Pendleton’s 1st Battalion 168th Aviation Regiment mobilizes
PENDLETON — Oregon Army National Guard soldiers received a rousing sendoff on Wednesday morning — from a distance.
Dozens of cars paraded onto the tarmac at the Oregon Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility in Pendleton as family members and friends arrived for a socially distanced mobilization ceremony for Pendleton’s 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment of the Oregon Army National Guard.
Families hugged goodbye to their loved ones and shed tears as the men and women of the unit set off on a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan, the unit’s third in the last two decades. Six Chinook helicopters departed shortly after 10 a.m., flashing lights to the waving crowd on the tarmac.
“It’s a lot,” said Maria Ford, who embraced her father, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Donald Ford, and shed a tear as she said goodbye. “It’s hard and emotional, but it has to get done.”
While Wednesday’s deployment was a first for some, for others, such as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jacob Murphy, it’s familiar territory. Murphy was previously deployed to Afghanistan with the Marines shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and said the return will provide an interesting comparison nearly two decades later.
“I’m going to expect a lot of changes and a lot of unknown, especially with the political climate going on over there,” Murphy said.
Murphy said he spent the last few weeks trying to spend quality time with his family, preparing them for his deployment and staying healthy.
“We’ve had to keep ourselves safe from anyone that might have the virus in order to get the guys that are over there home as soon as they can,” he said.
For Capt. Taylor Frye, the mobilization marks his first deployment in his 12 years with the Oregon Army National Guard. Frye said the past few days and weeks have been extremely hectic, but incredibly rewarding.
“I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow from those who have deployed before as I prepare,” he said. “Preparing for deployments is always stressful, and then you add in the pandemic.”
Frye, whose fiancee came to see him off, said that he felt as though Wednesday’s ceremony provided necessary recognition for the families of deploying soldiers.
“Sometimes their commitment is the hardest thing,” said Frye, acknowledging that families aren’t always recognized for their commitment to their guardsmen and women.
Ashley Prine said a tearful goodbye to her husband, Staff Sgt. Jeff Prine, and sat in her van watching the mobilization with her children as her husband boarded one of six Chinook helicopters bound for Ft. Hood, Texas. It is there that the unit will join units from the Pacific Northwest in preparation for the deployment to Afghanistan.
For Prine, this is her husband’s second deployment with the National Guard and she said the COVID-19 pandemic and the ages of her children have made this deployment harder than the last.
Prine said her children have a better understanding of what is happening this time, something that makes the day harder on all of them, and social distancing requirements have made it more difficult to prepare.
“It’s really hit and miss,” she said of the family’s emotions. “We’ve been doing a lot of talking about it.”
Despite tearful goodbyes, a sense of duty carried through the minds of many. Sgt. Skyler Leasy is embarking on his first deployment, and despite the hardships of leaving family behind, he said he remains optimistic.
“I didn’t join the Guard just to sit here,” he said. “I wanted to go do this. It’s pretty exciting.”