Medford, Ore. — Hundreds of people gathered in Medford Saturday morning to welcome home nearly 300 Oregon Army National Guard soldiers from the 1st Battalion 186th Infantry.
The battalion has units in Ashland, Medford, Coos Bay, Roseburg, and Grants Pass. The men served in Afghanistan for nine months providing base security force protection before coming home to friends and family.
For Delta Company Squad Leader Travis Robinson this isn’t his first homecoming. He served two tours in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan. Robinson said he couldn’t have done it without his family.
“It’s basically the only thing that kept me together,” he said.
State Senator Alan Bates and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden were at the ceremony thanking the soldiers and their families.
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