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News Release

Oregon Air National Guard Hand Crews Continue Wildfire Fight At Grasshopper Fire (Photo) - 08/09/26

TYGH VALLEY, Ore. — Oregon Air National Guard hand crews moved into their second day of wildland firefighting operations Aug. 9, 2026, shifting from structure protection to mop-up, monitoring and patrol of existing containment lines on the Grasshopper Fire.
Chief Master Sgt. Brian Brown, 173rd Fighter Wing, is on his fourth major wildfire deployment in his approximately 26 years of service. He said the mission reflects why he became a Guardsman in the first place.
"We can, in a military capacity, support our state and see the effects that we have to assist the state," Brown said. "That community connection and the commitment that we have to our state is really what it's about to be a Guardsman."
The Guard crews are working closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry's liaison to the National Guard and with contracted crew bosses assigned to oversee day-to-day fireline work.
Brown said the Grasshopper Fire's proximity to a metropolitan area sets this deployment apart from past fires he's supported.
"We're not out in the middle of nowhere where people don't care," Brown said. "We're closer to the communities, so just seeing that, it's different."
On the crews' first day, airmen worked structure protection, wrapping buildings, signage, bathrooms and even bridges with fire-resistant material to help them withstand the fire if it reached them. Sean Hunt, a crew boss with the Coos Forest Protection Association based in Coos Bay, said the work is guided closely by fire resource advisors who identify which structures and sites are worth protecting.
"We're working real closely with the resource advisors, so they're the ones that are kind of pinpointing these values at risk," Hunt said. "Yesterday there were multiple structures, signage, bathrooms. We even did a couple bridges that they wanted to keep."
Daniel Schroth, a crew boss with California's smokejumper program who traveled to Oregon to support the mission when fire activity slowed in California, said crew bosses like himself and fellow smokejumper Giovanni Carranza are brought in to help lead crews like the Guard's hand teams during high-demand periods.
"If it's slow in California and there's no lightning or anything like that, we'll single resource out," Schroth said. "We'll go out and help as a crew boss or a task force or a division on fire."
For many of the airmen, this is their first experience on a wildfire. Tech Sgt. Slade McCord, an avionics technician with the 173rd Fighter Wing, said the first day gave him a new appreciation for the work.
"It was quite the experience just to see kind of the logistical things that go into it, the things that you don't think of, and just the extent to which we're ready to protect as much as we can," McCord said. "We're definitely doing the best we can to keep Oregon's parks nice and safe."
McCord, who volunteered for the mission, said his family was initially anxious but supportive.
"They were definitely stressed when I told them, and of course they're worried about me, but they know that we're in good hands," McCord said. "It's great to get back to the community, to experience something that not a lot of people get to see."
 
 
Released Photos:
260808-Z-A3543-1001
Oregon Air National Guard hand crew members prepare to load up before deploying to the fire line in support of structure protection efforts on the Grasshopper Fire near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 8, 2026.
(Photo courtesy of Chief Master Sgt. Brian Brown, 173rd Fighter Wing)
260809-Z-ZJ128-1001
Oregon Air National Guard hand crew leadership and wildland firefighting personnel attend a morning operational briefing at the Grasshopper Fire camp near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 9, 2026, ahead of the second day of Oregon National Guard support to the fire.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260809-Z-ZJ128-1002
Airmen with the 173rd Fighter Wing gather near a supply vehicle at the Grasshopper Fire camp near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 9, 2026, as Oregon Air National Guard hand crews prepared for their second day of wildland firefighting operations.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260809-Z-ZJ128-1003
Giovanni Carranza, a crew boss with the California Smokejumpers, briefs Oregon Air National Guard hand crew members on their assignment for the day using a fire map at the Grasshopper Fire camp near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 9, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260808-Z-A3543-1001, 260809-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260809-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260809-Z-ZJ128-1003,

Oregon Air National Guard Hand Crews Continue Wildfire Fight At Grasshopper Fire (Photo) - 08/09/26

TYGH VALLEY, Ore. — Oregon Air National Guard hand crews moved into their second day of wildland firefighting operations Aug. 9, 2026, shifting from structure protection to mop-up, monitoring and patrol of existing containment lines on the Grasshopper Fire.
Chief Master Sgt. Brian Brown, 173rd Fighter Wing, is on his fourth major wildfire deployment in his approximately 26 years of service. He said the mission reflects why he became a Guardsman in the first place.
"We can, in a military capacity, support our state and see the effects that we have to assist the state," Brown said. "That community connection and the commitment that we have to our state is really what it's about to be a Guardsman."
The Guard crews are working closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry's liaison to the National Guard and with contracted crew bosses assigned to oversee day-to-day fireline work.
Brown said the Grasshopper Fire's proximity to a metropolitan area sets this deployment apart from past fires he's supported.
"We're not out in the middle of nowhere where people don't care," Brown said. "We're closer to the communities, so just seeing that, it's different."
On the crews' first day, airmen worked structure protection, wrapping buildings, signage, bathrooms and even bridges with fire-resistant material to help them withstand the fire if it reached them. Sean Hunt, a crew boss with the Coos Forest Protection Association based in Coos Bay, said the work is guided closely by fire resource advisors who identify which structures and sites are worth protecting.
"We're working real closely with the resource advisors, so they're the ones that are kind of pinpointing these values at risk," Hunt said. "Yesterday there were multiple structures, signage, bathrooms. We even did a couple bridges that they wanted to keep."
Daniel Schroth, a crew boss with California's smokejumper program who traveled to Oregon to support the mission when fire activity slowed in California, said crew bosses like himself and fellow smokejumper Giovanni Carranza are brought in to help lead crews like the Guard's hand teams during high-demand periods.
"If it's slow in California and there's no lightning or anything like that, we'll single resource out," Schroth said. "We'll go out and help as a crew boss or a task force or a division on fire."
For many of the airmen, this is their first experience on a wildfire. Tech Sgt. Slade McCord, an avionics technician with the 173rd Fighter Wing, said the first day gave him a new appreciation for the work.
"It was quite the experience just to see kind of the logistical things that go into it, the things that you don't think of, and just the extent to which we're ready to protect as much as we can," McCord said. "We're definitely doing the best we can to keep Oregon's parks nice and safe."
McCord, who volunteered for the mission, said his family was initially anxious but supportive.
"They were definitely stressed when I told them, and of course they're worried about me, but they know that we're in good hands," McCord said. "It's great to get back to the community, to experience something that not a lot of people get to see."
 
 
Released Photos:
260808-Z-A3543-1001
Oregon Air National Guard hand crew members prepare to load up before deploying to the fire line in support of structure protection efforts on the Grasshopper Fire near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 8, 2026.
(Photo courtesy of Chief Master Sgt. Brian Brown, 173rd Fighter Wing)
260809-Z-ZJ128-1001
Oregon Air National Guard hand crew leadership and wildland firefighting personnel attend a morning operational briefing at the Grasshopper Fire camp near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 9, 2026, ahead of the second day of Oregon National Guard support to the fire.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260809-Z-ZJ128-1002
Airmen with the 173rd Fighter Wing gather near a supply vehicle at the Grasshopper Fire camp near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 9, 2026, as Oregon Air National Guard hand crews prepared for their second day of wildland firefighting operations.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260809-Z-ZJ128-1003
Giovanni Carranza, a crew boss with the California Smokejumpers, briefs Oregon Air National Guard hand crew members on their assignment for the day using a fire map at the Grasshopper Fire camp near Tygh Valley, Ore., Aug. 9, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260808-Z-A3543-1001, 260809-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260809-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260809-Z-ZJ128-1003,

Oregon Air National Guard Hand Crews Activated To Fight Grasshopper Fire (Photo) - 08/07/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Air National Guard activated 44 Airmen Aug. 7, 2026, to support wildland firefighting on the Grasshopper Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest, marking the first time in the organization's history that Air National Guard personnel have led the state's ground firefighting response.

