SMYRNA, Tenn. – Nearly 150 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 251st Military Police Company are returning home, Thursday, March 21, after a nearly year-long deployment overseas. They are scheduled to fly into Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site in two groups at approximately 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., where they will be greeted by friends, family, and fellow Soldiers awaiting their return.

“We are ready to be home with our families after such a successful deployment,” said Capt. Brennan Carter, commander of the 251st Military Police Company. “I believe this is one of the best military police companies in Tennessee and every one of these Soldiers did a fantastic job. They are all true professionals.”

The 251st, which is headquartered in Lexington, with a detachment in Savannah, departed Tennessee in May of 2023 to serve in eastern Europe as part of U.S. European Command. While deployed, majority of the company performed law and order missions at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, and provided security for other deployed military units. The 251st also had a platoon of roughly 30 Soldiers stationed at Novo Selo Training Site in Bulgaria, and a team of military policemen in southeastern Poland at Rzeszow, performing similar roles.

“It was a very dynamic deployment, with Soldiers performing a myriad of tasks to maintain security at the various sites,” said Carter. “We were met with many interesting challenges along the way, but our Soldiers overcame every obstacle and truly showed what Tennesseans are made of.”    

The Soldiers of the 251st are trained in various security, policing, detention, and combat functions which enable U.S. forces to maneuver freely, provide protection to the force, and promote the rule of law. The unit is currently at Fort Bliss, Texas, where they are completing their federal demobilization and out-processing procedures.

Following the homecoming, the returning Soldiers will participate in a brief in-processing and then be released to their families.

 

------------------------------------------------------ Instructions --------------------------------------------------------

 

Who: Tennessee Army National Guard 251st Military Police Company

What: Soldiers returning home from overseas deployment

When: March 21, 2024, at approximately 2:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.

Where: Media will be escorted from the front gate of Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site to the allocated media location to take photos and video of the event. The address of the front gate is: 600 6th Ave, Smyrna, Tennessee.