2-641 Aviation Unit, Oregon Army National Guard Returns to Oregon (VIDEO)

Governor Ted Kulongoski and Major General Raymond F. Rees, The Adjutant General are scheduled to be in attendance at the ceremony.

2-641 crews in Iraq were in charge of scheduling for many aircraft including the C-23 Sherpa "boxcar" shown here on the tarmac at Balad, Iraq. Salem-News.com photo by Tim King

(SALEM, Ore.) - Approximately 20 soldiers from the Second Rotation 2-641 Aviation commanded by LTC Christian Rees are returning to Oregon this evening following a six month tour of duty in Iraq.

Their mission in theater was to conduct flight missions required for battle command of theater operations, liaison among theater commands, transportation of supplies, equipment and personnel within the Iraq area of responsibility.

These men and women will be joined for the formal Demobilization Ceremony by approximately 35 of their counterparts from the First Rotation 2-641 Aviation commanded by LTC Todd Farmer who had the same six month tour of duty beginning in August 2008. Scenes from their deployment are in the video frames below. The official Demobilization Ceremony will be held on July 13th 2009 at 3:30 p.m. at the Army Aviation Support Facility #1, in Hangar 1 located at 1921 Turner Road SE, Salem, Oregon.

Governor Ted Kulongoski and Major General Raymond F. Rees, The Adjutant General are scheduled to be in attendance at the ceremony.

Family, friends and members of the media are encouraged to come out to welcome them back to Oregon.

Countless Americans in uniform are serving repeated combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Captain John Hoffman is one of the people from the Oregon National Guard aviation unit that I was embedded.

Video

Members of the Oregon National Guard have a big mission on their hands and minds over the next several months. Their tour of duty in Iraq is an aviation support mission. The 2/641 Aviation Support Group's specific responsibility, revolves around the C-23 Sherpa transport plane, known to these soldiers simply as "The Boxcar".

Oregon Guard soldiers from 2-641 Aviation on their way to a deployment in Balad, Iraq have spent the last week at Fort Benning, Georgia preparing for their deployment in the war theater. The weather has been warm and humid but they say the training is essential toward their preparation.