Oregon National Guard to hold demobilization ceremony for 162 Engineer Company

Our Soldiers have literally set the standard for performance and have helped develop and evolve the IED

The Oregon National Guard Armory in Dallas, Oregon

(SALEM, Oregon) - The Oregon National Guard is scheduled to hold a demobilization ceremony for Soldiers of the 162 Engineer Company, Friday, in Dallas, Oregon

The demobilization ceremony will be held at 817 Church Street, in Dallas, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The street in front of the old 162 Armory will be closed to through traffic.

Capt. Bob Baca is the commander of the unit, which is part of the 1249 Engineer Battalion, based in Salem.

The unit mobilized for the deployment in September 2009, conducting pre-deployment training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, before departing to Afghanistan as part of a 400-day deployment. Approximately 100 Citizen-Soldiers joined the 204th Engineer Company from Washington State, providing route clearance throughout Afghanistan.

Oregon Soldiers assisted in clearing more than 15,000 miles of roads, during more than 6,000 hours of active missions, and nearly 200 IED events during their deployment. Soldiers in the unit earned more than 13 Bronze Star Medals, 78 Combat Action Badges, 60 Army Commendation Medals and five Purple Heart Medals.

"Our Soldiers have literally set the standard for performance and have helped develop and evolve the IED," Baca said.

The event is open to the public

Photos from the Event: Oregon Army National Guard Capt. Bobby Baca | Oregon Army National Guard Spc. Stephen R. Printup | Greeting the Children | Family and friends of Soldiers with the Oregon Army National Guard's 162 Engineer Company