Oregon National Guard deployment into Portland likely pushed ‘into the weekend’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Despite initial reports of a Thursday arrival, the Oregon Military Department said the 200 National Guard troops’ arrival in Portland will “now push into the weekend.”

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley told media Wednesday the 200 troops are gathered and will camp and train for three to five days in Warrenton. The 200 training are made up of members from two companies— the 1186 Military Police Company from Salem, and the Company C, 3^rd Battalion,

116^th Cavalry Regiment from Woodburn, according to Russell Gibson with the Oregon Military Department.

Gibson told state lawmakers Tuesday night the troops are preparing with U.S. Army North on crowd control and the rules for use of force. He said the two companies were chosen for a reason.

“We have a National Guard response force where we keep service members trained on that mission,” Gibson said. “The mission the National Guard Response Force is for, like, crowd control type of a mission. And we always have at least one unit trained.”

Gibson said the company from Woodburn was most recently on that crowd control mission, and the Salem company recently went through that training.

“As those soldiers come on and they enter that Title 10 active duty status,” he said. “We lose control of their activities. Right? So we provide those forces to U.S. Army North, and then they are under the command and control of that headquarters.”

The Oregon Military Department has said their mission is to protect federal properties and the employees working inside.

In a statement to KOIN 6, the Pentagon’s Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell said, “Members of the Oregon National Guard are reporting for duty, conducting training, and preparing to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other U.S. Government personnel who are performing federal functions, including the enforcement of federal law, and to protect federal property in Oregon.”

When asked what, “preparing to support,” meant, a Pentagon spokesperson said they could not comment past the statement.

The Oregon Military Department said the government shutdown will not impact the 200 Oregon National Guard personnel. They will continue to report for duty but will not get paid until the government reopens. Gibson said they are paid for their 60-day mission, plus time before and after for training and demobilization.

“200 service members for 80 days is roughly– roughly $3.8 million just in paying allowances,” he said. “And then there are other logistics costs that– that we are still working through support agreements for what those costs look like. Again, this is all federally funded.”

Gibson said nearly half of the military police company are law enforcement in their civilian time, but if they work in Portland or Multnomah County they are not getting sent out. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said none of their employees are getting sent out. The Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tualatin, and Tigard police departments also said they do not have any employees getting sent.