| Press Release |
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| July 06, 2007 |
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Oregon Army National Guard soldiers mobilize for Iraq deployment
The 234 Engineer Company, based out of Warrenton, Ore., will mobilize for deployment to Iraq in a ceremony held on Sunday, July 8 at 3:00 p.m. at the Salem Armory/Auditorium, located at 2320 17th St. NE, Salem, Ore.
Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski, The Adjutant General of Oregon Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees and 82nd Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Charles L. Yriarte will attend the ceremony. The public and media are welcome to attend.
The 234 Engineer Company will deploy more than 180 Soldiers to Camp Shelby, Miss. for more than two months of training before deploying to Balad, Iraq. Once in Iraq, the company will conduct convoy security operations.
"We'll primarily be providing security for the civilian-contractor convoys," said Capt. Jeffrey S. Brown, 234 Commander. "The key is to keep the vehicles rolling out there [Iraq]."
This deployment is the first in the history of 234 Eng. Co. since its re-organization. Prior to transformation in 2006, the unit was known as Charlie Company, 1249th Engineers located in Warrenton, Ore. along with a detachment unit from Bravo 52nd Engineer Company.
The soldiers of this company previously deployed as C Co., 1249th to do homeland security missions at Fort Lewis, Wash. and the Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot in Umatilla, Ore. from March 2003 to April 2004, where they provided front-gate and military police patrol security in support of Operation Noble Eagle. Some soldiers of the 234 Eng. Co. also previously deployed to Iraq in February of 2003 as part of B Co. 52nd Eng.
"There are multiple companies with a convoy security mission and from what we've heard, some are better than others," said Capt. Brown. "We're trying to set ourselves up to be the best security company we can be."
The 234 Eng. Co. has positions for such jobs as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians and has completed such construction projects as the Fort-to-Sea Trail and various renovations in Fort Stevens and northern Oregon coastal region.
Soldiers deploying with this unit are from the following Oregon hometowns: Albany, Aloha, Astoria, Athena, Aumsville, Beaverton, Bend, Boardman, Brownsville, Canby, Charleston, Cheshire, Clackamas, Cloverdale, Colton, Cornelius, Corvallis, Cove, Dallas, Damascus, Donald, Elkton, Eugene, Fairview, Forest Grove, Gales Creek, Garibaldi, Grants Pass, Gresham, Hammond, Hermiston, Huntington, Independence, Irrigon, Keizer, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Lake Oswego, Lebanon, Merlin, Mill City, Milton Freewater, Milwaukie, Newberg, North Bend, Oregon City, Pendleton, Portland, Princeton, Prineville, Rainer, Rhododendron, Roseburg, Seaside, Scio, Seaside, Sherwood, Springfield, St. Helens, Stayton, Sutherlin, and The Dalles, Tigard, Tillamook, Troutdale, Tualatin, Turner, Umatilla, Union, Warren, Warrenton, Williams, Wilsonville, Woodburn.
Soldiers deploying with this unit are also from Amboy, Camas, College Place, Kelso, Kennewick, Kent, Spokane, Vancouver, and Walla Walla, Wash.; Payette, Idaho; and Sidney, Mont.
Contact Info:
Capt. Michael Braibish
503-932-5805
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