 

"The Oregon National Guard embodies the very best of Oregon – service, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to protecting our communities,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “This activation today reflects our shared resolve to stand together this wildfire season and safeguard the people and places we love."

 

Two 22-person hand crews, one from the 142nd Wing at Portland Air National Guard Base and one from the 173rd Fighter Wing in Klamath Falls, mobilized today at Anderson Readiness Center in Salem before heading to a fire camp near the Warm Springs area, though the exact location may shift as the fire's footprint changes.

 

Col. Ryan Barton, deputy commander of the Oregon Joint Domestic Operations Command, said the Oregon Department of Forestry requested the additional ground teams after its own firefighting resources were nearly exhausted.

 

"Every year it's a really unique thing for the partnership between Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon National Guard to make sure that we're there to be ready to assist when needed," Barton said. "This year is really unique also because normally we'll have the Army ground teams go out first, but the Oregon Air National Guard is the first two teams out the door."

 

Barton said the mission is expected to last 14 days, with two additional Air National Guard teams on standby if the fire requires further support, followed by Army National Guard ground teams if the mission continues to grow.

 

As of Aug. 7, approximately 80 Oregon National Guard members were activated in support of the state's wildfire response, including one HH-60M helicopter supporting search and rescue medevac operations, two HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and two CH-47 Chinook helicopters flying water bucket missions. Those aircraft have completed 237 water bucket drops, delivering approximately 256,150 gallons of water on Oregon wildfires.

 

Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Oregon's Adjutant General, addressed the departing Airmen before they left for fire camp, calling the moment a significant one for the state.

 

"This is one of the worst fire seasons Oregon's had in a long time," Gronewold said. "People are losing their homes and their property, and you are going out there to help protect those Oregonians, protect our citizens, and that's part of our job."

 

Gronewold said the mission reflects a new milestone for the organization.

 

"This is huge for Oregon citizens to see their National Guard going out and fighting wildland fires," Gronewold said. "It's probably the first time ever that the Air National Guard has led the way on hand crews. Thank you to both wings for stepping up and doing this."

 

Command Chief Master Sgt. Brent Cavanias, Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Oregon National Guard, told the Airmen their work carries weight beyond the fire line.

 

"Your presence out there is reassuring to Oregonians," Cavanias said. "There's high confidence and trust in the National Guard, and what you do out there is important."

 

 

Released B-Roll Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1018025/oregon-air-national-guard-hand-crews-activated-fight-grasshopper-fire

 

Released Photos:

260807-Z-ZJ128-1001
Oregon Air National Guard airmen with the 142nd Wing and 173rd Fighter Wing arrive by charter bus at Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026, to begin Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration ahead of deploying as part of two 22-person hand crews supporting wildland firefighting efforts on the Grasshopper Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260807-Z-ZJ128-1002
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jon Hotchkiss welcomes Oregon Air National Guard airmen to a State Active Duty personnel briefing during Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration at Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026, ahead of their deployment to support wildland firefighting efforts on the Grasshopper Fire.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260807-Z-ZJ128-1003
U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Barton, deputy commander of the Oregon Joint Domestic Operations Command, addresses Oregon Air National Guard airmen before a State Active Duty personnel briefing during Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration in Salem, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026, ahead of their deployment to support wildland firefighting efforts on the Grasshopper Fire.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260807-Z-ZJ128-1005
Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Oregon's adjutant general, holds up two fingers to signify the two hand crews activated Aug. 7, 2026, while explaining to Oregon Air National Guard airmen how additional Air and Army Guard crews would be composed if further support is needed, during a State Active Duty personnel briefing in Salem, Ore.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

2026 Wildfire-Response.pdf

Attached Media Files: 260807-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260807-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260807-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260807-Z-ZJ128-1005, 2026 Wildfire-Response.pdf,

Oregon Air National Guard Hand Crews Activated To Fight Grasshopper Fire (Photo) - 08/07/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Air National Guard activated 44 Airmen Aug. 7, 2026, to support wildland firefighting on the Grasshopper Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest, marking the first time in the organization's history that Air National Guard personnel have led the state's ground firefighting response.

 

"The Oregon National Guard embodies the very best of Oregon – service, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to protecting our communities,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “This activation today reflects our shared resolve to stand together this wildfire season and safeguard the people and places we love."

 

Two 22-person hand crews, one from the 142nd Wing at Portland Air National Guard Base and one from the 173rd Fighter Wing in Klamath Falls, mobilized today at Anderson Readiness Center in Salem before heading to a fire camp near the Warm Springs area, though the exact location may shift as the fire's footprint changes.

 

Col. Ryan Barton, deputy commander of the Oregon Joint Domestic Operations Command, said the Oregon Department of Forestry requested the additional ground teams after its own firefighting resources were nearly exhausted.

 

"Every year it's a really unique thing for the partnership between Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon National Guard to make sure that we're there to be ready to assist when needed," Barton said. "This year is really unique also because normally we'll have the Army ground teams go out first, but the Oregon Air National Guard is the first two teams out the door."

 

Barton said the mission is expected to last 14 days, with two additional Air National Guard teams on standby if the fire requires further support, followed by Army National Guard ground teams if the mission continues to grow.

 

As of Aug. 7, approximately 80 Oregon National Guard members were activated in support of the state's wildfire response, including one HH-60M helicopter supporting search and rescue medevac operations, two HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and two CH-47 Chinook helicopters flying water bucket missions. Those aircraft have completed 237 water bucket drops, delivering approximately 256,150 gallons of water on Oregon wildfires.

 

Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Oregon's Adjutant General, addressed the departing Airmen before they left for fire camp, calling the moment a significant one for the state.

 

"This is one of the worst fire seasons Oregon's had in a long time," Gronewold said. "People are losing their homes and their property, and you are going out there to help protect those Oregonians, protect our citizens, and that's part of our job."

 

Gronewold said the mission reflects a new milestone for the organization.

 

"This is huge for Oregon citizens to see their National Guard going out and fighting wildland fires," Gronewold said. "It's probably the first time ever that the Air National Guard has led the way on hand crews. Thank you to both wings for stepping up and doing this."

 

Command Chief Master Sgt. Brent Cavanias, Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Oregon National Guard, told the Airmen their work carries weight beyond the fire line.

 

"Your presence out there is reassuring to Oregonians," Cavanias said. "There's high confidence and trust in the National Guard, and what you do out there is important."

