MEDFORD, Ore. – Nearly 200 Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment were formally welcomed home Jan. 11 during a demobilization ceremony at South Medford High School.
The ceremony, presided over by Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Oregon's adjutant general, honored the unit's nine-month deployment to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula as part of the Multinational Force and Observers, or MFO, mission.
"Welcome home," Gronewold said. "Those two words carry the weight of nearly a year of service, sacrifice and separation."
The 205-Soldier battalion, designated USBATT 74 during the deployment, served alongside military forces from 14 other nations supervising the implementation of security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace.
"In a region marked by volatility and tension, you stood watch. You maintained peace. You prevented violations of that historic treaty," Gronewold said. "You represented not just Oregon, not just the United States, but the cause of peace itself."
Lt. Col. Joshua Rapp, battalion commander, said the mission provided security for two camps in the Sinai while operating remote observation sites monitoring key routes and airfields between Egypt and Israel.
"We observed military aircraft, vehicles and equipment to ensure that both countries were abiding by what is directed in the peace treaty," Rapp said.
The deployment tested the unit during a period of heightened regional tensions. The battalion faced a three-month lockdown period when MFO bases were identified as potential targets during conflicts in the region.
"There was about a 48- to 72-hour period where we were in full combat equipment for 24 hours a day, other than sleeping," Rapp said. "We had to be inside a hardened building, we had to be in our full kit, even to go eat chow."
Despite operational challenges, Rapp emphasized the mission's unique aspects, particularly the multinational integration.
"What I would say the best thing about it was the level of multinational integration and the fact that we were working so closely with all our partners," Rapp said. "There were 15 nations, including us, that we worked with on a daily basis."
The battalion worked most closely with forces from Fiji, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Uruguay and Japan, participating in combined training exercises and sporting tournaments that built international relationships.
The deployment also provided extensive training opportunities. Soldiers conducted air insertion training, aeromedical evacuation exercises, range time and leadership courses, often integrated with multinational partners.
"The 1-186th Infantry really went above and beyond to train throughout the whole deployment," Rapp said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Evan Garner emphasized the unit's growth during the deployment.
"The battalion did come back stronger," Garner said. "There was a multitude of opportunities for Soldiers to train both within our units and battalions and then cross-train between nations. We worked with 15 different national partners over there and spent many, many hours and days learning about what they do and teaching them what we do, also, so we have a better knowledge across the board of operations."
Garner emphasized the teaching opportunities Soldiers gained.
"Our Soldiers got a chance to improve their abilities as teachers, not just of United States Soldiers, but soldiers from different countries and other groups," he said.
For many Soldiers, the mission offered unique leisure opportunities uncommon in most deployments. Service members became certified scuba divers and participated in organized duty tours to Egyptian landmarks, including the pyramids, Luxor and Mount Sinai.
"My message to the Soldiers and families is first off and most importantly, thank you," Garner said. "Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your service, and thank you for being there for each other. The greatest thing about 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry is that we're a family, and the family is what makes us able to do this mission."
Garner also emphasized the importance of maintaining connections during the transition home.
"Be patient. Know that things have changed while we're gone, and just work together as a team within your family," Garner said. "Reach out to your Soldiers. Since we were there 24/7 around everybody, I know it becomes more of a challenge once we get home, but reach out. It could be a call, it could be a text, a stop by – all of that matters and just shows that we continue to care and be there for our buddies."
The battalion was mobilized Oct. 20, 2024, during a ceremony in Ashland and returned to Oregon on Oct. 3, 2025. About 150 Soldiers returned to Medford, while about 50 service members arrived in Portland.
While most Soldiers came from the 1-186th Infantry Regiment based in Southern Oregon, the deployment also included National Guard members from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment and other Guard units across multiple states serving in specialized positions.
"This deployment to Egypt adds another distinguished chapter to that legacy—one that future generations of Oregon Guardsmen will look to with pride," Gronewold said.
The 1-186th Infantry Regiment previously mobilized for the 2021 Presidential Inauguration security mission in Washington, D.C.; Oregon's COVID-19 response; and overseas operations in the Horn of Africa from 2019-2020, in Afghanistan from 2014-2015 and in Iraq from 2009-2010.
Gronewold concluded the ceremony by acknowledging the families who supported the deployed Soldiers.
"To the spouses, parents, children, and loved ones who held down the home front while these Soldiers served overseas – your strength and resilience made this mission possible," Gronewold said. "Thank you for your service to Oregon and to our nation."