Photo By Staff Sgt. Emily Simonson | Soldiers of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) are welcomed home during...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Oregon National Guard welcomed home the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) in a demobilization ceremony at the Salem Armory Auditorium, September 6, 2025, in Salem, Ore. The 41st IBCT returned in July from a year-long deployment to Kosovo as part of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission.
The 41st IBCT served as part of KFOR's 34th rotation, contributing to what the 41st IBCT commander Col. Peter Helzer described as, "the longest and most successful NATO mission in the history of the alliance."
The deployment to Kosovo was crucial for maintaining peace and stability in the region, a mission that has been ongoing since 1999.
“The 41st mission supporting Operation JOINT GUARDIAN directly supported our national interests and security, bringing value and pride to our state and our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, the Adjutant General, Oregon.
The brigade's support was widespread, encompassing security forces, logisticians, medical professionals, intelligence analysts, and a command team stationed at various locations, including Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Pristina, Kosovo; and Bondsteel, Kosovo.
They completed more than 4,000 security patrols, 13,000 public engagements, and 5,000 volunteer hours supporting communities in Kosovo.
Gronewold expressed his gratitude to the families and loved ones of the 41st IBCT Soldiers, thanking them for their resilience. “While your loved ones were deployed, you carried the weight of the home front with grace and courage,” said Gronewold. “Your sacrifices made their mission possible, and we recognize that their service is truly a family commitment.”
The 41st IBCT continues its long legacy of service, tracing its lineage back to the 41st Infantry Division that served in World War I and performed the longest overseas service of any division in the U.S., in the Pacific during World War II.
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2025 23:20 |
| Story ID: | 547419 |
| Location: | SALEM, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Oregon Guard Welcomes Home the 41st IBCT from Kosovo, by SSG Emily Simonson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
