ATLANTA, Texas — Mayor and Army Reserve Command Sergeant Major Travis Ransom has been called to active duty in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Ransom will deploy to Afghanistan as the Battalion Command Sergeant Major with the 321st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion later this fall, and will be deployed for nine months.
OFS is part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization mission that conducts counterterrorism operations targeting terrorist groups like al Qaeda and the local Islamic State of Iraq and Syria affiliate. OFS also conducts a train, advise, and assist mission to build up local Afghan security forces.
“This is an historic time to deploy as we face uncertainty around the globe,” Ransom said. “Deploying in the middle of a pandemic, during a presidential election, and while peace talks with the taliban are ongoing, adds additional complexity to the mission. One thing that is certain is that the American Solider is ready to go when the nation requires it, and to get the job done with professionalism, despite external influences.”
Ransom’s service is part of a long family tradition of military service with ancestors serving in almost every major American conflict going back to the American Revolution. The Atlanta mayor is a 23-year veteran of the Army Reserve who has mobilized and deployed numerous times in support of peacekeeping contingency operations around the world.
Ransom has served as the city of Atlanta’s mayor since August 2017 and is employed with Offenhauser & Co. Insurance. Dean McDuff, the mayor pro tempore, will conduct the city council meetings in Ransom’s absence.