WEBVTT

00:08.440 --> 00:10.880
it's truly outstanding to be back home ,

00:11.030 --> 00:13.260
not only just the environment of Oregon

00:13.260 --> 00:15.260
but back into our communities , our

00:15.260 --> 00:17.110
cities in our state . Just an

00:17.110 --> 00:19.054
incredible welcome home . Um , you

00:19.054 --> 00:21.600
really can't put uh , accurate word to

00:21.600 --> 00:23.600
describe how great it is to be back

00:23.600 --> 00:25.600
home . You know , it's one of those

00:25.600 --> 00:27.767
opportunities that uh , that you could

00:27.767 --> 00:30.320
really not describe . Um , just being

00:30.330 --> 00:32.386
part of this organization day to day

00:32.386 --> 00:34.441
operating with these soldiers , uh ,

00:34.441 --> 00:36.830
temperatures of 140 degrees where over

00:36.830 --> 00:39.000
£60 of equipment , they were just

00:39.000 --> 00:41.090
exceptional at every opportunity . I

00:41.100 --> 00:43.211
had the opportunity to spend a lot of

00:43.211 --> 00:45.378
time on the road in convoys , uh based

00:45.378 --> 00:47.560
defense locations . And it just just

00:47.560 --> 00:49.282
may be proud to be part of the

00:49.282 --> 00:51.393
organization and just be part of that

00:51.393 --> 00:53.449
was a great group of soldiers . What

00:53.449 --> 00:55.504
I've told people over time is really

00:55.504 --> 00:57.727
the spades are coming back to us . Uh ,

00:57.727 --> 00:59.671
previous deployments , outstanding

00:59.671 --> 01:01.671
training opportunities . Leadership

01:01.671 --> 01:03.893
from the N . C . O . And junior officer

01:03.893 --> 01:05.560
level at every aspect of this

01:05.560 --> 01:07.727
organization is really starting to pay

01:07.727 --> 01:09.893
off . I mean these guys , uh , they go

01:09.893 --> 01:12.116
out there , they're self sufficient and

01:12.116 --> 01:14.282
they're they're self starters and they

01:14.282 --> 01:16.171
do awesome wherever they go . Our

01:16.171 --> 01:18.116
soldiers performed exceptional and

01:18.116 --> 01:20.171
every mission they were given . They

01:20.171 --> 01:22.338
exceeded expectations at every level .

01:22.338 --> 01:21.960
Uh , and this was brought to our

01:21.960 --> 01:23.760
attention by our higher level

01:23.760 --> 01:25.704
commanders . In fact , the theater

01:25.704 --> 01:27.538
Commander of General Odierno was

01:27.538 --> 01:29.760
extremely impressed with our soldiers .

01:29.760 --> 01:31.704
In fact , as I mentioned during my

01:31.704 --> 01:33.927
speech , he put us on his Facebook page

01:33.927 --> 01:36.149
and I think 12 or 14 photos of his time

01:36.149 --> 01:38.960
there with our silvers And you know ,

01:38.970 --> 01:41.137
they were just being Oregonians , uh ,

01:41.137 --> 01:43.192
members of the 41st Brigade , Jungle

01:43.192 --> 01:45.590
Ears . And uh , people , uh , saw that ,

01:45.600 --> 01:47.322
saw their dedication and their

01:47.322 --> 01:49.433
performance and they recognized it at

01:49.433 --> 01:51.544
every point . Uh , well , of course ,

01:51.544 --> 01:53.711
our families , by far my wife and kids

01:53.711 --> 01:56.220
just to spend time with them . Um , I

01:56.220 --> 01:58.870
missed the clean air . I miss Green .