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News Release

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,