Task Force Jungleer consisting of approximately 400 soldiers from the 41st Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company, with elements of 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Battalion, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) were honored in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 at the Oregon Convention Center, as they prepared to deploy to Kosovo.
The 41st IBCT Commander Col. Eric Riley invites supporters and the media to recognize and honor the Soldiers of Task Force Jungleer and their families in preparation for their deployment to Kosovo.
“The 41st is honored to represent the state of Oregon in this NATO’s Kosovo Force mission, contributing to a secure environment and ensuring public safety and order to the people of Kosovo,” Said 41st IBCT Commander Col. Eric Riley.
Speakers at the mobilization ceremony included Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Oregon National Guard Maj. Gen. Michael E. Stencel, The Adjutant General, Oregon. Task Force Jungleer is the last of the 41st units to mobilize. The total deployment is the second-largest deployment of the brigade since WWII, following the 2009 Iraq deployment commanded by then Col. Daniel Hokanson, now a Lieutenant General and Director of Army National Guard, who spoke at the event as well.
The 41st IBCT is an organization made up of 3,000 Soldiers consisting of five Oregon battalions and two out of state battalions from New Mexico and Washington. The Brigade has already deployed four separate task forces around the globe starting in September of 2019, with a total numbering approximately 2,300 Soldiers, with 1,400 hailing from Oregon.
The 41st Brigade has a rich history protecting its community and country, tracing their lineage back to the 41st Division of WWI and WWII. Soldiers of the brigade are dedicated to accomplishing the assigned missions with the same courage and competence it has always had.
Source: Oregon National Guard