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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford restaurant on lockdown while police investigate a possible shooting ... Ashland police find suspected car thief asleep in stolen vehicle ... Cooking oil fire damages SOU-owned home, displaces two ... Medford restaurant on lockdown while police investigate a possible shooting ... Ashland police find suspected car thief asleep in stolen vehicle ... Cooking oil fire damages SOU-owned home, displaces two ... GRANTS PASS Grants Pass plans yellow-ribbon welcome for returning troops National Guardsmen will be returning home from Afghanistan Comment By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jun. 19, 2015 at 3:44 PM Updated Jun 19, 2015 at 3:46 PM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jun. 19, 2015 at 3:44 PM Updated Jun 19, 2015 at 3:46 PM » Social News The imminent return of local National Guardsmen from Afghanistan has sparked an effort in Grants Pass to fly yellow ribbons to welcome the soldiers home. "These are small town guys doing big time stuff over there," said Julie Thomas, owner of Concierge Home & Business Watch and one of the organizers of the yellow ribbon effort. "They can see they're not forgotten." One of the soldiers coming home works for Thomas, a former Grants Pass police officer who also taught community policing all over the U.S. and in war-torn Kosovo. On Thursday, Thomas helped neighboring business owner Dave Kelly, owner of Kelly's Automotive Service, change the lettering on Kelly's marquee to read, "Welcome home troops!" "We want them to know we're happy they're home safe," Kelly said. Also on Thursday, the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce sent a message to its members asking them to display welcome home symbols. There's also discussion of decking out the Caveman statue near Sixth Street and Morgan Lane, next to chamber offices. About 300 soldiers from the region, including about 80 stationed at the Grants Pass Armory near Merlin, went to Afghanistan last year. They left the area in July. The soldiers are part of the Oregon Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Ashland with units in Grants Pass, Medford, Roseburg, Coos Bay and St. Helens. A National Guard spokesman on Thursday said for security reasons the arrival date of the soldiers would not be announced until about a day in advance. It was previously announced only that the soldiers would arrive in late June, with a demobilization ceremony set for Aug. 8. About 70 soldiers from the unit already returned to the region last month. Reach reporter Shaun Hall at 541-474-3813 or [email protected] By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jun. 19, 2015 at 3:44 PM Updated Jun 19, 2015 at 3:46 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501