 

 

Released B-Roll Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1018025/oregon-air-national-guard-hand-crews-activated-fight-grasshopper-fire

 

Released Photos:

260807-Z-ZJ128-1001
Oregon Air National Guard airmen with the 142nd Wing and 173rd Fighter Wing arrive by charter bus at Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026, to begin Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration ahead of deploying as part of two 22-person hand crews supporting wildland firefighting efforts on the Grasshopper Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260807-Z-ZJ128-1002
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jon Hotchkiss welcomes Oregon Air National Guard airmen to a State Active Duty personnel briefing during Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration at Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026, ahead of their deployment to support wildland firefighting efforts on the Grasshopper Fire.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260807-Z-ZJ128-1003
U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Barton, deputy commander of the Oregon Joint Domestic Operations Command, addresses Oregon Air National Guard airmen before a State Active Duty personnel briefing during Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration in Salem, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026, ahead of their deployment to support wildland firefighting efforts on the Grasshopper Fire.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260807-Z-ZJ128-1005
Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Oregon's adjutant general, holds up two fingers to signify the two hand crews activated Aug. 7, 2026, while explaining to Oregon Air National Guard airmen how additional Air and Army Guard crews would be composed if further support is needed, during a State Active Duty personnel briefing in Salem, Ore.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

2026 Wildfire-Response.pdf

Attached Media Files: 260807-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260807-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260807-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260807-Z-ZJ128-1005, 2026 Wildfire-Response.pdf,

Oregon Guard Trains Near White City, Gives Community A Hands-on Look At Aug. 1 Event (Photo) - 08/06/26

WHITE CITY, Ore. — Dozens of Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers spent four days training at the Salt Creek Training Area here, July 30 to Aug. 2, 2026, and opened part of that training to the public Aug. 1, giving local recruiters and interested young adults a firsthand look at what a day of Army training looks like.

 

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment worked through weapons training, land navigation and small-unit drills in preparation for a demanding Army skills competition next year that tests Soldiers on core combat tasks. Because part of that training involved firing blank ammunition, the Oregon Military Department brought in wildland firefighters from Camp Rilea to stand by throughout the week as an added safety measure.

 

The Aug. 1 community event let visiting recruiters, students in the Guard's Recruit Sustainment Program and other interested young adults try out some of the same training the Soldiers had been running all week, including hands-on time with several Army weapons systems.

 

"This event was a great opportunity for future Soldiers to get hands-on training from Soldiers they will serve alongside in the future," said Sgt. 1st Class Erik Andreason, an Oregon Army National Guard recruiter based in Medford. "Some of the NCOs running the lanes were my enlistments over the last few years, some even graduated from the same high schools as the Soldiers enlisting now. They've grown into NCOs and officers, and now the Soldiers I enlisted are going to be responsible for raising the next generation of local troops."

 

The battalion closed out the training period Aug. 2 with a road march along the Bear Creek Greenway in Medford.

 

Jeremy Carver, the Oregon Military Department's deputy director of installations, said bringing in fire coverage for the training was simply part of looking out for the surrounding community.

 

"I called 1SG Warren to get the details and coordinated our fire coverage to prevent a wildfire from starting," Carver said.

 

Released Photos: 

Here are all four cutlines in order:

260731-Z-ZJ128-1001

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mychal Taylor, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, instructs Oregon Military Department wildland firefighters as they fire M249 Squad Automatic Weapons loaded with blank ammunition for familiarization at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., July 31, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260801-Z-ZJ128-1002

Recruit Sustainment Program members and Guard for a Day participants practice hand-and-arm signals during a class with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., Aug. 1, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260801-Z-ZJ128-1003

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Benjamen Rubio, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, instructs Giovanni Gonzalez, a Guard for a Day participant from Roseburg, Ore., on how to operate the M240 machine gun during training at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., Aug. 1, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260801-Z-ZJ128-1004

From left, Jordan Chandler, Matthew Kaye and Cotton Twonames, wildland firefighters with the Oregon Military Department, hold hand tools used to construct firelines at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., Aug. 1, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260731-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260801-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260801-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260801-Z-ZJ128-1004,

Oregon Guard Trains Near White City, Gives Community A Hands-on Look At Aug. 1 Event (Photo) - 08/06/26

WHITE CITY, Ore. — Dozens of Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers spent four days training at the Salt Creek Training Area here, July 30 to Aug. 2, 2026, and opened part of that training to the public Aug. 1, giving local recruiters and interested young adults a firsthand look at what a day of Army training looks like.

 

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment worked through weapons training, land navigation and small-unit drills in preparation for a demanding Army skills competition next year that tests Soldiers on core combat tasks. Because part of that training involved firing blank ammunition, the Oregon Military Department brought in wildland firefighters from Camp Rilea to stand by throughout the week as an added safety measure.

 

The Aug. 1 community event let visiting recruiters, students in the Guard's Recruit Sustainment Program and other interested young adults try out some of the same training the Soldiers had been running all week, including hands-on time with several Army weapons systems.

 

"This event was a great opportunity for future Soldiers to get hands-on training from Soldiers they will serve alongside in the future," said Sgt. 1st Class Erik Andreason, an Oregon Army National Guard recruiter based in Medford. "Some of the NCOs running the lanes were my enlistments over the last few years, some even graduated from the same high schools as the Soldiers enlisting now. They've grown into NCOs and officers, and now the Soldiers I enlisted are going to be responsible for raising the next generation of local troops."

 

The battalion closed out the training period Aug. 2 with a road march along the Bear Creek Greenway in Medford.

 

Jeremy Carver, the Oregon Military Department's deputy director of installations, said bringing in fire coverage for the training was simply part of looking out for the surrounding community.

 

"I called 1SG Warren to get the details and coordinated our fire coverage to prevent a wildfire from starting," Carver said.

 

Released Photos: 

Here are all four cutlines in order:

260731-Z-ZJ128-1001

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mychal Taylor, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, instructs Oregon Military Department wildland firefighters as they fire M249 Squad Automatic Weapons loaded with blank ammunition for familiarization at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., July 31, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260801-Z-ZJ128-1002

Recruit Sustainment Program members and Guard for a Day participants practice hand-and-arm signals during a class with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., Aug. 1, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260801-Z-ZJ128-1003

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Benjamen Rubio, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, instructs Giovanni Gonzalez, a Guard for a Day participant from Roseburg, Ore., on how to operate the M240 machine gun during training at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., Aug. 1, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260801-Z-ZJ128-1004

From left, Jordan Chandler, Matthew Kaye and Cotton Twonames, wildland firefighters with the Oregon Military Department, hold hand tools used to construct firelines at the Salt Creek Training Area near White City, Ore., Aug. 1, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260731-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260801-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260801-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260801-Z-ZJ128-1004,

Oregon Guard Aircrews Begin Water Bucket Missions On Eastern Oregon Wildfires (Photo) - 07/30/26

PENDLETON, Ore. — Two Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters and two HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters began water bucket operations July 29, 2026, in support of wildland firefighting efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, part of a broader Oregon National Guard response to the state's 2026 wildfire season.

 

As of July 29, the Hagen Fire had burned approximately 33,504 acres and was 3% contained, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Aircrews completed 44 water bucket drops that day, delivering approximately 50,070 gallons of water on the fire.

 

The aircraft are flying out of Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in Pendleton, home to the Oregon Army National Guard's CH-47 fleet, after the unit received its State Active Duty activation order and completed Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration July 28.

