National Guardsman and family prepare for deployment

This story is part of our nearly year-long series chronicling local military families experiencing deployment as part of the 1-186th Infantry Battalion from Southern Oregon. 450 soldiers are deploying to the Horn of Africa.


MEDFORD, Ore. – It’s never easy to leave a loved one. Especially beautiful Alice Deemer. But for the Deemer family of Medford, it’s a task Staff Sergeant Jase Deemer has to uphold.

“We all have some sort of loved one that we’re leaving behind and we’re all going to do the same mission,” Jase said.

Married just last May, Jase and Summer Deemer first met at Eagle Point High School. “Weren’t super close but we had a lot of friends, mutual friends,” Jase explained.

Soon after they graduated, Jase joined the National Guard and lost touch with Summer. But two years ago they became reacquainted, went on a date and sparks ignited. Jase said, “Watched a thunderstorm, we both just talked about how we hated thunder and lightning and then I went camping with her family the next day.”

At that time, the couple began to care for Summer’s three-year-old daughter, Portia. They were sure they wanted more. “My step-daughter is just amazing so that makes me want to have more of them,” Jase said.

But one phone call put their growing family on hold at what was already a difficult time.

Jase said, “We had a second-trimester miscarriage and we’re dealing with the emotions that go on with that and all of a sudden I find out that ‘yep, you’re deploying in a year.'”

Jase would be deploying to Somalia and Djibouti to support operations in the area come October 2019. He would be gone for nearly a year.

Before that would happen though, the Deemer’s received a special gift. “Then, three months later, find out Summer’s pregnant, so at least I’ll be here for the birth,” Jase said.

It isn’t easy leaving the family they worked so hard to create but they believe this is the right time. “No better time if I have to deploy in her life then right now cause she’s not going to remember me being gone,” Jase said.

While they’re surrounded by an amazing support system, there are moments that will be hard to miss—the ones a beginning family cherishes. “It is a bummer that I’m going to miss out on the first birthday and the first steps and that sort of stuff but I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Jase said.

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