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Demobilization ceremony honors Oregon National Guard soldiers' sacrifice Demobilization ceremony recognizes soldiers returning from Afghanistan and their families By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 8, 2015 @ 2:11 pm By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 8, 2015 @ 2:11 pm » RELATED CONTENT • Demobilization Ceremony » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Nearly 300 citizen soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment were honored Saturday at their demobilization ceremony in Medford's Spiegelberg Stadium. The ceremony marked the official end of their yearlong deployment. The Oregon Army National Guard soldiers' family and loved ones traveled from all over the Pacific Northwest and California to attend. Alex Eliason came from Eugene to sit in the stands with her sons Braden and Blake, watching her husband, Jordan, being honored with the rest of his battalion. "The community support is awesome," Eliason said. "It shows that we're not doing this alone, which is nice." Distinguished guests were seated on the lawn, and the official party included state Sen. Alan Bates, representing Gov. Kate Brown, and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden.  Bates read a letter from the governor thanking the soldiers and their families for their service. Wyden spoke for several minutes about supporting the soldiers as they adjust back to civilian life. "When you make the transition from holding a rifle in Afghanistan to holding a child in Southern Oregon, that can be a big challenge," Wyden said. He promised to work toward protecting the benefits and livelihoods of men and women in service. "Because of your service, each of us in America gets the freedom to choose our own path," Wyden said. Oregon Adjutant Gen. Daniel Hokanson and Col. William Prendergast, commander of the 41 Infantry Brigade Combat Team, with which the battalion deployed, urged the soldiers to take full advantage of all resources available to them and their families. For the moment, families seemed simply relieved and elated to have their loved ones back among them. Amber Frere and Heather Collins, who came up from Sacramento to see husbands Matt and Harrison be honored, said having them away is difficult for many reasons. This was Harrison's third deployment; for Matt, it was his fourth. "It's difficult to just rely on yourself for everything again," said Amber. "Having them back definitely makes it easier." The 1st Battalion spent a year in Afghanistan headquartered at the Bagram Airfield. Now, they'll be back with their families for a year at least, but likely longer. In the meantime, many families are reconnecting and trying to spend quality time together. Christina and Christopher Bibby from Portland are taking their 4-year-old son, Ayden, to Disneyland. "It's good having my buddy back," Christina said. "It was nice to see the support today." Reach reporting intern Kaylee Tornay at [email protected]. By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 8, 2015 @ 2:11 pm » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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