 

"Currently, we're activated on state active duty for forest fires, and we just got the activation yesterday," said Maj. Taylor Fry, operations officer for Army Aviation Support Facility #2. "We have two CH-47s and crews that are out fighting these fires, along with two Black Hawks ... conducting those water bucket drops for those forest fire activities to support our local community, to save land, to save livestock and to save homes."

 

Fry said coordination with the Oregon Department of Forestry and partner agencies has been close, aided this year by fire management support from California.

 

"We work very well with them and have for many years," Fry said. "We have a couple of representatives from Cal Fire up here this year, helping us out with our helicopter management and coordination with them ... We get our missions from them. We get our guidance from them, and they use us as best they can to support their mission."

 

Behind every aircraft in the air is a maintenance team working to keep it there. Staff Sgt. Amanda Hickman, an aircraft systems supervisor at AASF #2, oversees the ground crew responsible for keeping the Chinooks flight-ready, including the water buckets themselves.

 

"There's a lot that goes into making sure that our buckets are operational," Hickman said. "The mechanics spend a lot of time making sure that all of our faults are minimized the best that we can. I do a little bit of production control, so a lot goes into verifying how much time I have available on each aircraft, and then setting priorities for which aircraft can fly and how many hours each aircraft can fly."

 

Hickman, who has served in the Oregon Army National Guard for 20 years, said aircraft turnaround time depends heavily on parts availability, and keeping it fast is one of the least visible but most demanding parts of the mission.

 

"I like that the National Guard is being used for something to help our community, and so if I can play a part in helping the community, that's what I want to do," she said.

 

Once a Chinook is airborne, its crew chief takes on responsibility for the bucket itself. Sgt. Isaiah Torres, a Chinook crew chief, said the process starts well before the aircraft ever reaches a fire.

 

"It's almost the same as for any other flight, except you have to get the bucket ready," Torres said. "We get our bucket staged ... inspect the bucket, make sure valves are good. We do an op check before we actually take the bucket to the target site."

 

In flight, Torres said two crew members work in the back of the aircraft to guide the pilots over the fire and monitor the load.

 

"Once that bucket's over that fire, I release the trigger on a handle. Water dumps, water's away," Torres said. "We go back to the dip site. We get more water. Simple as that."

 

Torres, who has served as a crew chief for two years, said the mission carries a sense of purpose that training flights don't.

 

"It's better than just training flights. I think we're actually doing our job, which I enjoy," Torres said. "I've never been in a helicopter before the Army, so it's a pretty cool experience."

 

Fry said the biggest challenge of sustaining the mission isn't equipment or coordination, but people, Oregon Army National Guard members balancing the activation with civilian jobs and families during peak summer months.

 

"It takes our citizen Soldiers away from their full-time jobs and their families," Fry said. "But the best part about this organization is that everybody is willing to do that, and everybody is willing to give up their summers and their time to come and support this mission to support the state."

 

Fry added that the Guard members flying and maintaining the aircraft are, in many cases, the same people Oregonians see every day.

 

"These people are your neighbors. They're your friends," Fry said. "They're out here supporting you, supporting the state, and supporting our interests to keep the state safe and beautiful."

 

Gina Miner, Assistant Area Director for Oregon Department of Forestry's Eastern Oregon Area, said aircraft are expected to continue supporting firefighting efforts as long as they are needed, which will be based on conditions on the ground.

 

Released B-Roll Video:https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1016990/oregon-guard-aircrews-begin-water-bucket-missions-eastern-oregon-wildfires
 
Released Photos:
260729-Z-ZJ128-1001
Gina Miner, Oregon Department of Forestry assistant area director for the Eastern Oregon Area, briefs Oregon Army National Guard aircrews on daily fire operations at Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in Pendleton, Ore., July 29, 2026. Guard aircrews are flying CH-47 Chinook and HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in support of wildland firefighting efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1002
U.S. Army Sgt. Gage Hill, a CH-47 Chinook crew chief, monitors the aircraft's water bucket after filling it at a dip site near the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Ore., July 29, 2026. Hill and his flight crew are supporting wildland firefighting operations as part of the Oregon National Guard's response to Oregon's 2026 wildfire season.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1003
U.S. Army Sgt. Gage Hill, a CH-47 Chinook crew chief, sits ready in full flight gear inside the aircraft before takeoff on the second water bucket mission of the day in support of wildland firefighting efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Ore., July 29, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1004
Skyler Merritt, a Cal Fire helicopter manager, looks out from an Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter as it approaches the Hagen Fire near Pendleton, Ore., July 29, 2026. Cal Fire personnel are working alongside Oregon National Guard aircrews to help coordinate helicopter operations supporting Oregon's wildfire response.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1005
An Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter releases water from its aerial bucket onto the Hagen Fire near Pendleton, Ore., July 29, 2026. Oregon National Guard aircrews conducted water bucket missions throughout the day in support of Oregon's wildland firefighting response.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1006
An Oregon Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter returns to Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in Pendleton, Ore., carrying a water bucket July 29, 2026, in support of wildland firefighting operations on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1007
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Donald Ford, right, and Capt. Richard Duval pilot a CH-47 Chinook helicopter toward the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Ore., July 29, 2026, during water bucket operations in support of Oregon's wildfire response.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260729-Z-ZJ128-1007, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1004, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1005, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1006,

Oregon Guard Aircrews Begin Water Bucket Missions On Eastern Oregon Wildfires (Photo) - 07/30/26

PENDLETON, Ore. — Two Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters and two HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters began water bucket operations July 29, 2026, in support of wildland firefighting efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, part of a broader Oregon National Guard response to the state's 2026 wildfire season.

 

As of July 29, the Hagen Fire had burned approximately 33,504 acres and was 3% contained, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Aircrews completed 44 water bucket drops that day, delivering approximately 50,070 gallons of water on the fire.

 

The aircraft are flying out of Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in Pendleton, home to the Oregon Army National Guard's CH-47 fleet, after the unit received its State Active Duty activation order and completed Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration July 28.

 

"Currently, we're activated on state active duty for forest fires, and we just got the activation yesterday," said Maj. Taylor Fry, operations officer for Army Aviation Support Facility #2. "We have two CH-47s and crews that are out fighting these fires, along with two Black Hawks ... conducting those water bucket drops for those forest fire activities to support our local community, to save land, to save livestock and to save homes."

 

Fry said coordination with the Oregon Department of Forestry and partner agencies has been close, aided this year by fire management support from California.

 

"We work very well with them and have for many years," Fry said. "We have a couple of representatives from Cal Fire up here this year, helping us out with our helicopter management and coordination with them ... We get our missions from them. We get our guidance from them, and they use us as best they can to support their mission."

 

Behind every aircraft in the air is a maintenance team working to keep it there. Staff Sgt. Amanda Hickman, an aircraft systems supervisor at AASF #2, oversees the ground crew responsible for keeping the Chinooks flight-ready, including the water buckets themselves.

 

"There's a lot that goes into making sure that our buckets are operational," Hickman said. "The mechanics spend a lot of time making sure that all of our faults are minimized the best that we can. I do a little bit of production control, so a lot goes into verifying how much time I have available on each aircraft, and then setting priorities for which aircraft can fly and how many hours each aircraft can fly."

 

Hickman, who has served in the Oregon Army National Guard for 20 years, said aircraft turnaround time depends heavily on parts availability, and keeping it fast is one of the least visible but most demanding parts of the mission.

