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MILTON-FREEWATER, Ore. — Two eastern Oregon soldiers recently represented the state at a prestigious military sniper competition, demonstrating the unique capabilities of local National Guard members.

Staff Sgt. Coertlandt Bauer and Sgt. Dakota Hodges, both from the Milton-Freewater-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, competed against elite marksmen from around the world at the 2024 Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship in Arkansas.

The local team showcases the diverse talent within Oregon's eastern communities. Hodges, who serves as a chief engineer for Amazon Web Services in Hermiston, balances his civilian career with his military role as a sniper team leader. His teammate, Bauer, recently launched the aptly named One Shot Plumbing in Idaho's Wood River Valley, exemplifying the National Guard's citizen-soldier concept.

"Being in the Oregon National Guard has been a great opportunity for me to come to training events like this while still being able to own a business and support my community," said Bauer.

The Milton-Freewater team joined 35 other teams from across U.S. military branches and international forces, including groups from the Netherlands, Italy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Special Operations Forces. Competitors faced challenging scenarios in both daylight and nighttime conditions, using advanced equipment, including the Mark 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle and night vision devices.

For Hodges, who joined the Guard after serving in the Marine Corps, the competition offered valuable training opportunities. "What I take out of this is we get to come out here, shoot, meet new people, and make great connections with other teams," said Hodges. "Everything has changed since I went through sniper school six years ago. We're using different technology and different formulas. Being here, I get to learn that stuff again, update my skills, and prepare myself for future endeavors."

"These championships exemplify what makes the Oregon National Guard the service of choice for Oregonians," said Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, The Adjutant General of Oregon. "When our soldiers train in realistic environments and focus on their specialized skills as cohesive teams, they not only become more proficient warriors but also more effective guardians of our communities."

The competition, hosted by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center, provides National Guard units with cost-effective access to world-class training opportunities. Participants must meet rigorous qualifications, including expert marksmanship ratings and specific military occupational specialties.

For more information about the Oregon Army National Guard opportunities in eastern Oregon, visit the Milton-Freewater Recruiting Office at 149 S Main, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862, or call 971-355-7503. The local unit, 1/3-116 CAV AR, offers positions including Snipers (11B4), Cavalry Scouts (19D), and Indirect Fire Infantrymen (11C), along with more than 50 other career fields ranging from aviation and medical to mechanics and administration. Visit www.nationalguard.com to learn more about serving your community, state, and country.

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DVIDS Released B-Roll: https://dvidshub.net/r/p5uq5m

Released Photos: 

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Center front, Staff Sgt. Coertlandt Bauer and Sgt. Dakota Hodges, snipers with 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, receive a range brief from competition cadre during the Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas. The competition tests sniper teams with unknown distance targets and scenarios revealed only moments before engagement. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

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Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cotten, National Guard Marksmanship Training Center cadre and NGMTC Sniper School instructor briefs competitors on night fire procedures during the Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas, Dec. 11, 2024. The night shooting ranges test teams' abilities to engage targets using night vision devices and thermal optics. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

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Sgt. Dakota Hodges, foreground, scans downrange through his spotting scope while Staff Sgt. Coertlandt Bauer searches for concealed targets through his Mark 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle optics during the Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Dec. 10, 2024. The Oregon Army National Guard sniper team from 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team worked together to locate and engage camouflaged targets at varying distances. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

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A sniper engages a target through a PVS-30 night vision device mounted on his Mark 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle during a night fire range at the Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship, Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Dec. 10, 2024. The controlled burn in the background created a challenging back-lit target scenario, testing competitors' ability to adapt to complex lighting conditions while using night vision optics. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

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Staff Sgt. Coertlandt Bauer, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, engages a distant target with his suppressed Mark 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle equipped with a STORM laser range finder during the Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Dec. 11, 2024. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

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Sgt. Dakota Hodges, left, carrying an M110 rifle, and Staff Sgt. Coertlandt Bauer with his Mark 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle, move between firing positions during the Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Dec. 10, 2024. The Oregon Army National Guard sniper team from 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team employed multiple weapons systems throughout the competition. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)

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SALEM, Ore. – Oregon National Guard Leadership met this morning with affected personnel following an active threat incident yesterday on December 10, 2024, at the Clackamas Armed Forces Readiness Center (AFRC), located on Camp Withycombe in Clackamas, Ore.  

All members of the Oregon National Guard, State of Oregon employees and U.S. Army Reserve personnel who work at the building were accounted for, and the threat was resolved by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office without incident.

“While these types of situations are unsettling, they also remind us of the strength of our community and the importance of staying connected to those we serve alongside,” said Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, the Adjutant General, Oregon. “We will continue to work together to ensure our organization remains a safe, resilient, and professional environment.”

