Soldiers with the 278^th Armored Cavalry Regiment will leave the Crossville National Guard Armory Sunday, July 15, 2018, for their deployment in Poland. The community is asked to make plans now to line the streets of Crossville to give a proper sendoff for the troops. A time of departure will be announced as the date gets closer. The route would be leaving the armory on Highway 70 and Sparta Highway and proceed to Walgreens, making a left on North Main Street to 1-40 then heading west. Citizens will not be allowed to stand on the side of the interstate once the soldiers reach I-40.

The deployment will include two task forces of about 1,000 soldiers, and each will serve year-long deployments with about nine months on the ground in Poland for each.

It’s the first time since 2008-09 the 278^th has deployed. Before that the regiment deployed to Iraq in 2005.

The deployment will extend a U.S. presence near the Russian border, which was ordered three years ago under President Barack Obama after Russia annexed Crimea, drawing sharp criticism from world leaders, including Obama, and strained relations.