Over 750 Tennessee Guardsmen are currently providing support at the U.S. Capitol ahead of the 59th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C on Tuesday
photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Arturo Guzman
Over 750 Soldiers and Airmen with the Tennessee National Guard are part of a 25,000 member National Guard task force supporting the 59th Presidential Inauguration and assisting with security for the U.S. Capitol and other Federal properties in Washington, D.C.
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 headquartered in Chattanooga. These soldiers are assisting civil law enforcement and first responders with crowd management and security for the event.
In addition to the soldiers providing support, roughly 50 airmen with the Tennessee Air National Guard are supporting the inauguration with 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 Major General 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 current number of soldiers and airmen assigned to missions inside and outside the state represent less than 10 percent of available 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 Major General Holmes.