The Adjutant General with leadership from the unit, brigade and state levels met with affected personnel, together with representation from medical command, behavioral health, religious support, and the Resiliency Directorate. 

“The safety and well-being of our Soldiers, Airmen, civilian staff, and the surrounding community is our top priority,” Gronewold said, “and we are grateful to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and all the initial responding law enforcement agencies, for their swift and professional response, which prevented harm and ensured the safety of everyone involved.”

Camp Withycombe not only houses the Clackamas Armed Forces Readiness Center, home to multiple Oregon Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve units, but also serves as a supply depot and home to a training and equipment repair facility. The Oregon Military Museum is also located on Camp Withycombe.

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Photo captions

001- Oregon Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, the Adjutant General, Oregon, speaks with soldiers who work at Camp Withycombe, in Happy Valley, Ore., Dec 11, 2024, following the previous day's incident at the installation. (National Guard photo by Aaron Perkins, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Office)

027- Oregon Army National Guard Colonel, Jonathan VanHorn, speaks with soldiers who work at Camp Withycombe, in Happy Valley, Ore., Dec 11, 2024, following the previous day's incident at the installation. (National Guard photo by Aaron Perkins, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Office)

051- Oregon Army National Guard Colonel, Russell Gibson, speaks with soldiers who work at Camp Withycombe, in Happy Valley, Ore., Dec 11, 2024, following the previous day's incident at the installation. (National Guard photo by Aaron Perkins, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Office)

023- Oregon Army National Guard Chaplain, Rabbi Menachem Orenstein, speaks with soldiers who work at Camp Withycombe, in Happy Valley, Ore., Dec 11, 2024, following the previous day's incident at the installation. (National Guard photo by Aaron Perkins, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Office)

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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing, located at the Portland Air National Guard Base in Portland, Oregon, welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony here, December 6th, at 1:42 p.m. 

Col. David J. Christensen replaced Col. Michael B. Kosderka as the Wing Commander, overseeing nearly 1,400 personnel in executing their F-15 Eagle Aerospace Control Alert mission in defense of the Pacific Northwest, worldwide deployments supporting national objectives, and local state missions as directed by the governor.

At the ceremony, Christensen addressed the members of the 142nd Wing for the first time as their commander. 

“I promise I will support you and challenge you to excel. I want you to prove everyday just how capable the 142^nd is, and to prove that the foundation of that capability is in every single one of us working together in the defense of this nation, this state, and every citizen who is chasing the dream of a free people.” 

Counting his time at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), Christensen has served in uniform for more than 29 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the USAFA in 1999. He then attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and received his initial F-15 training at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida in 2002. His next assignment was to the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He returned to Tyndall Air Force Base as an Instructor Pilot in 2005, until moving back to Eglin Air Force Base to serve in the 53rd Wing as an Operational Test and Evaluation Pilot. In 2009, Christensen left Active Duty and joined the Oregon Air National Guard as an Instructor Pilot with the 142nd Fighter Wing, currently known as the 142nd Wing. Prior to becoming to the Commander of the 142nd Wing, Christensen served as the Commander of the 142nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

Preceding Christensen, Kosderka served as the 142nd Wing Commander from December 2023 to December 2024. During his tenure, the wing saw the arrival and public unveiling of the first F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The arrival of these aircraft inaugurated the Wing’s gradual transition from its legacy F-15C and D model fleet and marked the beginning of the complex “beddown” process and the development of new infrastructure needed to accommodate the more advanced aircraft.

Kosderka, who had his retirement ceremony today, spent all 25 years of his career in the Oregon Air National Guard. His other assignments include Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Kingsley Field, Oregon, and Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. He has been deployed in support of contingency operations throughout the world including Operation Noble Eagle. Col. Kosderka received his bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Science in 1998 from Linfield College, Oregon and a Master’s in Business Administration from Willamette University, Oregon in 2014.

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Broll and a soundbite from the ceremony can be found at this link: DVIDS - Video - 2024 142nd Wing Change of Command broll and soundbite

Photo caption:

Col. David J. Christensen (center) accepts the 142nd Wing guidon from Assistant Adjutant General- Air, Brig. Gen. David N. Unruh (left), as he takes command of the wing during an official change of command ceremony held on December 6, 2024 at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. Former 142nd Wing Commander, Col. Michael B. Kosderka (right) relinquished command during the ceremony and is set to retire in January of 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)

About the 142nd Wing:

The Portland Air National Guard Base employs 1,400 Airmen who provide an economic impact of nearly $500 million to the region. The 142nd Wing defends our homeland with F-15 Eagle fighter jets, guarding the Pacific Northwest skies from northern California to the Canadian border through their Aerospace Control Alert mission as part of Air Combat Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Their mission is to provide unequalled, mission-ready units to sustain combat aerospace superiority and peacetime tasking any time, any place in service to our nation, state and community.