Thomas Foley takes command of the 278th Cavalry Regiment

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee National Guard’s 278th Cavalry Regiment (MBCT) conducted a change of command ceremony at West High School’s football field, in Knoxville, on Sunday, June 7.

Brig. Gen. Steven Turner, Tennessee’s Assistant Adjutant General–Army, presided over the ceremony where Col. Donny Hebel, the current 278th commander and Nashville native, relinquished command to Col. Thomas “TJ” Foley, who resides in Spring Hill. Hebel was the 17th commander of the regiment.

Taking command in March 2024, Hebel placed heavy emphasis on readiness and ensuring Solders were trained, equipped, and ready to meet any contingency. Over the next two years, he and his staff supported numerous domestic emergencies, conducted a large-scale training mission in Fort Hood, Texas, deployed over 600 Guardsmen to support the Memphis Safe Task Force, and deployed over 1,100 Guardsmen in three rotations to Kuwait and Germany.

Foley, who has 28 years of military service, was recently the Deputy Chief of Staff–Operations at the Tennessee National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters in Nashville. Since commissioning through the Arkansas State University ROTC program as an infantry officer, he has served in many key positions including infantry platoon leader, infantry company commander, squadron commander, operations and executive officer for the 278th, and Tennessee’s Deputy G-3. He has also completed four overseas deployments, two of which were to Iraq with Arkansas’ 39th Infantry Brigade and the 278th in 2004 and 2010 respectively.  

The 278th Cavalry Regiment was recently selected and is currently transforming into a Mobile Brigade Combat Team, aligning with the U.S. Army’s new transformation initiatives. Formerly an Armored Brigade Combat Team, the 278th is now primarily infantry and is lighter, faster, and more lethal, utilizing new technologies and systems such as the Infantry Squad Vehicle, Unmanned Aerial Systems, extended-range precision weapons, and Electronic Warfare systems. Foley will be the first commander of this new organizational structure and will complete the 278th transformation.

The 278th’s units are stationed throughout Tennessee with regimental headquarters in Knoxville and battalion headquarters in Cookeville, Henderson, and Lebanon.