Guard Unit Welcomed Home After Egypt Deployment
Southern Oregon soldiers return following nine-month peacekeeping mission in Sinai Peninsula
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, hosted by the Oregon Military Department, honored the unit’s nine-month deployment to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) mission. The event was presided over by Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Oregon’s adjutant general.
“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 overseeing the 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, the battalion commander, said the mission involved providing 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.
Rapp noted that the deployment occurred during a period of heightened regional tension. At one point, the battalion experienced a three-month lockdown when MFO bases were identified as potential targets.
“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 the challenges, Rapp emphasized the benefits of working within a multinational force.
“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,” he 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. Soldiers participated in combined training exercises and sporting events designed to build cooperation and trust among partner nations.
The deployment also provided extensive training opportunities, including air insertion training, aeromedical evacuation exercises, weapons range time, and leadership development courses.
“The 1-186th Infantry really went above and beyond to train throughout the whole deployment,” Rapp said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Evan Garner said the experience strengthened the battalion both operationally and professionally.
“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.”
Garner highlighted the role soldiers played as instructors while deployed.
“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.
In addition to operational duties, some soldiers were able to take part in organized morale and recreation opportunities, including scuba certification and guided tours to Egyptian landmarks such as 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.”
He also emphasized the importance of staying connected 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. It could be a call, it could be a text, a stop by—all of that matters.”
The battalion was mobilized on Oct. 20, 2024, during a ceremony in Ashland and returned to Oregon on Oct. 3, 2025. Approximately 150 soldiers returned to Medford, while about 50 service members arrived in Portland.
While most soldiers were assigned to the 1-186th Infantry Regiment based in Southern Oregon, the deployment also included Oregon National Guard members from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment and other Guard units from multiple states.
“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 has previously supported domestic and overseas missions, including security operations during the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, Oregon’s COVID-19 response, and deployments to the Horn of Africa, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Gronewold concluded by recognizing the families who supported the soldiers throughout the deployment.
“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,” he said. “Thank you for your service to Oregon and to our nation.”
