Oregon Guard Soldiers Lend A Hand At Salvation Army Hope House In Medford (Photo) - 07/12/26

MEDFORD, Ore. – Seventeen Soldiers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, traded their weapons systems for shovels, stain brushes and weed eaters during a community service project at the Salvation Army Hope House in Medford, July 11, 2026.

Working alongside volunteers from a local business, the Soldiers dug trenches for sprinkler lines, spread bark, planted trees and shrubs with guidance from a local arborist, built walking paths, cleared weeds along the roadside and stained new benches for placement throughout the property.

"They are an organization that is helping to rehabilitate and stabilize families experiencing homelessness, and so we got the privilege of coming out here and serving them along with the team of their volunteers," said Chaplain (Capt.) Aaron McAndrews, the battalion chaplain. "It's really been a cool transformation to see it all unfold."

Since 1996, Hope House has helped people experiencing homelessness in Jackson County get back on their feet. The drug- and alcohol-free transitional living facility serves around 250 people a year, offering case management and supportive services in a structured environment. The average stay is about 10 months, though residents making progress can stay up to two years.

The timing of the project carried extra weight. Hope House recently completed construction of its Hope Lofts expansion, seven new fully furnished studio apartments, and the volunteer effort helped ready the campus for the building's dedication and grand opening, scheduled for July 17.

The connection between the Guard and Hope House came through Chris Robertson, owner of Invictus Protection Agency, a local security company, and a former member of the battalion's Alpha Company who deployed with the unit to Iraq from 2009 to 2010 and to Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015. Robertson reached out to 1st Sgt. Jeremy Warren, the first sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, who told him the unit had been looking for service opportunities.

"I'm just a local businessman that saw a program that I liked, and I wanted to do something to help it," Robertson said. "When I was walking through, I saw some things that just needed labor and maintenance, and I thought, what better way to get that done than calling the Guard?"

For at least one Soldier, the work was familiar territory. Sgt. Donovon Pavloff, a mortarman with the battalion, owns a landscaping company in Days Creek that services Roseburg and Douglas County. On Saturday, he put his civilian trade to work for the community, installing irrigation valves and helping guide the landscaping effort.

"People who have been homeless that are really ready to get a fresh start in life can come and stay here," said Maj. Randy Mulch, who oversees the Salvation Army's work in Jackson County with his wife. "They meet with their counselor weekly, make life goals, learn life skills, pay off bad debts, get a job, save up money, get connected with our community and get back into life."

Released photos:

260711-Z-ZJ128-2001

U.S. Army Sgt. Bradley Daniels, left, a member of the sniper section, and Sgt. Donovon Pavloff, a mortarman, both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, kneel beside a newly installed irrigation valve during a community service project at the Salvation Army Hope House in Medford, Ore., July 11, 2026. Pavloff, who owns a landscaping company in Days Creek, Ore., brought his civilian trade to the volunteer effort, which helped prepare the campus for the July 17 dedication of seven new studio apartments. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260711-Z-ZJ128-2002

U.S. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Aaron McAndrews, the battalion chaplain for 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, shovels mulch onto a newly planted area during a community service project at the Salvation Army Hope House in Medford, Ore., July 11, 2026. Seventeen Soldiers from the battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Company joined community volunteers to landscape the property ahead of the July 17 dedication of seven new studio apartments. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

260711-Z-ZJ128-2003

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, place drip irrigation lines and spread mulch through newly planted beds during a community service project at the Salvation Army Hope House in Medford, Ore., July 11, 2026. Seventeen Soldiers from the company joined community volunteers to landscape the property ahead of the July 17 dedication of seven new studio

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

260711-Z-ZJ128-2004

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, gather with community volunteers and Salvation Army staff in front of seven newly completed studio apartments following a community service project at the Salvation Army Hope House in Medford, Ore., July 11, 2026. The volunteer effort helped prepare the campus for the building's dedication and grand opening, scheduled for July 17. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)