 

"I like that the National Guard is being used for something to help our community, and so if I can play a part in helping the community, that's what I want to do," she said.

 

Once a Chinook is airborne, its crew chief takes on responsibility for the bucket itself. Sgt. Isaiah Torres, a Chinook crew chief, said the process starts well before the aircraft ever reaches a fire.

 

"It's almost the same as for any other flight, except you have to get the bucket ready," Torres said. "We get our bucket staged ... inspect the bucket, make sure valves are good. We do an op check before we actually take the bucket to the target site."

 

In flight, Torres said two crew members work in the back of the aircraft to guide the pilots over the fire and monitor the load.

 

"Once that bucket's over that fire, I release the trigger on a handle. Water dumps, water's away," Torres said. "We go back to the dip site. We get more water. Simple as that."

 

Torres, who has served as a crew chief for two years, said the mission carries a sense of purpose that training flights don't.

 

"It's better than just training flights. I think we're actually doing our job, which I enjoy," Torres said. "I've never been in a helicopter before the Army, so it's a pretty cool experience."

 

Fry said the biggest challenge of sustaining the mission isn't equipment or coordination, but people, Oregon Army National Guard members balancing the activation with civilian jobs and families during peak summer months.

 

"It takes our citizen Soldiers away from their full-time jobs and their families," Fry said. "But the best part about this organization is that everybody is willing to do that, and everybody is willing to give up their summers and their time to come and support this mission to support the state."

 

Fry added that the Guard members flying and maintaining the aircraft are, in many cases, the same people Oregonians see every day.

 

"These people are your neighbors. They're your friends," Fry said. "They're out here supporting you, supporting the state, and supporting our interests to keep the state safe and beautiful."

 

Gina Miner, Assistant Area Director for Oregon Department of Forestry's Eastern Oregon Area, said aircraft are expected to continue supporting firefighting efforts as long as they are needed, which will be based on conditions on the ground.

 

Released B-Roll Video:https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1016990/oregon-guard-aircrews-begin-water-bucket-missions-eastern-oregon-wildfires
 
Released Photos:
260729-Z-ZJ128-1001
Gina Miner, Oregon Department of Forestry assistant area director for the Eastern Oregon Area, briefs Oregon Army National Guard aircrews on daily fire operations at Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in Pendleton, Ore., July 29, 2026. Guard aircrews are flying CH-47 Chinook and HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in support of wildland firefighting efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1002
U.S. Army Sgt. Gage Hill, a CH-47 Chinook crew chief, monitors the aircraft's water bucket after filling it at a dip site near the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Ore., July 29, 2026. Hill and his flight crew are supporting wildland firefighting operations as part of the Oregon National Guard's response to Oregon's 2026 wildfire season.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1003
U.S. Army Sgt. Gage Hill, a CH-47 Chinook crew chief, sits ready in full flight gear inside the aircraft before takeoff on the second water bucket mission of the day in support of wildland firefighting efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Ore., July 29, 2026.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1004
Skyler Merritt, a Cal Fire helicopter manager, looks out from an Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter as it approaches the Hagen Fire near Pendleton, Ore., July 29, 2026. Cal Fire personnel are working alongside Oregon National Guard aircrews to help coordinate helicopter operations supporting Oregon's wildfire response.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1005
An Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter releases water from its aerial bucket onto the Hagen Fire near Pendleton, Ore., July 29, 2026. Oregon National Guard aircrews conducted water bucket missions throughout the day in support of Oregon's wildland firefighting response.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1006
An Oregon Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter returns to Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in Pendleton, Ore., carrying a water bucket July 29, 2026, in support of wildland firefighting operations on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260729-Z-ZJ128-1007
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Donald Ford, right, and Capt. Richard Duval pilot a CH-47 Chinook helicopter toward the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Ore., July 29, 2026, during water bucket operations in support of Oregon's wildfire response.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260729-Z-ZJ128-1007, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1004, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1005, 260729-Z-ZJ128-1006,

Oregon National Guard Adds Firefighting Aircraft To Wildfire Response (Photo) - 07/28/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon National Guard activated approximately 20 additional service members and four helicopters July 28, 2026, expanding its support to Oregon's wildfire response with a new firefighting mission layered on top of an ongoing MEDEVAC support mission.
"It is all hands-on deck right now," Gov. Tina Kotek said. "As the Oregon National Guard moves in to assist our fire response agencies, I want to express my gratitude and support for their dedication in protecting Oregon communities."
Two HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters with Golf Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation, based in Salem, and two CH-47 Chinook helicopters with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, based in Pendleton, are converging on Pendleton to support suppression efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County. Both aircraft types will use water buckets for aerial suppression. Crews completed Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration at Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem and #2 in Pendleton today, with water bucket operations expected to begin as early as July 29.
The Oregon Army National Guard first activated for State Active Duty July 20 to provide a Search and Rescue MEDEVAC helicopter on standby in support of the Oregon Department of Forestry's wildfire response. That HH-60M Black Hawk and crew relocated to Pendleton roughly a week ago and continues to provide 24/7 emergency MEDEVAC response for the region.
Lt. Col. Nathan Edgecomb, the Oregon Army National Guard state aviation officer, said the Guard is preparing for a long fire season ahead.
"We expect this to be a long and hard fire season, so we're preparing for the worst," Edgecomb said. "We will continue to swap out crews as necessary to stay in the fight and help our fellow Oregonians protect life and property."
With today's activation, approximately 25 Oregon National Guard service members and five helicopters are now supporting Oregon's wildfire response.
"We're grateful to the Oregon National Guard for the ongoing partnership between our organizations through Ops Plan Smokey, which enables Oregon to deploy its National Guardsmen to a different kind of firefight," said State Forester Kacey KC, who is also director of the Oregon Department of Forestry. "Bringing these helicopters in to support our ground resources wouldn't have been possible without the overhead personnel from California and Nevada. They volunteered to come here and provide much needed management capacity so we can get more resources in the air."
Released photos:
200915-Z-NJ272-003
An Oregon Army Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter empties a water bucket onto flames on the Brattain Fire on September 15, 2020 near Paisley, Ore. Two Army Guard Black Hawks, headquartered out of Salem, Ore. are currently assigned to the fire. The helicopters concentrated on dumping water buckets on the north perimeter of the fire in coordination with other aircraft supporting wildland firefighting efforts. (National Guard photo by Maj. Leslie Reed, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs).
260720-Z-ZJ128-1001
U.S. Army Sgt. James Gale, a crew chief with Golf Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation, secures equipment inside an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter at Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem, Ore., July 20, 2026, as the aircraft and crew prepared for search and rescue medevac support in response to Oregon's wildfire season.(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260728-Z-ZJ128-1001
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Nathan Edgecomb, the Oregon Army National Guard state aviation officer, briefs incoming aviation crew members during a State Active Duty personnel briefing at Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem, Ore., July 28, 2026. The crews were preparing to join the Oregon National Guard's wildfire support mission, which includes helicopter suppression operations near the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County.(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 200915-Z-NJ272-003, 260720-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260728-Z-ZJ128-1001,

