SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers continue to return home from overseas mobilizations with one of the final groups returning to Medford, Oregon, Sept. 1. Members assigned to the 1-186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team who were part of Task Force Djibouti, are scheduled to arrive at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport at 1:30 pm and then will be formally greeted by family and friends at the Jackson County Expo Center at 2:30 pm. Over the past several weeks, Oregon Citizen-Soldiers have been arriving from deployments in Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Djibouti and Kosovo. These mobilizations of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team are part of the second largest mobilization of Oregon troops since World War II. The last mobilization of Oregonians this size was in 2009 through 2010. Oregon Army National Guard Land Component Commander Brig. Gen. William J. Prendergast IV, and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Foesch are scheduled to greet the Citizen-Soldiers planeside when they arrive home tomorrow in Medford. Last week a large group of Citizen-Soldier arrived at Portland International Airport who deployed in the United Arab Emirates. The remainder of these Oregon National Guard members are scheduled to return at various times throughout the day to Eugene, Redmond, Portland and Seattle-Tacoma, Wash., airports September 2. The final group of Soldiers from the 41st IBCT, who are in Kosovo are scheduled to arrive home in Oregon before Christmas. Each of the groups has and is scheduled for a two-week quarantine at their demobilization site in Ft. Bliss, Texas prior to their return home to Oregon.
