantry squad vehicles.
“The Army is always evolving and transitioning to keep up with the pace of technology, as well as emerging future warfare threat,” Turner said. “So that’s what this is certainly a part of, to ensure we’ve got the latest equipment and technology for the war fighter.”
Turner said the new vehicles are much lighter and faster than the ones currently at Cookeville’s Armory. Turner said these trucks will make disaster response more efficient, which citizens will appreciate in an emergency event.
Turner said Cookeville currently headquarters one of the Army’s combined guard battalions, which is made up of surrounding armories. Turner said the layout of new units coming to the area are still being figured out.
Turner said Cookeville’s location puts it right in the middle of the transition, but that is a positive considering the volume of STEM-related students at Tennessee Tech.
“We’re going to put an organization that’s going to surround that whole region that’s going to be full of the latest equipment, the latest technology,” Turner said. “And you won’t see a reduction in the size of the soldiers in the Cookeville area. It’ll just be a change in the equipment and the type of mission.”
Turner said the Cookeville squadron currently consists of two infantry companies and one armor battalion. The new structure will likely convert the armor battalion to another infantry company. Turner said similar changes are not just being made in the National Guard, but the entire Army.
“Not all units in the National Guard, even in the Army have the latest technology, so it will be cascaded to other units as required by the Army,” Turner said. “Same with the Bradley fighter vehicle. It will be cascaded to other units that require that piece of gear.”
Turner said change is tough, but this change is good. He said Tennessee’s National Guard was among the first selected for the transition, which speaks to the state’s volunteer spirit.
The Tennessee National Guard is currently over 100 percent assigned strength, which Turner said made the state a great candidate.
Turner said the transition will take place over the next two years.