Oregon National Guard Adds Firefighting Aircraft To Wildfire Response (Photo) - 07/28/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon National Guard activated approximately 20 additional service members and four helicopters July 28, 2026, expanding its support to Oregon's wildfire response with a new firefighting mission layered on top of an ongoing MEDEVAC support mission.
"It is all hands-on deck right now," Gov. Tina Kotek said. "As the Oregon National Guard moves in to assist our fire response agencies, I want to express my gratitude and support for their dedication in protecting Oregon communities."
Two HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters with Golf Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation, based in Salem, and two CH-47 Chinook helicopters with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, based in Pendleton, are converging on Pendleton to support suppression efforts on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County. Both aircraft types will use water buckets for aerial suppression. Crews completed Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration at Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem and #2 in Pendleton today, with water bucket operations expected to begin as early as July 29.
The Oregon Army National Guard first activated for State Active Duty July 20 to provide a Search and Rescue MEDEVAC helicopter on standby in support of the Oregon Department of Forestry's wildfire response. That HH-60M Black Hawk and crew relocated to Pendleton roughly a week ago and continues to provide 24/7 emergency MEDEVAC response for the region.
Lt. Col. Nathan Edgecomb, the Oregon Army National Guard state aviation officer, said the Guard is preparing for a long fire season ahead.
"We expect this to be a long and hard fire season, so we're preparing for the worst," Edgecomb said. "We will continue to swap out crews as necessary to stay in the fight and help our fellow Oregonians protect life and property."
With today's activation, approximately 25 Oregon National Guard service members and five helicopters are now supporting Oregon's wildfire response.
"We're grateful to the Oregon National Guard for the ongoing partnership between our organizations through Ops Plan Smokey, which enables Oregon to deploy its National Guardsmen to a different kind of firefight," said State Forester Kacey KC, who is also director of the Oregon Department of Forestry. "Bringing these helicopters in to support our ground resources wouldn't have been possible without the overhead personnel from California and Nevada. They volunteered to come here and provide much needed management capacity so we can get more resources in the air."
Released photos:
200915-Z-NJ272-003
An Oregon Army Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter empties a water bucket onto flames on the Brattain Fire on September 15, 2020 near Paisley, Ore. Two Army Guard Black Hawks, headquartered out of Salem, Ore. are currently assigned to the fire. The helicopters concentrated on dumping water buckets on the north perimeter of the fire in coordination with other aircraft supporting wildland firefighting efforts. (National Guard photo by Maj. Leslie Reed, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs).
260720-Z-ZJ128-1001
U.S. Army Sgt. James Gale, a crew chief with Golf Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation, secures equipment inside an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter at Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem, Ore., July 20, 2026, as the aircraft and crew prepared for search and rescue medevac support in response to Oregon's wildfire season.(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
260728-Z-ZJ128-1001
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Nathan Edgecomb, the Oregon Army National Guard state aviation officer, briefs incoming aviation crew members during a State Active Duty personnel briefing at Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem, Ore., July 28, 2026. The crews were preparing to join the Oregon National Guard's wildfire support mission, which includes helicopter suppression operations near the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County.(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 200915-Z-NJ272-003, 260720-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260728-Z-ZJ128-1001,

Southern Oregon Employers Get A Look At Guard Service During Boss Lift Flight (Photo) - 07/22/26

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – The battalion commander welcoming employers to the Grants Pass armory July 11 wasn't just speaking on behalf of his Soldiers. He was speaking as an employee himself.

 

"From the perspective of someone who's done this for 26 years as a traditional Soldier and a civilian employee, I want you to know that support means more to me and to us than you can know," said Lt. Col. Joshua Rapp, commander of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, who works as a project manager for Knife River in his civilian career. "I couldn't have done it without Knife River, my employer. I probably would have gotten out a long time ago."

 

Representatives of Knife River were among roughly 20 civilian employers who participated in the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift, which paired an armory tour and static displays with a CH-47 Chinook helicopter flight over southern Oregon and Upper Klamath Lake. Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, based in Pendleton, Oregon, provided the aircraft and crew.

 

The event was hosted by Oregon ESGR's Area Four, which covers southern Oregon from Roseburg to the California border and west to the coast. Rather than filling seats first come, first served, organizers this year invited employers with a track record of supporting their Guard and Reserve employees.

 

"We went back and looked at our records for the last two and a half years and determined who were distinguished employers," said Richard Thibodo, ESGR Area Four chair. "All of you have either received a Patriot Award or are about to receive one."

 

Among them was Mercy Flights, the Medford-based ambulance service, which employs several Oregon National Guard members, including Soldiers who recently returned from an overseas deployment with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment.

 

"They're leaders in our organization," said Sheila Clough, chief executive officer of Mercy Flights. "They show up. They're committed. Diligence, professionalism. I'll take as many Guardsmen as I can get on our team. They're incredible representatives."

 

Midway through the flight, the aircraft also hosted a milestone: Capt. Nolan Chandler reenlisted Spc. Daniel Pappalardo, both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, high above the southern Oregon landscape.

 

Employers were invited to sign ESGR Statements of Support, pledging their commitment to the service of their Guard and Reserve employees.

"This gives you a little bit of a glimpse into what your employees do," Rapp said. "It's just a small part, but a little glimpse into what they do when they come to training and when called to serve the state and country."

 

Released B-Roll Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1015789/boss-lift-gives-southern-oregon-employers-look-guard-service

 

Released Photos: 

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1001

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Lt. Col. Joshua Rapp, commander of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, who works as a project manager for Knife River in his civilian career, welcomes civilian employers during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass armory in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. Representatives of Knife River were among the employers attending the event, which gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service, including a CH-47 Chinook flight over southern Oregon. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1002

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – A crew chief assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, conducts post-landing checks on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter after arriving at the Grants Pass Airport, adjacent to the Grants Pass armory, in support of an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The Pendleton, Oregon-based aviation unit provided the aircraft and crew for the event, which gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1003

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Civilian employers and their Oregon National Guard member employees sit aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter prior to takeoff during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass Airport in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service, including a flight over southern Oregon and Upper Klamath Lake. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1004

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Capt. Nolan Chandler congratulates Spc. Daniel Pappalardo, both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, following Pappalardo's in-flight reenlistment aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift over southern Oregon, July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1005

Staff Sgt. Joshua Murdenline, assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, explains the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) mounted with an M2 .50-caliber machine gun to Benjamin Busey, deputy associate director of patient care services for VA Southern Oregon health care, during a static display at an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass armory in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service. (Oregon National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1006

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Civilian employers and their Oregon National Guard member employees line up alongside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter following a safety brief and prior to boarding during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass Airport in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service, including a flight over southern Oregon and Upper Klamath Lake. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260711-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1004, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1005, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1006,

Southern Oregon Employers Get A Look At Guard Service During Boss Lift Flight (Photo) - 07/22/26

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – The battalion commander welcoming employers to the Grants Pass armory July 11 wasn't just speaking on behalf of his Soldiers. He was speaking as an employee himself.

 

"From the perspective of someone who's done this for 26 years as a traditional Soldier and a civilian employee, I want you to know that support means more to me and to us than you can know," said Lt. Col. Joshua Rapp, commander of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, who works as a project manager for Knife River in his civilian career. "I couldn't have done it without Knife River, my employer. I probably would have gotten out a long time ago."

