Oregon National Guard members released from federal duties in Oregon will now have to travel to Texas to “demobilize” from their mission.
U.S. Northern Command ordered the Oregon National Guard to end the federal mission of half of the 200 Oregon National Guard troops called up by the federal government in late September to protect federal buildings in Portland, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, Gov. Tina Kotek said on Monday. The federal government also extended the deployment for the other 100 Oregon troops, she said.
The Oregon National Guard members ending their missions will travel to Fort Hood in Texas for the demobilization process, which includes medical and mental health screenings and administrative duties like dealing with their pay, said Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar, director of public affairs for the Oregon Military Department.
If Oregon National Guard troops had been asked by the governor to perform an in-state mission, like responding to a fire or a flood, they would stay in Oregon to demobilize when that mission wound down, Bomar said. But there is no place in Oregon for National Guard members to demobilize from a federal mission, Bomar said, so troops will travel out of state like they would when returning from an international deployment. The federal government picks up that tab, he said.
The demobilization process typically takes about a week, Bomar said, and the troops have earned about five days of leave. All in, their federal commitment will have spanned about 50 days, he said.
Bomar couldn’t give an estimate for when the Oregon troops would return home and deferred questions about that to the federal government. But he said it’s possible that the troops headed to Texas will be back before Thanksgiving.
U.S. Northern Command did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday about when those Oregon National Guard troops are likely to return from Texas.
The 200 California National Guard troops called up to Oregon returned home on Monday, Kotek said.
Kotek called for the federal government to release the remaining 100 Oregon National Guard troops from their deployment. She pointed out that it has been more than 10 days since a federal judge permanently blocked their deployment to the ICE facility. The Trump Administration has appealed that ruling and is fighting to keep control of the remaining Oregon National Guard troops in the meantime.
“Members of the Oregon National Guard, who are our friends and neighbors, have been away from their families and jobs for 50 days on an unnecessary deployment,” Kotek wrote in a statement. “With the holidays approaching, every single member deserves to go home.”
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