Oregon Army National Guard Welcomes Home Infantry Unit from Afghanistan

Oregon Army National Guard Lt. Col. Noel Hoback (center), commander of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team

(Medford, Ore) — The Oregon Army National Guard honored nearly 300 Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, in a formal demobilization ceremony, August 8, at the Spiegelberg Stadium, in Medford, Oregon.

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden; Oregon State Senator Alan Bates, representing Oregon Governor Kate Brown; Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins; City of Medford Mayor Gary Wheeler; Maj. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Adjutant General, Oregon; Brig. Gen. Todd A. Plimpton, Land Component Commander; Col. William J. Prendergast, IV, Commander of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, along with other dignitaries, attended the ceremony to officially welcome the Soldiers home.

The 1-186th Infantry Battalion conducted the Guard Force mission, providing security and force protection, for a joint task force operating throughout Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from September 2014 through December 2014, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel from January 2015 through June 2015. The battalion was headquartered at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Due to the continual drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Alpha Company, 1-186th Infantry Battalion, was re-missioned in December of 2014 and moved to support 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, in Kandahar until April 2015. Alpha Company provided force protection in static positions, on mounted patrols, and as part of the internal Quick Reaction Force for Kandahar Airfield.

During the deployment, Soldiers within the battalion were awarded two Bronze Star Medals, 112 Army Commendation Medals, 91 Army Achievement Medals, and four Combat Infantry Badges.

The 1-186th Infantry Battalion is headquartered in Ashland with companies based in Medford, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Coos Bay and St. Helens. The battalion is under the command of Lt. Col. Noel Hoback and Command Sgt. Maj. Brad Huppunen.

Maj. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson (center), Adjutant General, Oregon, welcomes home Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, following a demobilization ceremony, August 8, in Medford, Oregon. The 1-186th Infantry Battalion spent approximately nine-months providing security and force protection in Afghanistan. (Photo by Jason van Mourik, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Oregon Army National Guard Lt. Col. Noel Hoback (center), commander of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, stands with his formation of nearly 300 Soldiers, as they are honored during a demobilization ceremony, August 8, in Medford, Oregon. The 1-186th Infantry Battalion spent approximately nine-months providing security and force protection in Afghanistan. (Photo by Jason van Mourik, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, stand in formation, as they are welcomed home during a demobilization ceremony, August 8, in Medford, Oregon. The 1-186th Infantry Battalion spent approximately nine-months providing security and force protection in Afghanistan. (Photo by Jason van Mourik, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, stand in formation, as they are welcomed home during a demobilization ceremony, August 8, in Medford, Oregon. The 1-186th Infantry Battalion spent approximately nine-months providing security and force protection in Afghanistan. (Photo by Jason van Mourik, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Source: Oregon Military Department