August 19, 2020 11:15 a.m.

Oregon National Guard soldiers, including some from Douglas County, are continuing to return home from the second largest mobilization since World War 2.

A release from the Oregon Military Department said a team of approximately 100 from the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived in Medford on Tuesday. They had been deployed to Djibouti, Africa for nine months. The first group arrived back last week. Some soldiers were deployed to Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kosovo.

The release said soldiers are scheduled to arrive home throughout the month of August with staggered arrivals scheduled next week in Portland as well as to Medford near the end of the month. The final group of soldiers from the 41st who are in Kosovo, are scheduled to arrive home in Oregon before Christmas.

Stephen Bomar from the Oregon Military Department told News Radio 1240 KQEN that some of those who just returned are from the local Charlie Company Unit of the Oregon National Guard, based in Roseburg. That included Sergeant Ian McGowan and Specialist Aiden McGowan, who are pictured with our story at www.541radio.com