The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

National Guardsman from Lebanon returns from deployment in Africa




Sgt. Mason, a member of the Tennessee National Guard and a Lebanon High graduate, has returned from a deployment in Africa.

Sgt. Mason, a member of the Tennessee National Guard and a Lebanon High graduate, has returned from a deployment in Africa.

Sgt. Mason Roberts, a Lebanon native, has returned home from an eight-month deployment in Djibouti, Africa, according to a news release from the Tennessee Military Department.

Roberts, a member of the Tennessee National Guard’s Troop C, 1st Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Springfield, volunteered to deploy with the Minnesota National Guard’s 135th Infantry Regiment.

“I enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard in 2018 but I had not finished my initial training before the 278th deployed to Poland in 2019,” said Roberts. “I’ve always wanted to deploy overseas and serve my country, but I just missed my chance with the 278th. So when I was offered an opportunity to deploy with Minnesota, I jumped on it.”

As a part of Task Force Bayonet in Djibouti, Roberts’ company was responsible for providing security for drone counter-terrorism operations against extremist groups in the Horn of Africa.

According to the news release, Roberts comes for a long line of family members who served in the military. His ancestors fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terrorism. His father, retired Capt. David Roberts, served in Desert Storm with the 101st Airborne Division and deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.

Roberts is a graduate of Lebanon High School, an Eagle Scout from Troop 434, and a student at Cumberland University.

Roberts is now assigned as an infantry team leader at McMinnville’s Troop F, 2nd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. According to the news release he plans to apply to Tennessee Tech University for the fall and study engineering.

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