Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment, are deploying for a 10-month tour of the Middle East. A farewell ceremony took place on Sunday at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site. The battalion commander said many of the more than 350 departing soldiers have assisted with efforts to fight COVID-19 over the past year. The 1-181st is headquartered in Chattanooga with units from Dayton, Fayetteville, Lawrenceburg, and Pulaski. They are initially headed to Fort Bliss, Texas, for training before deploying overseas. During the farewell ceremony, the 1-181st cased their battalion colors. They will be uncased upon arrival in the Middle East.