Salem, Oregon – After federal officials decided to end only portion of the Oregon National Guard’s current mission, Governor Tina Kotek repeated her call for all of them to leave. Her most recent call occurred shortly after the U.S. Army Northern Command told the Oregon National Guard to send home 100 service members who were serving under a Title 10 designation and keep the other 100 on duty.
The directive follows a major legal turning point. A federal judge ruled several days ago that the National Guard could not continue to be used in Portland since there was no legal reason for the deployment. Even though the order was given, half of Oregon’s troops have been directed to stay put. Today, California will bring all 200 of its deployed Guard soldiers home.
Kotek’s statement harshly attacked the federal government’s stance, claiming that the actions of the administration have made an already unnecessary burden on Oregon families last longer. She stressed that Guard members are not just numbers on a page; they are real people with jobs, kids, and loved ones who are waiting for them to come home.
The governor says that these service members have been gone from home for 50 days now. She said that the long mobilization has been hard on not just the people who are deployed, but also on their companies, schools, and families who have had to deal with their long absence. She said that there was no reason to keep the disturbance going when the holiday season was coming up.
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Kotek said again that she expects the federal government to follow the court’s order and let all of the remaining Oregon employees depart immediately. She said that the issue was both a matter of following the law and basic fairness, and that every Guard member should be able to go home right away.
Her office said that they will keep pushing the federal government until all of the Oregon National Guard members are sent home and back with their families.