 

Representatives of Knife River were among roughly 20 civilian employers who participated in the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift, which paired an armory tour and static displays with a CH-47 Chinook helicopter flight over southern Oregon and Upper Klamath Lake. Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, based in Pendleton, Oregon, provided the aircraft and crew.

 

The event was hosted by Oregon ESGR's Area Four, which covers southern Oregon from Roseburg to the California border and west to the coast. Rather than filling seats first come, first served, organizers this year invited employers with a track record of supporting their Guard and Reserve employees.

 

"We went back and looked at our records for the last two and a half years and determined who were distinguished employers," said Richard Thibodo, ESGR Area Four chair. "All of you have either received a Patriot Award or are about to receive one."

 

Among them was Mercy Flights, the Medford-based ambulance service, which employs several Oregon National Guard members, including Soldiers who recently returned from an overseas deployment with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment.

 

"They're leaders in our organization," said Sheila Clough, chief executive officer of Mercy Flights. "They show up. They're committed. Diligence, professionalism. I'll take as many Guardsmen as I can get on our team. They're incredible representatives."

 

Midway through the flight, the aircraft also hosted a milestone: Capt. Nolan Chandler reenlisted Spc. Daniel Pappalardo, both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, high above the southern Oregon landscape.

 

Employers were invited to sign ESGR Statements of Support, pledging their commitment to the service of their Guard and Reserve employees.

"This gives you a little bit of a glimpse into what your employees do," Rapp said. "It's just a small part, but a little glimpse into what they do when they come to training and when called to serve the state and country."

 

Released B-Roll Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1015789/boss-lift-gives-southern-oregon-employers-look-guard-service

 

Released Photos: 

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1001

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Lt. Col. Joshua Rapp, commander of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, who works as a project manager for Knife River in his civilian career, welcomes civilian employers during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass armory in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. Representatives of Knife River were among the employers attending the event, which gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service, including a CH-47 Chinook flight over southern Oregon. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1002

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – A crew chief assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, conducts post-landing checks on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter after arriving at the Grants Pass Airport, adjacent to the Grants Pass armory, in support of an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The Pendleton, Oregon-based aviation unit provided the aircraft and crew for the event, which gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1003

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Civilian employers and their Oregon National Guard member employees sit aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter prior to takeoff during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass Airport in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service, including a flight over southern Oregon and Upper Klamath Lake. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1004

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Capt. Nolan Chandler congratulates Spc. Daniel Pappalardo, both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, following Pappalardo's in-flight reenlistment aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift over southern Oregon, July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1005

Staff Sgt. Joshua Murdenline, assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, explains the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) mounted with an M2 .50-caliber machine gun to Benjamin Busey, deputy associate director of patient care services for VA Southern Oregon health care, during a static display at an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass armory in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service. (Oregon National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne)

 

260711-Z-ZJ128-1006

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Civilian employers and their Oregon National Guard member employees line up alongside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter following a safety brief and prior to boarding during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift at the Grants Pass Airport in Grants Pass, Ore., July 11, 2026. The event gave employers of Oregon National Guard members assigned to 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 173rd Fighter Wing a firsthand look at their employees' military service, including a flight over southern Oregon and Upper Klamath Lake. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260711-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1003, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1004, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1005, 260711-Z-ZJ128-1006,

OSU Archaeology Field School Uncovers Layers Of History At Najaf Training Center (Photo) - 07/16/26

NAJAF TRAINING CENTER, Ore. — The elk found it first. Bedding down beneath the hazel trees on a wooded hillside here, the animals churned up ground that had rested undisturbed for generations, and when Oregon State University archaeologists walked the site, stone flakes left by Indigenous toolmakers were lying exposed in the elk beds.

 

"We knew that there had been sites recorded from the '90s, but nothing was recorded down in here," said Andrew Pauly, a second-year master's student in archaeology at Oregon State University helping teach the field school. "We got here, and there's a rodent burrow with a flake in it. We found dozens of flakes in the elk beds. They really did us a favor."

 

That chance discovery is now one of the focal points of a new archaeology field school underway at Najaf Training Center, a roughly 527-acre military training area about 10 miles north of Corvallis, Oregon. The four-week intensive course, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and Oregon State University, brings undergraduate and graduate students onto the land to learn professional archaeological methods while helping the department meet its federal cultural resources responsibilities.

 

On July 14, 2026, students spread across the hillside were excavating test units, screening soil and documenting artifacts on ground that has proven far richer than anyone anticipated.

 

"We're finding cultural materials in places that aren't sites, and as we're trying to further expand the site boundaries, it just keeps going," said Dr. Molly Carney, an assistant professor of anthropology at Oregon State University and the field school's instructor. "We can't really find the ends. The entire hillside is probably a cultural place."

 

The property, which is federal land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and licensed to the Oregon Military Department for military training, was first surveyed in the 1990s, when archaeologists identified 10 sites across the wooded hillside. The area holds what Carney described as a multi-component site, containing both pre-contact Indigenous materials and the historic homestead of Greenberry Smith, an early settler who claimed land there. In the field school's first month, students have recovered roughly a dozen projectile points along with ground stone tools, stone flakes and historic-era glass and ceramics.

 

The work directly supports the Oregon Military Department's obligations under federal historic preservation law. The department needs to thin the forest and clear invasive vegetation to make the terrain more usable for Soldier training, and before that can happen, it must determine whether the archaeological sites are significant and how they might be affected.

 

"Part of our federal responsibility is to determine, are these sites important, and if they are, are our actions going to impact them? And if they are going to be impacted, how do we mitigate that effect?" said Matt Diederich, environmental branch chief for the Oregon Military Department. "It all stems to forest management. That's the goal, to better manage the forest here."

 

Joshua Henderson, cultural resources manager for the Oregon Military Department, said the findings will eventually be evaluated for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and the appropriate Tribes.

 

That consultation runs throughout the project. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, along with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, maintain ancestral connections to the Willamette Valley. Grand Ronde representatives have visited the field school weekly to share their perspective with students, including their preference for the term "belongings" rather than "artifacts" when describing recovered items.

 

"This isn't just a data point," said Michael Lewis, senior archaeologist for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. "This is a place on a cultural landscape with memory, continuing practice on the landscape, and a connection to the past."

 

For Carney, that spirit of partnership defines the field school. During a recent week of geophysical survey training, she looked around at lunch and saw agency archaeologists, private-sector archaeologists, Tribal specialists and academics all working side by side.

 

"That's really what the field school is all about," she said. "It's about collaboration, about moving into the future while also thinking about the past, and training folks to explore different career opportunities related to cultural resource management or heritage more broadly."

 

For at least one student, the setting carries a personal connection. Nathan McCaslin, an undergraduate archaeology student, previously served in the Oregon Army National Guard, where he supported training operations across the state. His interest in the field was sparked in part by the cultural resources at Biak Training Center in Central Oregon, where remnants of World War II-era training still rest on the surface of the high desert landscape. He used military education benefits to pursue his degree.

 

"I think there's a lot of work out there to maintain the memory of those things," McCaslin said, "because we might not have them in the future."

 

The field school continues through the summer, with additional seasons planned in different portions of the hillside over the next two years. Wherever the students dig next, the ground beneath Najaf Training Center seems ready to keep offering up its history, with or without the elk's help.

