Welcome Home and Thank You!

WELCOME HOME!!!!

The Oregon Army National Guard 234 Engineer Company is formally demobilizing today, Friday, May 2, at the Warrenton High School Gymnasium, Warrenton, Oregon.

Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski, The Adjutant General of Oregon, Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees and 82 Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Charles L. Yriarte will be on hand to welcome these men and women home from their tour of duty in Iraq.

The 144 engineers, 131 men and 13 women return after a two-month mobilization at Camp Shelby, Miss. and an eight-month deployment to Balad, Iraq. The primary mission for this unit was to conduct security escort missions along supply routes throughout the country of Iraq.

This was the first deployment in the 234 Engineer Company's history since its reorganization in 2006 when it was previously known as Charlie Company, 1249 Engineers. Home station for the 234 Engineer Company is at Camp Rilea, in Warrenton on the north Oregon Coast.

The engineers come from various areas around the state including the following cities: 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, Rainier, Rhododendron, Roseburg, Scio, Seaside, Sherwood, Springfield, St. Helens, Stayton, Sutherlin, The Dalles, Tigard, Tillamook, Troutdale, Tualatin, Turner, Umatilla, Union, Warren, Warrenton, Williams, Wilsonville and Woodburn. Soldiers from areas outside of Oregon included the following towns: Amboy, Camas, College Place, Kelso, Kennewick, Kent, Spokane, Vancouver and Walla Walla, Wash; Payette, Idaho; and Sidney, Mont.

The pennant is from World War I and is housed at the Oshkosh Museum.