SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion is preparing for a year-long mobilization to support security operations along the U.S. southern border.
The mission will begin Oct. 1, according to Maj. Christopher Campbell, the battalion's operations officer.
"We'll be providing a battalion or sector headquarters of about 50 people with specialized skills," said Campbell. "There will be somewhere between two to five companies underneath the headquarters, depending on which sector we're assigned."
Lt. Col. Thanh Vo, commander of the 1249th Engineer Battalion, expressed confidence in his unit's readiness for the mission.
"The 1249th has a proud history of answering the call to serve, whether here in Oregon or abroad," said Vo. "Our Soldiers bring diverse skills from their civilian careers that complement their military training, exemplifying the Citizen-Soldier and demonstrating their capabilities to accomplish this mission. Whether it's for wildland fires, domestic response, or federal missions worldwide, the Soldiers of 1249th stand ready when called."
The 1249th will serve as the command element for units from other state National Guards operating at the border. The mission, coordinated through the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the Department of Defense, requires the battalion to deploy personnel with expertise in operations, medical and behavioral health services and contracting.
Campbell said the battalion could be assigned to one of four sectors along the southern border in California, Arizona or Texas.
"We'll be coming in behind another headquarters," Campbell said. "We just don't know which one yet."
The deployment will include pre-mobilization training in August, followed by approximately two months of preparation at Fort Bliss, Texas. The engineers expect to be on the ground for their primary mission for nine months, with a total deployment time of about 12 months.
The 1249th Engineer Battalion has a history of domestic and overseas deployments. In 2021, the battalion's horizontal construction company from Dallas, Oregon, supported Operation Allies Welcome at Camp Atterbury, helping integrate Afghan refugees sponsored by the Department of Defense. Two of its companies deployed to Afghanistan in 2011-2012 and the entire battalion provided security at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the Umatilla Chemical Depot in 2003-2004.
Oregon National Guard members serve part-time, typically one weekend a month and two weeks a year, while maintaining civilian careers. They stand ready to respond to state emergencies such as wildfires and floods while also training to defend the nation when called to federal service. Guard members live and work in the same communities they serve, creating a unique connection between military service and local communities.