 

Released B-Roll Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1015015/oregon-military-department-osu-partnership-turns-training-site-into-archaeology-classroom

 

Released Photos: 

 

260714-Z-ZJ128-1001

Oregon State University archaeology student Rebecca Chastain, left, brushes soil from a test unit as fellow student Caden Gonzales records field notes during the OSU Archaeology Field School at Najaf Training Center, Ore., July 14, 2026. The four-week field school, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and OSU, trains students in professional archaeological methods while supporting the department's cultural resources responsibilities ahead of planned forest management. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260714-Z-ZJ128-1002

Oregon State University archaeology student Nathan McCaslin, a former Oregon Army National Guard Soldier, screens excavated soil for cultural materials during the OSU Archaeology Field School at Najaf Training Center, Ore., July 14, 2026. Students use wood-framed screens to sift soil from test units, recovering stone flakes, tools and historic-era items too small to spot during excavation. The four-week field school, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and OSU, trains students in professional archaeological methods while supporting the department's cultural resources responsibilities ahead of planned forest management. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260714-Z-ZJ128-1003

Oregon State University Archaeology Field School students document a test unit as Andrew Pauly, standing, a graduate teaching assistant, photographs the excavation at Najaf Training Center, Ore., July 14, 2026. Students initially discovered the site while conducting a pedestrian survey of the area, spotting dozens of stone flakes exposed in nearby elk bedding areas. The four-week field school, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and OSU, trains students in professional archaeological methods while supporting the department's cultural resources responsibilities ahead of planned forest management. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260714-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260714-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260714-Z-ZJ128-1003,

OSU Archaeology Field School Uncovers Layers Of History At Najaf Training Center (Photo) - 07/16/26

NAJAF TRAINING CENTER, Ore. — The elk found it first. Bedding down beneath the hazel trees on a wooded hillside here, the animals churned up ground that had rested undisturbed for generations, and when Oregon State University archaeologists walked the site, stone flakes left by Indigenous toolmakers were lying exposed in the elk beds.

 

"We knew that there had been sites recorded from the '90s, but nothing was recorded down in here," said Andrew Pauly, a second-year master's student in archaeology at Oregon State University helping teach the field school. "We got here, and there's a rodent burrow with a flake in it. We found dozens of flakes in the elk beds. They really did us a favor."

 

That chance discovery is now one of the focal points of a new archaeology field school underway at Najaf Training Center, a roughly 527-acre military training area about 10 miles north of Corvallis, Oregon. The four-week intensive course, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and Oregon State University, brings undergraduate and graduate students onto the land to learn professional archaeological methods while helping the department meet its federal cultural resources responsibilities.

 

On July 14, 2026, students spread across the hillside were excavating test units, screening soil and documenting artifacts on ground that has proven far richer than anyone anticipated.

 

"We're finding cultural materials in places that aren't sites, and as we're trying to further expand the site boundaries, it just keeps going," said Dr. Molly Carney, an assistant professor of anthropology at Oregon State University and the field school's instructor. "We can't really find the ends. The entire hillside is probably a cultural place."

 

The property, which is federal land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and licensed to the Oregon Military Department for military training, was first surveyed in the 1990s, when archaeologists identified 10 sites across the wooded hillside. The area holds what Carney described as a multi-component site, containing both pre-contact Indigenous materials and the historic homestead of Greenberry Smith, an early settler who claimed land there. In the field school's first month, students have recovered roughly a dozen projectile points along with ground stone tools, stone flakes and historic-era glass and ceramics.

 

The work directly supports the Oregon Military Department's obligations under federal historic preservation law. The department needs to thin the forest and clear invasive vegetation to make the terrain more usable for Soldier training, and before that can happen, it must determine whether the archaeological sites are significant and how they might be affected.

 

"Part of our federal responsibility is to determine, are these sites important, and if they are, are our actions going to impact them? And if they are going to be impacted, how do we mitigate that effect?" said Matt Diederich, environmental branch chief for the Oregon Military Department. "It all stems to forest management. That's the goal, to better manage the forest here."

 

Joshua Henderson, cultural resources manager for the Oregon Military Department, said the findings will eventually be evaluated for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and the appropriate Tribes.

 

That consultation runs throughout the project. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, along with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, maintain ancestral connections to the Willamette Valley. Grand Ronde representatives have visited the field school weekly to share their perspective with students, including their preference for the term "belongings" rather than "artifacts" when describing recovered items.

 

"This isn't just a data point," said Michael Lewis, senior archaeologist for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. "This is a place on a cultural landscape with memory, continuing practice on the landscape, and a connection to the past."

 

For Carney, that spirit of partnership defines the field school. During a recent week of geophysical survey training, she looked around at lunch and saw agency archaeologists, private-sector archaeologists, Tribal specialists and academics all working side by side.

 

"That's really what the field school is all about," she said. "It's about collaboration, about moving into the future while also thinking about the past, and training folks to explore different career opportunities related to cultural resource management or heritage more broadly."

 

For at least one student, the setting carries a personal connection. Nathan McCaslin, an undergraduate archaeology student, previously served in the Oregon Army National Guard, where he supported training operations across the state. His interest in the field was sparked in part by the cultural resources at Biak Training Center in Central Oregon, where remnants of World War II-era training still rest on the surface of the high desert landscape. He used military education benefits to pursue his degree.

 

"I think there's a lot of work out there to maintain the memory of those things," McCaslin said, "because we might not have them in the future."

 

The field school continues through the summer, with additional seasons planned in different portions of the hillside over the next two years. Wherever the students dig next, the ground beneath Najaf Training Center seems ready to keep offering up its history, with or without the elk's help.

 

Released B-Roll Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1015015/oregon-military-department-osu-partnership-turns-training-site-into-archaeology-classroom

 

Released Photos: 

 

260714-Z-ZJ128-1001

Oregon State University archaeology student Rebecca Chastain, left, brushes soil from a test unit as fellow student Caden Gonzales records field notes during the OSU Archaeology Field School at Najaf Training Center, Ore., July 14, 2026. The four-week field school, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and OSU, trains students in professional archaeological methods while supporting the department's cultural resources responsibilities ahead of planned forest management. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260714-Z-ZJ128-1002

Oregon State University archaeology student Nathan McCaslin, a former Oregon Army National Guard Soldier, screens excavated soil for cultural materials during the OSU Archaeology Field School at Najaf Training Center, Ore., July 14, 2026. Students use wood-framed screens to sift soil from test units, recovering stone flakes, tools and historic-era items too small to spot during excavation. The four-week field school, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and OSU, trains students in professional archaeological methods while supporting the department's cultural resources responsibilities ahead of planned forest management. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

 

260714-Z-ZJ128-1003

Oregon State University Archaeology Field School students document a test unit as Andrew Pauly, standing, a graduate teaching assistant, photographs the excavation at Najaf Training Center, Ore., July 14, 2026. Students initially discovered the site while conducting a pedestrian survey of the area, spotting dozens of stone flakes exposed in nearby elk bedding areas. The four-week field school, offered through a three-year intergovernmental agreement between the Oregon Military Department and OSU, trains students in professional archaeological methods while supporting the department's cultural resources responsibilities ahead of planned forest management. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

Attached Media Files: 260714-Z-ZJ128-1001, 260714-Z-ZJ128-1002, 260714-Z-ZJ128-1003,