CLACKAMAS, Ore. - Soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard's 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, or IBCT, returned home July 19 after a successful year-long deployment to Kosovo as part of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission.
A welcome home event at Camp Withycombe marked the homecoming for Soldiers participating in the Kosovo Force’s, or KFOR's, 34th rotation. This mission has been crucial for maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans since 1999.
About 300 Soldiers returned in two groups. The first group to return consisted primarily of Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Springfield, along with medical and support personnel from the 600-member task force that included Soldiers from Oregon, Idaho, West Virginia, New Jersey and Tennessee.
Lt. Col. Joseph Twigg, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, addressed the returning Soldiers and their families.
"Over the past year, you stood watch in Kosovo as part of KFOR. You built partnerships, maintained stability, and represented the United States with professionalism and integrity," Twigg said. "From the smallest patrol to the most complex multinational mission, you performed with discipline, heart and commitment."
During their deployment, the Oregon Soldiers made significant contributions to the mission, said Col. Peter Helzer, commander of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
"Oregon Soldiers contributed to a robust international mission, adding to over 4,000 security patrols, 13,000 public engagements and 5,000 volunteer hours supporting communities in Kosovo," Helzer said. "Additionally, Soldiers from the 41st IBCT successfully responded to one of the largest terrorist attacks in Kosovo in recent years by providing security to critical infrastructure, working with our local and international partners to maintain peace in the region."
The deployment provided opportunities for international cooperation and professional development. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment conducted fully integrated patrols with German and Latvian armies across contested terrain in Northern Kosovo. At the same time, headquarters staff planned operations alongside Italian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Turkish and Swiss soldiers.
"The greatest lesson for most of us, I'm sure, was the importance of building trust in your team and your partners," Helzer said. "In this business, relationships matter, and Kosovo provided an unprecedented opportunity to learn how to better connect and operate together."
The skills gained during the deployment will have immediate applications in Oregon in supporting emergency services and domestic operations, Helzer said.
"As part of KFOR, we had to immediately integrate into a complex system of law enforcement, local government and emergency services to be successful. The organizational, communication and logistical skills we stressed overseas will most certainly make us more effective in case of an emergency here at home,” Helzer said.
Beyond the professional development, the mission provided many Soldiers with their first opportunity to serve in Europe and experience a different part of the world.
Helzer emphasized the strategic importance of the mission.
"The Balkan region is a historic crossroad of empires, and maintaining stability there prevents greater disorder that will eventually impact us here at home," he said.
"I want you to know the command team from top all the way down are committed to normalizing the demands on you and your Soldiers over the coming years," Helzer told families at the ceremony. "Thank you for your commitment and support."
Twigg praised the Soldiers' performance during the deployment, telling them they "shaped the security picture, provided real-time assessments that reached leaders at every level, and ensured informed decision-making from the ground up."
He also recognized the families' sacrifices during the deployment.
"To the families here today—you served too. You kept things running at home, carried the burdens of distance and supported your Soldiers every day," Twigg said. "Thank you for your sacrifice and resilience. We could not have done this without you."
The 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the "Jungleers," is headquartered in Clackamas with subordinate units spread throughout Oregon. The brigade's successful deployment to Kosovo continues the unit's proud tradition of service, building on previous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.