The U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday that four brigades from the Army National Guard, including the Tennessee Army National Guard's 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), will deploy to Iraq and Kuwait beginning in spring of 2009.

The 278th has a unit from Greeneville.

The Tennessee National Guard confirmed last week that the 278th ACR had been alerted, but did not specify an exact time for the deployment.

The announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense also named three other National Guard units from around the nation.

Units alerted, in addition to the 278th ACR (which the Department of Defense calls the 278th Regimental Combat Team) are:

* the 72nd Brigade Combat Team, Texas National Guard;

* the 72nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard;

* the 256th Brigade Combat Team, Louisiana National Guard.

"All four brigades will have a security-force mission and be assigned tasks to assure freedom of movement and continuity of operations in the country (Iraq)," the Department of Defense said. "Those tasks will include base defense and route security in Iraq and Kuwait."

The deployments will involve approximately 14,000 personnel who will begin deploying in the spring of 2009.

"They are receiving alert orders now in order to provide them the maximum time to complete their preparations," a press release said. "It also provides a greater measure of predictability for family members and flexibility for employers to plan for military service of their employees."